Concert Snobs, Can't stand em!

Too expressive? How bout too expensive? What would csn think about their ticket prices

 

Don't forget, though, there may be some people who are unable to stand for a whole show (such as in my case).

I don't agree that people who want to sit are 'snobbies'. You can be the most passionate fan and still enjoy the show sitting down - as I have done many times. Also, even if I could do it, I couldn't think of anything worse than getting up and dancing etc! I just like to sit, watch and listen. Each to their own though, I guess!

 

Sometimes it's the most simple solutions that we overlook when we're in the midst of these situations. Two words: Stage dive.

 

This is what we consider to be dancing these days, as I described in an earlier post:

(stolen from the Taylor Swift thread)

You seriously have never seen this happen at a rock concert? I have never been to a gig where this didn't happen.

 

This looks suspiciously like they're mugging for the camera, as opposed to getting into the music. They also look much too hot; I'd wager they're "plants." As in there b/c of inducements, as opposed to vegetation.

I find it hard to believe that so many music lovers have such disdain for people who are moved to dance by great music at a Rock concert. It smacks of "Get-off-of-my-lawn-itis."

 

If anybody hit those moves at the gigs I go to they'd get laughed out the building. Mind you, that's the Dillinger Escape Plan for you...

 

Just saw herself on the screen... But nice moves

 

Okay Chervokas I get it now. I will say I don't go to these concerts to reflect on memories of a better time which is probably why I don't fit in sometimes. I go to recreate the times after watching lets say the woodstock movie so I can somewhat experience what I've been missing out on. This music and culture surrounding it means a lot to me. In my opinion I don't feel songs become irrelevant. Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" isn't specific to any time period. Yeah it came out of it but it's songs with human emotion that will continue to touch people's souls forever. You really think these older bands are still performing just for they money? They've already made their millions. I'd like to think they're only sticking around for the fans. I mean come on a lot of these bands could have retired happily 20 years ago. If they love doing it, if it keeps them going, if they want to stay relevant all the power to em. To say that every night isn't going to be a winner, that's the chance your willing to take going to a live show. That's the fun of seeing it live, it's not perfect. I did hear after the CSN show people telling me it was one of the best shows they've seen in 15 years from them. I'm happy I went.

 

What a shame, you were forced to use concert etiquette.

 

I just started reading this thread. I was wondering why it took so long before a borderline moronic and reactionary reply such as this would appear.

 

This was just posted in another thread. I'd be aggravated if I was near this guy shouting along to the chorus.

 

OK, so I went to see Cinematic Orchestra at the Roundhouse in London last night.

Main section is standing up with seats upstairs so I prefer to stand.

What is it people who seem to think that their idea of a good night out for which they've paid decent money to get in is to chatter all the way through it? Really infuriating - I came to see the band not to listen to you chatting to your partner. Where I was at the start there were four of them chatting away with two of them with their backs to the stage - seriously if you want to have a drink with your mates go to a freaking pub!

And when I decided to move it was slightly better but then I got the lady who chatted through the new stuff but when one of their more well-known songs came on it was "Yep, I know this one...I'm gonna put my hand in the air and point to the band so everyone knows that I'm really hip and know their old stuff."

Not the first time that's happened there - The Unthanks had the chatterers a few months back...and when some of their stuff is really quiet all you can hear is this buzz of people talking going on.

 

Right, but you can't recreate the '60s, or any time, after watching a movie and thinking about what might have gone on then, and then going to see a concert today (and a movie's giving you a single, and probably warped and romanticized view of that past anyway).... The past is gone, it's over, it's history. You're expecting the impossible, the irrational, something that doesn't have anything to do with the present moment of that show and the current reality of that artist. Short of Doc Brown showing up with the Delorean, you're never gonna experience the past that way, you're just going to experience the historical evidence of it sure as I'm never going to experience what it was like to hit 52nd street in 1949 and go from club to club seeing everyone from Charlie Parker to Billie Holiday. I can put on a zoot suit or something and show up at a "swing" club where some band is recreating Fletcher Henderson arrangement and learn to dance the jitterbug, but it ain't gonna be the same thing as going to the cotton club in the 1920s and seeing Duke Ellington. It's part of the memory of the artists and the audience at these shows, but so is their second grade teacher and so is the '80s -- that thing about the '60s that you're carrying into the show is just one element of a 50, or 60 or 70 year personal and cultural journey for the artists.

I think performing artists artists have various reasons keeping going. I have no doubt that the money plays a big part of it for many of them...I mean, it's a lot of money and this is the way they make their livings and a lot of 'em have multiple ex-wives, they've lived high on the hog, maybe they're supporting multiple properties and various family members, this is how they support their lifestyles. But I'm sure for most of them they also enjoy what they're doing. And I'm sure if they're writing new work its because they feel like they have something valuable to say. I also think it's hard to give up the thrill and rush of the adulation of thousands of people. I mean, getting up and going to the cardiologist, or playing golf, or going down to Starbucks for a latte or whatever you might be doing with your time in retirement just ain't gonna replace that rush.

