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Not a bad list from this guy, here's my .02...
- Completely disagree on the "Spillage" opinion. If someone accidently knocks over my $8 beer, whether they're belligerent or not, I'm going to ask them to buy me another one.
- Gotta love the "Show Eddie Money how much you love him!" line
- I agree with the smoking cigarettes part, but you're pretty naive if you think you're going to abolish smoking weed at a concert (and that's coming from someone who has done virtually neither of each in his 44 years)
- Who in the fuck ever said it's uncool to wear a Van Halen T-shirt to a VH concert, or to play Metallica music at a Metallica show ?? Now I do agree with wearing the old T-shirts, it does get quite the reaction (as can be read by Pojo's Greensboro review - http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/david...ml#post1244560)
Commentary: At concerts, too many fans behaving badly
By Jim Harrington
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 03/29/2009 01:00:00 AM PDT
The Bay Area concert scene shifts into high gear in April, with shows by such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen, Lily Allen, Leonard Cohen, Fall Out Boy and Britney Spears.
May is even more jam-packed, with dates scheduled for the Dead, the Allman Brothers, Jimmy Buffett, Jane's Addiction and the Decemberists, to name a few. Factor in Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, U2, Eric Clapton and other top acts revving up their summer tour buses, and 2009 has the potential to be one of the Bay Area's biggest years for concerts.
That's why it's time to discuss concert etiquette.
There is a right way and a wrong way to attend concerts. Many music lovers, unfortunately, are guilty of the latter. We like to think that's not because they feel their ticket stubs entitles them to act improperly, but because no one has taught them proper concert etiquette.
That's where we come in. We've come up with eight points of order designed to improve the concertgoing experience for you and — more important — the people sitting (or standing) around you.
Quiet, please
It may come as a surprise to some, but many people come to concerts to actually hear the artists. They didn't come to listen to you jibber-jabber away on the cell phone, chat up your buddies or sing along at the top of your lungs to the music. Sure, there's a difference between a Jimmy Buffett show at an outdoor amphitheater and a concert in a symphony hall, but rules of common courtesy still apply. So please, watch your volume and try to limit your talking. To tell if you're exceeding proper levels, just look at the faces of the fans around you — their expressions will speak volumes.
The fun czar
The most annoying person at any show is the dude who believes that you're just not having enough fun. He's the guy that yells, "Come on! Stand up and dance! Show Eddie Money how much you love him!"
Don't be this guy. People enjoy live music in different ways, and one perfectly acceptable fashion is to just sit quietly and listen. Nobody likes a fun czar.
Smoking is not hot
Despite the fact that smoking is illegal in the general seating areas at concert venues, people still huff and puff cigarettes, both tobacco and the other variety, with astonishing regularity. Apparently, these people missed the memos on the perils of secondhand smoke. The best rule to follow here is, simply: Don't!
And, if you must, you can do several things to limit the inconvenience your habit inflicts on others, such as only lighting up in designated areas or asking those around you if they mind the smoke. For those who decline to adopt such simple courtesies, and keep right on blowing smoke in the direction of others, we can only wish that they someday attend a concert and sit next to a big guy chewing tobacco ("Oops, did that hit your shoe?"). That should have them rethinking their own behavior.
Proud to be a fan
Some believe it's uncool to wear a Van Halen T-shirt to a Van Halen show. Some folks say you shouldn't play Metallica in the parking lot before a Metallica concert. The reasoning is that it makes you seem like "too much of a fan" — as if paying $150 for a ticket didn't already make that obvious. We think that rationale is ridiculous. If you love the band, let it show — both in the parking lot and on your back.
But there are some caveats. It's much cooler to wear a shirt from an artist's previous tour, as opposed to the one you just snagged at the merchandise booth, because it shows you've been following the act for years. Likewise, tailgaters shouldn't just blast the artist's overplayed radio hits repeatedly, which would signal that you're an annoying novice. The guy that plays "Enter Sandman" 10 times in a row is the biggest dork in the Metallica parking lot.
Let's dance
What if you are the only person in the crowd that wants to stand up and dance? Does your ticket guarantee you the right to boogie, even if you end up blocking the view of others? The judgment here is that it does not. Conversely, some believe they have the right to order others to sit down, even though thousands are up and dancing. That's equally wrong. The simple rule of thumb, in this case, is to go with the flow. Don't be the one guy that's standing and dancing, but also don't assume that a whole section of dancers will cool their heels just so you can sit down.
Just passing by
You don't own the row you're sitting in, so don't make people feel guilty if they need to walk down the aisle in front of you. Instead, help expedite their trip (to the concession stand, bathroom, etc.) by standing up to let them pass. On the flip side, nobody likes to share a row with the person who makes 20 trips to lobby. So, please, try to limit your trips through the aisle. The best way to do that is to go easy on the alcohol consumption, which, by the way, will also make following the other rules of etiquette easier.
Frisky business
Live music brings out the exhibitionist in some people who use the venue as an opportunity to put on their own show that often pushes the boundaries of a PG-13 rating. To that we say: "Get a room." It's perfectly fine and understandable to get affectionate with your loved one at a concert, but use common sense. Save the "9½ Weeks" re-enactment for when you get home.
Spillage
If somebody knocks over your drink while engaging in normal concert behavior — i.e., walking down the aisle — that person does not have to buy you a new one. It's the drinker's responsibility to take care of his beverage at a concert, which means not placing the cold one on the floor where it can be easily kicked over as well as other acts of common sense. Yet, if a person upends your drink while doing something silly, like trying to start a mosh pit in the reserved seats, then he or she should replace it.
