Rock/Metal Concerts: When asked to sit down, do you sit or fight back?

[fraroc]

It was during the Kiss and Motley crue show. I was standing up when they did "Shout at The Devil" And some asshole who was filming the concert pushed me and told me to sit down because he couldn't see the big screen and that I was in the way. And I actually told him in these words to his face "I want to stand up and have a good time, and you can go fuck yourself." And then my bitch mom tells me to sit down. So I assume the guy asked her "excuse me? are you that boy's mother?" So I gave him the middle finger and carried on rocking out while sitting down. I regret not punching him right square in the face right then and there. Another instance was when I saw Foreigner, and I stood up when they did "Juke Box Hero" And some old cunt told me to sit down. So I gave her the finger also and sat down. I'm one kajillion percent against striking women, but I was so tempted to fucking bitchslap that old cunt across the face. What the fuck is she even doing at a rock concert anyway?

So when some asshole tells you to sit down during a rock concert, do you fight back and tell them to go fuck themselves, or do you do as they ask?

[twonabomber]

Part of me says if you want to stand, buy a ticket for the floor. But really it depends, if I can't see I'm standing up.

I am bothered more by the noise other people make. At one Stones show I went to this chick did some Indian "i yiy yiy" through the whole show and it drove me nuts.

[sadaist]

The guy pushed you and was an asshole first.

But usually I try to be respectful and mindful of people around me. If the guy is going to sit the whole show and wants me to sit as well, fuck him. I paid to rock out and he needs to stand the fuck up.....this ain't Andrea Bocelli show.

But you always risk getting tossed out, beaten up, spilling your $12 beer.....just ain't worth it. Ignore, move on, enjoy the expensive concert you've been waiting for.


But who the fuck sits during Shout At The Devil? You paid the same ticket price as everyone else. Rock shows are meant for standing. As long as you aren't 6'8" with a humongous afro doing some crazy Lithuanian death metal dance in front of everyone......they can suck it.




*I think the solution next time is bail from your seats & try to get closer to the stage. Somewhere everyone is standing and having a blast. More likely to have your ass squeezed by some dried up 80's rocker chick than get in a fight. (I love 80's rocker chicks)

[78/84 guy]

I try and be respectful to people behind me that dont want to stand the whole time. But if I can't see I sure as hell am going too ! Tickets are to much not to see whats going on. Stay the fuck home man. It's a concert !

[sadaist]

. At one Stones show I went to this chick did some Indian "i yiy yiy" through the whole show and it drove me nuts.

Same thing happened to me at a Colin Hay show. Turns out it was Colins hippie wife and she was onstage with him. I guess a lot of people hated it so she doesn't get to go onstage with him any more. The flute part of Down Under was done by her.......she hippie voiced it. Swear to fucking God. So irritating it pretty much ruined it. The times she wasn't doing hippie chanting to the songs she was doing some weird cosmic hippie acid trip dance on stage.

[Mr. Vengeance]

I was thinking "man...this dude is badass", until you told us your mom told you to sit.

[fraroc]

I was thinking "man...this dude is badass", until you told us your mom told you to sit.

I was having too much fun at that show to argue with her.

And besides we fight a lot already.

[mh5150]

Your MOM ?

[fraroc]

Your MOM ?

I'm only 19, remember I'm probably the youngest Rotharmy soldier.

And yeah, Italian American families are pretty tight-knit.

[vaijuju]

I always took tickets for the floor .Monday I'm going to see Deep Purple ! I like see Rock/hard/metal concert Stand !

[envy_me]

Your MOM ?

Haha, I also reacted to that

[Nitro Express]

Most the concerts I went to were general admission. I hated the ones in arenas with seating. People would just stand on top of the seats. General admission was once you got your contraband past the front gates, it was party time. It was pot and bottles of this and that being passed around. At one show some crazy mo fo was lighting firecrackers and then holding the bottom of them while they exploded.

[Dave's Bitch]

Honestly I have never been asked to sit down at a concert,But then again I have only been in seating at one gig and everyone was standing on the seats anyhow.I imagine i would try moving over slightly so everyone can see.No need to start fights or cause trouble.The way I see it everyone has paid a lot of money to go and have a good time,There is no need to start giving people the finger or punching people right square in the face.That kinda thing just ruins the experience for everyone around you.I will say this though fraroc,If your Mom goes to see Kiss and Motley Crue with you don't call her a bitch,That sounds like a pretty cool Mom to me.I would like it if my family liked the same music as I do.

[Dave's Bitch]

I'm only 19, remember I'm probably the youngest Rotharmy soldier.

And yeah, Italian American families are pretty tight-knit.

I went to see Megadeth with a friend when I was 14,Seedy thrash/death metal gigs at 15 plus I went to Download(Formerly Donnington Monsters of Rock)with a friend at 18.And my family are full blooded Italian

Live a little there fella

[Seshmeister]

I'm fucking sick of people filming gigs on their phones.