The songs don't necessarily become irrelevant -- some of 'em do, topical songs typically -- but their cultural context might change. Aretha Franklin's version of "Respect," still sounds great, but it doesn't carry quite the same nascent feminist wallop it carried in 1967, it's not important or meaningful in the moment in the same kind of way that it was. Love songs and heartbreak songs tend to travel well across eras because human relationships don't change that much, we still love Cole Porter's "Night and Day" or "I've Got You Under My Skin," or Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Topical songs not so much: "Woodstock," "Ohio," and, though not CSNY song, something like like "Southern Man" or "For What It's Worth" or something, they're historical relics, curiosities, like "Backside Albany" a war of 1812 song or "Over There," George M. Cohan's WWI propaganda song. We get what they mean, because we know or we've even lived through the history, but they're more historical artifacts than they are timeless works with contemporary relevance.

 

I used to be 6'-3" but I've shrunk at least 1/2". When short people ask if they can move in front of me at a gig I say, "Only if you respect the legroom rights of tall people sitting behind you on an airplane." [cue: blank response]

What I can't stand at shows is people having shouting-level conversations, or taking every quiet passage as an opportunity to talk, to reenact their grandmother's tupperware party. Why are you here?!?

I went to Rough Trade last night to see FÖLLAKZOID, who were absolutely great. A good portion of the crowd was there to see opening act SQÜRL and probably for celebrity sighting reasons... it's film director Jim Jarmusch's band. They were very good. It was a late [second] show at the venue; doors opened at 10:30, the music started at about 11:15 and went to about 1:30. As a result, there were more than a few people who'd been working on their "buzz" for several hours before the show. It's a nice ballroom venue, fairly small (300 capacity?) but I had to move around a few times to find a spot where people weren't screaming at each other. I think those people finally left... their "buzz" hit critical mass.

But wow, what a night. FÖLLAKZOID is a world class band. Not everybody's cup of tea, but I can't imagine trying to sit down during their set.

From 2014... they've dialed it up to another level in the past year...

 

Balding 40-something slam dancers are a desperate bunch, but I really don't begrudge them their nostalgia. The last time I remember that happening was during Bob Mould's storming set at ATP up in Monticello. I buffered my wife with my big-a$$ed self... we got jostled around a bit. I remember it being kind of fun and we had smiles on our faces the whole set.

I mean, I'd rather have that than a family shouting to each other about their upcoming trip to grandpa's house, like at the R.E.M. show at Madison Square Garden. Except when the big MTV hits were played, then they stood up and did their best American Idol dance moves. My tickets were free so I didn't let it get to me... arena shows are for fools.

 

Anything to add? I'm sorry music ended for you the summer after you graduated from high school, but some of us are luckier than that.

 

Yes and no. A standing room show is not a reenactment of the Oklahoma Land Grab. I've been to shows where I was in the front 1/3 of the room and when I went to get a beer it was a LOT more crowded in back. When people start protecting their spacious up-front real estate it can be flat out selfish.

That was especially true at Summerstage shows when they allowed blankets in the walled-in Rumsey play field. There would be people stretching out the biggest blanket they could find in mom's garage and their main focus during the show was to not allow anyone else up front. Summerstage eventually stopped allowing the budding Donald Trump's their acreage, but I'd sworn off those shows by then.

 

I wanted people to sit down and shut up in 1970 as well. Fortunately, I always had good seats and
directional microphones so they didn't ruin too many of my recordings........

 

NERD FIGHT!!!!

 

Anyone can visit the past whenever they want. Good drink, good smoke, good headphones.

In 1991 I was set to put out decent money for front seats to Yes.

But I rethought this. I had gone to the deserts with large speakers, copious amounts of wine and early 70's Yes several times. I did not want to be around 1991 people and hear 80's songs.

So I saved my money and kept to my personal time travel.

 

I saw CSN recently from about the 10th row and the audience (which was mostly people in their 50's and 60's) sat through most of the show, standing only at the opening number ("Carry On") and towards the end (from around "Love the One Your With"), and even then it was just a few sections. I thought it was a wonderful evening nevertheless. To be honest, I can't see people dancing to . . . . . . . . "Guinnevere"?

 

Man in front of me last night at Macca insisted on filming the first 2 mins of every song,
after 5 songs I could stand no more so asked him to stop, and he did. Luckily for him.
All I could see was his arms and crappy little Iphone screen.

 

That was the union tour. Dang you missed a great show.

 

And my only point is if we show up an hour before doors open and wait in line to secure a good spot up front you're damn right I'm going to protect my spot when someone tries to push their way up front. There isn't a thing selfish about that. The only people who think it's selfish are those that show up late and think they are ENTITLED to a spot up front just because they want it.