- Completely disagree on the "Spillage" opinion. If someone accidently knocks over my $8 beer, whether they're belligerent or not, I'm going to ask them to buy me another one.
- Gotta love the "Show Eddie Money how much you love him!" line
- I agree with the smoking cigarettes part, but you're pretty naive if you think you're going to abolish smoking weed at a concert (and that's coming from someone who has done virtually neither of each in his 44 years)
- Who in the fuck ever said it's uncool to wear a Van Halen T-shirt to a VH concert, or to play Metallica music at a Metallica show ?? Now I do agree with wearing the old T-shirts, it does get quite the reaction (as can be read by Pojo's Greensboro review - http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/david...ml#post1244560)
Commentary: At concerts, too many fans behaving badly
By Jim Harrington
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 03/29/2009 01:00:00 AM PDT
The Bay Area concert scene shifts into high gear in April, with shows by such heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen, Lily Allen, Leonard Cohen, Fall Out Boy and Britney Spears.
May is even more jam-packed, with dates scheduled for the Dead, the Allman Brothers, Jimmy Buffett, Jane's Addiction and the Decemberists, to name a few. Factor in Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, U2, Eric Clapton and other top acts revving up their summer tour buses, and 2009 has the potential to be one of the Bay Area's biggest years for concerts.
That's why it's time to discuss concert etiquette.
There is a right way and a wrong way to attend concerts. Many music lovers, unfortunately, are guilty of the latter. We like to think that's not because they feel their ticket stubs entitles them to act improperly, but because no one has taught them proper concert etiquette.
That's where we come in. We've come up with eight points of order designed to improve the concertgoing experience for you and — more important — the people sitting (or standing) around you.
Quiet, please
It may come as a surprise to some, but many people come to concerts to actually hear the artists. They didn't come to listen to you jibber-jabber away on the cell phone, chat up your buddies or sing along at the top of your lungs to the music. Sure, there's a difference between a Jimmy Buffett show at an outdoor amphitheater and a concert in a symphony hall, but rules of common courtesy still apply. So please, watch your volume and try to limit your talking. To tell if you're exceeding proper levels, just look at the faces of the fans around you — their expressions will speak volumes.
The fun czar
The most annoying person at any show is the dude who believes that you're just not having enough fun. He's the guy that yells, "Come on! Stand up and dance! Show Eddie Money how much you love him!"
Don't be this guy. People enjoy live music in different ways, and one perfectly acceptable fashion is to just sit quietly and listen. Nobody likes a fun czar.
Smoking is not hot
Despite the fact that smoking is illegal in the general seating areas at concert venues, people still huff and puff cigarettes, both tobacco and the other variety, with astonishing regularity. Apparently, these people missed the memos on the perils of secondhand smoke. The best rule to follow here is, simply: Don't!
And, if you must, you can do several things to limit the inconvenience your habit inflicts on others, such as only lighting up in designated areas or asking those around you if they mind the smoke. For those who decline to adopt such simple courtesies, and keep right on blowing smoke in the direction of others, we can only wish that they someday attend a concert and sit next to a big guy chewing tobacco ("Oops, did that hit your shoe?"). That should have them rethinking their own behavior.
Proud to be a fan
Some believe it's uncool to wear a Van Halen T-shirt to a Van Halen show. Some folks say you shouldn't play Metallica in the parking lot before a Metallica concert. The reasoning is that it makes you seem like "too much of a fan" — as if paying $150 for a ticket didn't already make that obvious. We think that rationale is ridiculous. If you love the band, let it show — both in the parking lot and on your back.
But there are some caveats. It's much cooler to wear a shirt from an artist's previous tour, as opposed to the one you just snagged at the merchandise booth, because it shows you've been following the act for years. Likewise, tailgaters shouldn't just blast the artist's overplayed radio hits repeatedly, which would signal that you're an annoying novice. The guy that plays "Enter Sandman" 10 times in a row is the biggest dork in the Metallica parking lot.
Let's dance
What if you are the only person in the crowd that wants to stand up and dance? Does your ticket guarantee you the right to boogie, even if you end up blocking the view of others? The judgment here is that it does not. Conversely, some believe they have the right to order others to sit down, even though thousands are up and dancing. That's equally wrong. The simple rule of thumb, in this case, is to go with the flow. Don't be the one guy that's standing and dancing, but also don't assume that a whole section of dancers will cool their heels just so you can sit down.
Just passing by
You don't own the row you're sitting in, so don't make people feel guilty if they need to walk down the aisle in front of you. Instead, help expedite their trip (to the concession stand, bathroom, etc.) by standing up to let them pass. On the flip side, nobody likes to share a row with the person who makes 20 trips to lobby. So, please, try to limit your trips through the aisle. The best way to do that is to go easy on the alcohol consumption, which, by the way, will also make following the other rules of etiquette easier.
Frisky business
Live music brings out the exhibitionist in some people who use the venue as an opportunity to put on their own show that often pushes the boundaries of a PG-13 rating. To that we say: "Get a room." It's perfectly fine and understandable to get affectionate with your loved one at a concert, but use common sense. Save the "9½ Weeks" re-enactment for when you get home.
Spillage
If somebody knocks over your drink while engaging in normal concert behavior — i.e., walking down the aisle — that person does not have to buy you a new one. It's the drinker's responsibility to take care of his beverage at a concert, which means not placing the cold one on the floor where it can be easily kicked over as well as other acts of common sense. Yet, if a person upends your drink while doing something silly, like trying to start a mosh pit in the reserved seats, then he or she should replace it.
and ages ago I visited Van Halen, UFO, Iron Maiden, Saxon and Guns 'n Roses and I was always in the front, no problem!
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