Does anyone go home and watch these again and again? I think not, it's a big waste of time - people who can't live in the moment.

I was standing in the second row at a show on Friday and could hardly see because the 2 people in front of me were holding up big fuckin Samsung phones over their heads for the whole night.

I ended up having to watch half the gig on their fucking phones!

[fraroc]

I'm fucking sick of people filming gigs on their phones.

Does anyone go home and watch these again and again? I think not, it's a big waste of time - people who can't live in the moment.

I was standing in the second row at a show on Friday and could hardly see because the 2 people in front of me were holding up big fuckin Samsung phones over their heads for the whole night.

I ended up having to watch half the gig on their fucking phones!

That's usually fixed with a nice "accidential" punch in the head.

[Zing!]

Sure, I sit for a concert... until the lights go down. As soon as a band hits the stage, I'm up. Doesn't matter who's on the bill - I like to rock out and have a good time at a concert. Could be Van Halen, could be Bruce Springsteen. Could be Rob Zombie, could be Jimmy Buffett. Doesn't matter, I'm there to get my kicks for a couple of hours - sorry if that bothers anyone in the neighboring seats. The only time I might make an exception to this is when there's a little kid involved who can't see. I figure if that kid's mom or dad is cool enough to bring 'em to a Van Halen show, then that kid deserves to see as much as possible.

[katina]

Honestly I have never been asked to sit down at a concert,But then again I have only been in seating at one gig and everyone was standing on the seats anyhow.I imagine i would try moving over slightly so everyone can see.No need to start fights or cause trouble.The way I see it everyone has paid a lot of money to go and have a good time,There is no need to start giving people the finger or punching people right square in the face.That kinda thing just ruins the experience for everyone around you.I will say this though fraroc,If your Mom goes to see Kiss and Motley Crue with you don't call her a bitch,That sounds like a pretty cool Mom to me.I would like it if my family liked the same music as I do.

I agree with you, during my teenage years my mother encouraged me to listen to new music, I listened to Kiss, Alice Cooper and Van Halen, she bought all their albums and rock magazines for me before the video era, although she liked more jazz and blues music, she defended me when somebody attacked me verbally because of my musical tastes. When I was 22 and left home to live alone and since then, she never listened to those bands again.
Last Wednesday I went to the Kiss concert and on Thursday she phoned me asking about the Kiss concert !!! She added, "I watched a Kiss interview before the concert.....(she never saw a Kiss photo without the makeup)...I recognized Simmons and "the guitarist with the star" (refering to Paul), but the other guitarist and the drummer are not the same persons "........!!!!!
Oh My God, she realized they weren´t Ace and Peter!!!!! So I told her about the new members, and she understood....
I said to her, after all those almost 40 years and watching Kiss playing here for 50.000 people, we can laugh together. My mum is 78 years old.

[fraroc]

Sure, I sit for a concert... until the lights go down. As soon as a band hits the stage, I'm up. Doesn't matter who's on the bill - I like to rock out and have a good time at a concert. Could be Van Halen, could be Bruce Springsteen. Could be Rob Zombie, could be Jimmy Buffett. Doesn't matter, I'm there to get my kicks for a couple of hours - sorry if that bothers anyone in the neighboring seats. The only time I might make an exception to this is when there's a little kid involved who can't see. I figure if that kid's mom or dad is cool enough to bring 'em to a Van Halen show, then that kid deserves to see as much as possible.

I saw TONS of kids at the Van Halen concert on 2/28 at MSG. And there was this one kid that was only like 13 or 12 that new ALL of the lyrics to the songs except for the new ones! I was ready to give both him and the dad a big hug for keeping Rock n' Roll alive. And I saw some kids at the Kiss/Crue show in the Kiss makeup. Something about litle kids in Kiss makeup really reinstates my faith in this generation :3

[katina]

The only time I bought a floor ticket, I arrived very early to be in the first standing front row and practically clinching my teeth on the stage, was for Dave´s concert

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I have to defend the youngster a bit, my mother dragged me to my first "concert"....Barry Manilow at the Erie County Fieldhouse, Feb. 1977.....

Go ahead, flame away....

[loucap81]

I'm fucking sick of people filming gigs on their phones.

Does anyone go home and watch these again and again? I think not, it's a big waste of time - people who can't live in the moment.

I was standing in the second row at a show on Friday and could hardly see because the 2 people in front of me were holding up big fuckin Samsung phones over their heads for the whole night.

I ended up having to watch half the gig on their fucking phones!

