The Owl Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I don't know if this needs to be an MOTS topic, but I thought it might get a bit more attention and feedback in here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was at a concert last night where almost everyone had a camera or a phone up in the air, and that got me to think to post this thread.... Live music has never been the same since cell phones started coming with the ability to snap a quick picture... When they started getting popular around 2002, concerts were ablaze with tiny LED screens being held above the audience to snap a pic of the band........... Soon Video phones asured us that the screens would be held up not for a second to grab a pic but for a length of time, and in some cases for an entire song..... Now we have smart phones, that capture high quality video and pictures that do the same, but the LED screens are huge in size, and everyone in an audence feels the need to hold it above their heads for an entire concert... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My question to you is, have cell phones/ Smart Phones ruined the live music experience for you, or have they enhanced it? I can see the positive effect of the video and smart phones, it allows great memories and videos to share with the world over sites like youtube, and allows those of us who were not there to catch an amazing song, where we otherwise cannot... But is that worth having to look past 300 LED screens while enjoying a band while at a concert? To me, it far from "ruins" the concert experience, but is a slight annoyance, but not to much to stop me from having a great time.... to me it is the dynamic shift of a concert experience. My first few concerts when I was around 13-16 were before the picture phones really took off, when everyone was enjoying the show, and if you brought a camera in, they (the event staff) escorted you off the premises. I can remember when hundreds of fists were in the air, and hundreds of LED screens. I can get past the slight annoyance of it all, and I think the ability to see someone's video of a concert I did not go to on youtube is an absolute amazing thing that has happened to live music. I will say this though, DO NOT USE YOUR LED screen as a substitute for a lighter when a powerful part of a song is on....... and LED screen cannot substitute for a bic........ you look like a jackass when you do that, go to the Circle K and pick up a cheap lighter for a concert... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Yes. I won't go so far as to say it "ruined" the experience for me, but it bothered the hell out of me - I had third row for Rush and got a little fed up with squinting through the sea of outstretched cameras/phones. I myself would not want to miss out on any part of the show due to being obsessed with trying to frame that perfect shot. Would not bother me a bit if they were banned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furie Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 yes, they've ruined the experience I can't believe i have to say this but; A CELLPHONE IS NOT A SUITABLE REPLACEMENT FOR A LIGHTER!!! Also. texting is not permitted during the bass solo. Put the f***ing phone down for 20 minutes and join the human community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchetaxe&saw Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 QUOTE (furie @ Dec 30 2010, 06:15 PM) Also. texting is not permitted during the bass solo. Put the f***ing phone down for 20 minutes and join the human community. The forum is f*ckin' funny today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natch Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I have to admit that I'm one of the one who is guilty of holding up a video recording device during a concert. I was in the third row, and couldn't resist the temptation to capture some of it on my Flip. But, I think the presence of all of these devices has certainly become an annoyance at the shows. If security had asked me to put it away, I would have...no problem. I wouldn't have a problem with banning them altogether at shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamelight Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 QUOTE (Mara @ Dec 30 2010, 08:12 PM) I myself would not want to miss out on any part of the show due to being obsessed with trying to frame that perfect shot. Exactly. I've been in concerts where I took great pictures and others where I didn't. Of course it's nice when you can later watch the great pictures you've taken but I think it's more enjoyable to focus on the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMWriter Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 They're a curse and a blessing.. My dad and I were texting his friend BEFORE the concert (friend in second row.. grr!!) just to see where he was. He waved. From Lerxst's side. But anyways, um, so that was neat, and also through cell phones we found my church's youth director so were found her at intermission. But during the show I got pretty irritated. Since I was fairly far back no one had their cell phone all up in my face to get video (and I'm short, so thank goodness) and during Neil's big solo some guy kept yelling to his friend over his phone behind us. I only glanced at my phone a few times to check the time (I'm obsessed with time-keeping) but other than that I was too hooked on the show. And during a bootleg I saw of Neil's solo there was this girl yelling on her phone to her dad in the background! Good lord was that irritating! But at least it was just a video. Texting during the concert is just dumb though. You can tell your stupid friend all about the freaking concert AFTER the show, or at least midway through!!! GEEZUS!!!! There's a light show out there aside from your Blackberry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Ways Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I was trying to record one song during the last rush concert with my phone held about eye level and security came and threatened to kick me out if I didn't stop.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USB Connector Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Recording concerts without the artists permission is typically NOT allowed as it's considered to be a form of piracy. Now that that's out of the way, no, it doesn't ruin the concert for me because I've never known a concert not to have cell phones and camcorders outstrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyBlaze Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I don't use one at a concert but I can't see how that could ruin the experience. It's not like they're that massive. And it's not like I've ever seen anyone being blatantly dickish when using one. If that's how they keep their memories, that's cool. But I won't be keeping a memory of them keeping their memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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