Swine of another kind: concertgoers
May 3rd, 2009 by Vinyl Fever in NewsThis post comes from Vinyl Feverite Gabe Echazabal, a first-time blogger to Tampa Calling.
These are strange times we’re living in. We’re having to battle swine flu, an atrocious economy, and teachers playing naughty with our kids. However, the thing I CAN’T seem to fathom is the weird and bizarre ways that folks are behaving at rock concerts.
Sure, you always had your concertgoers who were too high, too drunk or too out of key when they crowed along with the singer on stage. Those types of disruptions I’ve learned to tolerate. As a matter of fact, I’d welcome them if they were all I had to deal with at a rock show these days. However, what goes on now is not only obnoxious, it’s just plain inane.
You’d think that with the way that concert ticket prices have escalated in the last decade that it would weed out the casual, “I’m just here to make the scene” moron. You know the type: has no idea who the band is … just wants to get drunk (or act like it) … scams on babes, etc. I seriously thought the Police reunion show last year would have eliminated such boneheads. I mean, let’s face it, the price of admission in the prime seats (where I must admit I sat) was equivalent to most people’s monthly car payment.
But nope, that didn’t matter … five songs into the show, here comes Mr. Frat Boy and his Sorority Goddess, double-fisted with overpriced mega beers, hooping and hollering as soon as they arrive to their floor seats … all the while with their backs to the stage!!
WHY DID YOU COME HERE?!!?! They were seeking out their cronies in the stands and calling them on their cell phones so they could wave at them. WTF?!
Stranger than that were the miniature hipsters at the Bright Eyes show at Tampa Theatre a few years back who were seemingly oh-so-bored … sighing, texting, yawning, more texting, briefly napping (really?) while the band played. This is how you show your appreciation, kids? Wow.
And I’m not just gonna single out the young’uns. Stranger than all were the mid-50s yuppie and yuppette who sat behind me and whined that Elton John was playing “TOO LONG” several years ago at the (then) Ice Palace. Elton was whipping out some deep cuts from the the canon: “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”, “Take Me to the Pilot” … you get the idea.
Anyway, the lame-brains behind me grew increasingly annoyed as Elton plowed through his three-hour-plus set. When he started to play “Burn Down the Mission“(!) they whined “Another one?” and I couldn’t help it — I finally turned around and said (sarcastically) “Yeah, you guys should probably leave!” And guess what? They took me seriously and bolted for the exit! Really.
I think as selective as we have to be about who we go see in concert because of the outrageous ticket prices, we shouldn’t have to deal with these types of blowhards. How about setting up a special area of the arena, similar to the “Gold Circle” or the “Luxury Suites” that is simply labeled “Obnoxious Asshole” section?! I’d pay extra to have those types of buzzkillers herded into their own special pen.
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:20 pm
The wife and I have a strict rule: No matter how much we like the band we will not, under any circumstance pay more than 25.00 for a ticket. Once a show exceeds that, we don’t really belong anymore.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Yeah, I’m sorry, but paying $175 to see Fleetwood Mac is more than ridiculous — it’s effing absurd.
And I agree about the talkers/yellers/obnoxoids who seem to be at a show simply to annoy the rest of us who are there to see music. I’m proud to say I’ve evil-eyed a few people away of late — didn’t have to say anything at all, just gave them the seven-mile stare, no blink, until they uncomfortably shut the eff up, then wandered off. Love when that happens. Getting too old and grumpy to deal with that shit for sure.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:42 am
People just don’t know how to behave in public anymore. They think they’re in the living rooms when they’re at the movies, in the theater and in the concert hall. Bad manners have ruined public performances for many of us. The only way I can enjoy a film these days is to ask for headphones to block out the jerks sitting around me talking on cells, rustling plastic bags and making inane comments about everything they see.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:42 am
AMEN!
May 4th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Not having to deal with people in situations like that (or sporting events, for that matter) is a great argument for the investment in a really good, large HDTV, a surround system and a Blu-Ray player.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Good write up Gabe. I have to agree with you. I actually told a guy in front of me at a concert last year to please be quiet. He was not interested in the opening act, and I was and I was really getting annoyed at his disrespect and finally I had to ask him to please be quiet. I know exactly the types you are talking about that are the phoney, pretentious wannabes.
May 4th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Great points Gabe! You know, as much as I think Ryan Adams is overreacting when he tells people to shut up or kicks people out of the venue, I totally understand why he does it. People are so rude to the artists. The recent Flight of the Conchords show had a pre show announcement asking people not to use flashes because it bothers the artist. I saw more cameras/phones with flashes during that show than I ever had. Just no respect.
May 5th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Well said. Thought it was just me getting cranky. John Hiatt show at Jannus a few years ago was full of completely wasted people 90 minutes before the opener, North Mississippi All Stars, went on, including one synapse obliterated couple throwing karate kicks and punches at passers-by. The all-ages Against Me!, Ted Leo, and Future of the Left show last fall was a sea of iPhone touch screen lights and “what are you doing tomorrow” chatter during not only a revelatory set by Future of the Left, but the other acts as well. There are plenty of other spots to go to practice disinterested vogueing and work on texting skills.
May 5th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Nicely stated, Gabe. I, too, am in favor of a special section for the incessant talkers and drunks who believe that their right to be obnoxious idiots somehow trumps our right to enjoy a concert (or movie). If only …
A 30-ish couple who wouldn’t shut up when the Nevilles and Dr. John played Van Wezel earlier this year nearly spoiled my enjoyment of that show. I shot some dirty looks and even politely asked them to not talk so loudly, but they still kept rolling.
It would be great if venue owners and promoters would pay attention to comments like these, and, you know, do something about it.
And for those owners/promoters who say, “What can we do?”, here’s a start: You can begin by acknowledging the problem. Simply make an announcement at the start of the show asking patrons to make sure that their actions don’t mar the enjoyment of others at the show. And at theaters and other small venues (Van Wezel, TBPAC, Ruth Eckerd, Mahaffey, Tampa Theatre, etc.), particularly at the “quiet” shows, what’s the downside to simply asking patrons to not talk loudly during the performance? Of course, I KNOW that these actions wouldn’t solve the problem, but it would be a start, putting potentially pesky concertgoers on notice.
But most owners and promoters aren’t really motivated to do so – concerts are still absurdly overpriced, some idiots keep spoiling the experience for others, people keep paying to go to these shows. As long as the $$ keeps coming in … nothing will change.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:18 am
I have to agree.This has always been a special hell for me because since the early 70s I would audio tape a lot of shows.Usually though at the shows I went to then everyone was too stoned to talk much
It changed for me around the late 80s/90s I still cringe when I listen to the tape of Radiohead when they opened for REM at the Bayfront and the people in front talked and giggled loudly at Tom Yorke`s looks the whole time.I told them to shut up but they just got louder.
Then as now almost every show you go to gets ruined by some form of a hole these days.Thing is you are paying a lot more to be there.Ditto for the movies.
We went to SXSW this year I saw great bands ignored by drunken,talking,twittering idiots.We talked a lot about just how rude a lot the crowd including the INDUSTRY people were.
I have a special hatred for the tall dudes(usually two) who at general admission events just push their way in front of you and stop so you can`t see.They come late and feel by virtue of their tallness they deserve to just waltz to the front of the crowd.
I think that I will start taking a cue from a couple I met at the McCartney show in Vegas.These two were were writers for a fanzine called Beatlequest,a calm late 30s looking couple but boy if you pulled that stuff they both double teamed the offenders and literally pushed them behind them(it was general admission).The surprised a-holes seemed shocked that someone would not take their crap.The rest of the crowd cheered every time.