6.Don’t Be The Professional Videographer: This one is more so for the sake of the person doing it rather than the people around him. Don’t spend the entire concert looking at the show through a screen or lens. Listen I get it, you want to record your favorite song to remember the concert and watch it again later. Or maybe you want to record it so you post it on Facebook later and see the likes pile up. Whatever the reason, I have seen people literally record entire concerts with the exception of the encore songs. If you don’t take a moment to take it all in you won’t have anything of substance to take away from the concert. Yeah you will have the recordings to watch but there won’t be much feeling or emotion attached to it. If you want to record do what I do, set a limit (two or three songs and maybe half a dozen pictures) and then don’t exceed it. Even when I end up recording a song or two I usually don’t even look at the screen while I’m recording. I want to see the band with my own eyes and take something away from the experience.
7.Don’t Be The Heckler/Most Important Man In the World: This one is simple; do not yell at the band. I am not talking about cheering or wooing, I am talking about trying to have a conversation with the band in between songs. I was recently at a concert where in between each song the lead singer paused to try to tell the crowd something about himself or the upcoming song. People in the crowd yelled over him at the top of their lungs; “Oh my God you’re sooooooo hot, have my babies”, and “Hey man it’s my birthday today, can you sing me happy birthday”? The rest of us don’t need to know about your burning desire to mother the lead singer’s kids, and sorry to break it to you but this isn’t a DJ at a wedding- the band does not take requests. It is great to be enthusiastic but be considerate of the band and the people around you.
8.Don’t Be The I Have A Friend There…But Not Really Guy: This one is specifically for general admission, standing only concerts. There are some hardcore fans that get to a show hours early so they can be the first to get through the doors and secure a spot right in front of the stage. They took time out of their day and went extra lengths to get to the front, so don’t be the guy who cuts in front an hour after a show has started. On numerous occasions I have seen people push their way to the front or claim to have a friend at the front.Then they get to the front and aren’t acknowledged by anyone around him… except for maybe the annoyed concertgoers who just realized he cut. You get to the concert when you get there and you take the best spot available to you, don’t cut in front of people it is disrespectful and wrong.
9.Don’t Grope: You would think I would not even have to mention this one, right? This should not need to be stated but I have seen it happen and it is not acceptable. When you’re jumping up and down and you are in a General Admission venue certain areas of your body are going to get pressed against other people’s delicate spots. It may be slightly weird to have your crotch pressed firmly up against a strangers buttocks but at a concert you just accept it and move on. However, I have seen several instances where a guy will take advantage of this precarious situation and purposely squeeze and grind up against girls, then proceed to play it off as if he didn’t do it on purpose. In no instances is groping okay and it is not okay at concerts either-cut it out.
10.Be Kind to Everyone You Meet: From the ticket booth guy and vendors to the security and your fellow concertgoers, be kind to everyone you meet. Whether they’re their because it’s their job or because they are a die hard fans of the main act, we are all in the same place for the night so why not get along? Be polite, start up a conversation with the guy next to you, and have a good time. Now I know sometimes it may be challenging(see #3) but most people are just there to enjoy the show and a little kindness and politeness from other people can turn a good night into a great night.
I hope you enjoyed reading The 10 Unspoken Rules of Concerts as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you liked this piece then please feel free to comment, like, and follow. I publish articles on music related subjects and other various topics that interest me, on a weekly basis. You can also follow me on twitter where I post recent concert photos, venue pictures, and much more music related items.
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