I was at a concert on Friday (a band called The Asteroids Galaxy Tour which I wrote a thread about some months back in House of Music). Anyway it was one of these small clubs where you can just walk right up to the stage. The lead singer at one point told some jackass in the front pointing a phone at her to put it away and enjoy the live moment. So no I don't really get watching the concert through a phone either, and it's not like the quality is going to be good anyway. This is why I like regular old audio recording; the microphones are clipped to my collar and I can still enjoy the live moment Plus I'm not interfering with anyone else's ability to enjoy the show.

To answer the original question about honoring someone's request to sit down, this isn't an issue with me because I don't really go to concerts that don't have a GA section anymore, for a variety of reasons. Van Halen is the one exception I'll carve out but even the bands I like the most, it's not worth it to me to go to a concert if I can't get close to the stage. And since I don't want to pay lots of money to do that or deal with the aggravation of being online right when tickets go on sale, I'll just say screw it. Soundgarden tickets go on sale tomorrow but it appears all the venues they picked closest to me are reserved seating ones. I just don't have the energy to try like hell to get the best seats. I'm really annoyed about that actually.

[fraroc]

I have to defend the youngster a bit, my mother dragged me to my first "concert"....Barry Manilow at the Erie County Fieldhouse, Feb. 1977.....

Go ahead, flame away....

LOL don't worry about it man. At least its not as bad as.....

AIR SUPPLY

During the spring, my mother offered me to see them at the Westbury Theatre and I was like "Oh hell to the fuck no." My mother loves Air Supply and she knows I hate them, so I think she offered me to go just to make fun of me. I can't believe they came from the same country that AC/DC and Hugh Jackman are from.....

[sadaist]

Your MOM ?

yeah fuck you guys. I'd give anything to be able to go one night to a rock concert with my Mom. She wouldn't care a whole lot for the music, but her show would be watching me have the time of my life. I tried to explain to her how I teared up several times at VH-2007 when I finally saw Eddie & Dave for the 1st time and she said she loved hearing me tell her the story of that night because it made me so happy.

I did go to Andrea Bocelli, Chorus Line, and a exhibition tennis match of Agassi & Jimmy Conners with my Mom. She was the greatest. I'd rather spend an evening with her than anyone else. (She did really like Jump, Panama, & Dance The Night Away. I'd play them in the car every time I drove her to a doctors appt)

So get over your 13 year old attitudes of "haha, out with your Mom?" We should all be so lucky to be close to our Moms. NO ONE will ever love you as unconditionally as she....no matter how much of a fuck up you are.


*Side story. My mom was a high school counselor back in the 80's. For Halloween she took all of my heavy metal clothes and went to school as Vince Neil. The kids at her school all voted her the winning costume. I think this was around 1987.

[sadaist]

LOL don't worry about it man. At least its not as bad as.....

AIR SUPPLY

During the spring, my mother offered me to see them at the Westbury Theatre and I was like "Oh hell to the fuck no." My mother loves Air Supply and she knows I hate them, so I think she offered me to go just to make fun of me. I can't believe they came from the same country that AC/DC and Hugh Jackman are from.....

LOL!

I just saw an Air Supply billboard because they are playing next month at the local casino. They are ok to have on the radio or cd when being mellow. But I can't imagine a concert of soft music like that. Softest concert I ever saw was maybe Boston. And we left a bit early due to boredom.

[sadaist]

I'm fucking sick of people filming gigs on their phones.

Does anyone go home and watch these again and again? I think not, it's a big waste of time - people who can't live in the moment.

I was standing in the second row at a show on Friday and could hardly see because the 2 people in front of me were holding up big fuckin Samsung phones over their heads for the whole night.

I ended up having to watch half the gig on their fucking phones!

I understand & appreciate the people who film & post on youtube for the rest of us. But at both The Police & VAN HALEN I chose NOT to record so that I could submerse myself in the moment and sing along, dance, rock out, whatever without worrying about holding a camera still.

But I don't slam others for ruining their experience to film. it lets us all sit here & watch them over & over & over. Like this......I wanna hug this guy for filming this.....

[binnie]

I've never understood people who sit down at gigs.

I also struggle to understand people who take ear plugs (unless they have hearing problems, which is fair enough). But I guess people enjoy things in different ways.

[fraroc]

I understand & appreciate the people who film & post on youtube for the rest of us. But at both The Police & VAN HALEN I chose NOT to record so that I could submerse myself in the moment and sing along, dance, rock out, whatever without worrying about holding a camera still.

But I don't slam others for ruining their experience to film. it lets us all sit here & watch them over & over & over. Like this......I wanna hug this guy for filming this.....

YES! A Van Halen 2012 video without any Samantha Midler fans saying that Dave sucks! The Indy 2012 and Boston 2012 videos are constantly being spammed by the BetteArmy (assholes like DaveSUCKSLive, freespeechisgod, carensaldi, TheRojotoro) Fuck them all! We understand that Dave's voice was very on and off on this tour, but these assholes won't shut the fuck up about it.

And concerning the mom comment. Yeah, she can be a bit of a biatch, but I love her. She's done a lot for me over the years, but I give my Dad more credit with the music thing. Thanks to him, when I was 3 years old I would run and jump around my living room to "Unchained", "Crazy Train", "Highway to Hell" and "Head over Heels" by Tears For Fears played really quiet I'm told was my lullaby

[Dave's Bitch]

I have to defend the youngster a bit, my mother dragged me to my first "concert"....Barry Manilow at the Erie County Fieldhouse, Feb. 1977.....

Go ahead, flame away....

Did he play Can't Smile Without You

[twonabomber]

I also struggle to understand people who take ear plugs (unless they have hearing problems, which is fair enough). But I guess people enjoy things in different ways.

I don't have hearing problems but we get our hearing tested yearly at work. If there is a big change from the baseline that was set when I started it could become a bigger issue than I would like to deal with.

I have noticed that shows are more "musically" loud now. Back in the day some bands were just loud for the sake of being loud...the Ratt show i saw was like that. The sound was awful, we left after 45 minutes.

Your MOM ?

My mom wouldn't go to any of the shows I go to. Back in the late 80's/early 90's my friend's parents used to come to shows with us, the first two DLR tours and a couple Rod Stewart shows.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Did he play Can't Smile Without You

The only thing I remember is that he came out for his encore wearing a Terry Bradshaw jersey, and all was well.....

[Dave's Bitch]

In all seriousness since watching Hellboy 2 I kinda dig that song

[loucap81]

I've never understood people who sit down at gigs.

I also struggle to understand people who take ear plugs (unless they have hearing problems, which is fair enough). But I guess people enjoy things in different ways.

I wear earplugs for two reasons:

1) I don't want my ears ringing for the next couple of days, which will happen based on the times I forgot to bring them

2) Depending on the mix I think more shows sound better with the white noise filtered out. All of the instruments and the vocals become better defined, at least to me.

[vh rides again]

If people are standing then you stand.

If everyone is sitting down, then don't be a fuckhead and block everyone's view .


Roth And Roll

[WACF]

I still can not get past the idea at a Hard Rock or Metal show that anyone would be sitting....Fuck we stood for Rush a few weeks ago.

The band must be thinking how lame a sitting crowd is...

[fraroc]

If people are standing then you stand.

If everyone is sitting down, then don't be a fuckhead and block everyone's view .


Roth And Roll

Then I'm a proud fuckhead, because like sadaist said. Who the fuck sits down during Shout At The Devil?
Anyone who is not in the pit at Jones Beach are the ones that sit during the songs your supposed to stand for. MSG on the otherhand, everyone stands.

[binnie]

I wear earplugs for two reasons:

1) I don't want my ears ringing for the next couple of days, which will happen based on the times I forgot to bring them

2) Depending on the mix I think more shows sound better with the white noise filtered out. All of the instruments and the vocals become better defined, at least to me.

Each to their own, I guess. I WANT to feel it physically, to be honest - the aching teeth (from the bass) and ringing ears are part of it.

In the UK it seems gigs are getting a little quieter (I do wonder if some new noise restrictions have come in during the last 5 years) - so earplugs are rarely necessary. All that means is that when you go to see a band who choose to ignore the law - Motorhead, Metallica, Judas Priest come to mind in recent years - it's like someone kicking the insider of your head.

(On a side note, some bands have a reputation for being loud who aren't - they just have shitloads of feedback. Dinosaur Jr, for example.)

[Edwards3rdWife]

I'm only 19, remember I'm probably the youngest Rotharmy soldier.

And yeah, Italian American families are pretty tight-knit.

When my son was 12 I took him to see his favorite band, Slipknot. Not a great environment for a 12 year old boy, but he loved them so much I took him and hid my face. Metalheads are great people, tho, and they were throwing horns and hollering " Slayerrrrrrr" and "Slipknot !!" at me. People behind us went on about how they wished their mom had taken them to a concert at 12. But I digress -

If people in front of me are standing up, so am I.

[cadaverdog]

It might be cool to have a mom that's into rock and roll but I can't say I'd have gone to a rock concert with my mother unless it was Elvis playing. Elvis died when I was 17. I'm not a big Elvis fan but seeing Elvis in person is something you tell your grandkids.
If I was at a show and everybody else was sitting down I'd sit down. If everybody's standing up I stand up. If somebody pushed me and told me to sit down while everybody else was standing I'd tell them to go fuck themselves. If they want to fight after that I'm usually up for it. At least I was when I was younger. I'm too old for that nonsense now.

[ashstralia]

My mum took me to see kiss when I was 12.
And bought me both night's Iron Maiden tickets in 82.
Man, I had a cool mum.