When did it become common practise to talk ignorantly at gigs?

turgon

Ok, I was at Paul Simon last night. At the start he was playing some "unknown" songs (unknown to the people who had only came to hear "You Can Call Me Al"). Ive no problem with this: I went to Neil Young even though I only knew about 5% of his catalog.

What DID annoy me was that SO MANY PEOPLE were talking, like talking as loud as you would over dinner. He was doing a lovely half-acoustic number ("Duncan") but you could hear constant murmuring in the background. And then people in front talking SO loud, even a person I was with would turn around halfway through songs (ex: "The Boxer") and say loud enough for everyone else around to hear: "I hope he plays a certain song".

So when did being so ignorant become common practice? Because it severely fùcks up the gig for the people who go to actually listen to the music, even the songs that have not necessarily been pumped out on the radio.

randombar

Same at christy, loads of "Damo" fans were talking away during Christy. One lad even on the phone! Hopefully this recession will filter out the real fans that want to listen from the people that have a bit of spare cash and want to go see anything!

kmick

Its been happening for years - way before the celtic tiger. Its annoying but not avoidable.

AnonoBoy

turgon wrote: »

When did it become common practise to talk ignorantly at gigs?

June 12th 1988 - we beat the English at Stuttgart and the government decreed that we were no good enough to be ignorant pricks at gigs.

A great day for football.
A sad day for music fans.

gracehopper

This is not only a problem at major gigs. We play rocky kind of stuff and people are into it but when we pay a few soft numbers you just here all the drunken edjits screaming at each other. Its a serious insult. People will argue that you either cpature the audience or you dont but i think it more a problem of manners than anything else

whiskeyman

Unfortuntetly, not everyone goes to gigs just to listen to the live music.
Many just go for the experience of being at a gig, and having it as 'a night out'.
I'd hope that true fans of the artists in question would keep quite during the songs to soak up the artists skill... those talking over clearly don't give a flying f&*k and just think it's great to be there.

Can be the same in the cinema.

All part of the 'experience' I guess.

It does depend on the artist though. Will never forget the Ryan Adams gig last year. You could hear a pin drop during and even between songs.

AlaskaFox

whiskeyman wrote: »

Unfortuntetly, not everyone goes to gigs just to listen to the live music.
Many just go for the experience of being at a gig, and having it as 'a night out'.
I'd hope that true fans of the artists in question would keep quite during the songs to soak up the artists skill... those talking over clearly don't give a flying f&*k and just think it's great to be there.

Can be the same in the cinema.

All part of the 'experience' I guess.

It does depend on the artist though. Will never forget the Ryan Adams gig last year. You could hear a pin drop during and even between songs.

Best gig I was ever at. It was amazing, the crowd were so appreciative.

At Bruce Springsteen in the RDS, this northern group who were in their late 40s, wouldn't shut up behind us. They'd just talk during a song they didn't know - anything that wasn't on his Greatest Hits.

Chad ghostal

I was at both of those gigs OP and was thinking the exact same thing, Paul Simon seemed visibly pissed off by the talking through a few songs.

AlaskaFox wrote:

They'd just talk during a song they didn't know - anything that wasn't on his Greatest Hits.

This is exactly what happened for both bigs, people just yappin away about anything.. one tool started screamin the start to 'sound of silence' for the two seconds the crowd was quiet!!

I've only been to a few gigs this year, but haven't experienced this level of ignorance anywhere else, maybe just a marquee thing ?

turgon

Chad ghostal wrote: »

This is exactly what happened for both bigs, people just yappin away about anything.. one tool started screamin the start to 'sound of silence' for the two seconds the crowd was quiet!!

I was kind of embarrassed to be honest. I was up near to the front so it wasn't too bad, saying that people in front of me were talking sometimes and one of the people I with would talk at normal volume in middle of songs, clearly has never heard of the concept of a whisper.

So right about the greatest hits thing. I was at Neil Young, and I had only heard the Best of, as well as two and half other albums. But yet I still listened - as far as I was concerned I was there to listen to music, not just to drink and yap.

At the end of the gig I overheard one old man saying that Paul Simon played some "unusual songs" at the start. Heres me thinking no actually they just didn't make the cut to the Best Of, theres absolutely nothing unusual about that. But I don't care about people like that, its people like him who also talk when they hear an unfamiliar song that gets me up.

Anywhoo good gig overall. I preferred Neil Young cause at this stage I have heard Paul Simon back to front and I was at the Point so it was nothing new. Drummer was something else.

landydef

i was off to the left of the stage and noticed it after the 2nd song,i wondered where the acoustics in the marquee to blame? the lack of solid walls made the sound very poor but amplified the sound of the crowd in my opinion, when the crowd got going it sewed together very well apart from the plonker beside me who kept shouting "i love you paul"
i think paul weeler might be badly affected by this also!

Frankiestylee

I like the way some small venues, well, the Upstairs @ Whelans one in particular, have signs saying stuff along the lines of "This is a listening venue, please have respect for other people's enjoyment and talk elsewhere". Sure, it's not a law, but at least it's an effort being made to point out how rude it is to talk during a gig.

Some people may find it horrible, but there's actually nothing nicer then the silence that occasionally follows the end of a song (aslong as there's some applause soon afterwards :P ) ... and you can hear that there was no sound in the place other then your music.

Chinafoot

AlaskaFox wrote: »

At Bruce Springsteen in the RDS, this northern group who were in their late 40s, wouldn't shut up behind us. They'd just talk during a song they didn't know - anything that wasn't on his Greatest Hits.

I experienced that on the Thursday night of Bruce Springsteen. Not only did you have half-cut morons trying to shove their way up to the front an hour into the gig, but they'd do nothing but complain that he dared to play stuff off the new album that they clearly had never heard. It was called the Magic Tour, not the Greatest Hits Tour. Thankfully on the Sunday night I was up the front after waiting outside for hours so there was less of that rubbish

On the flip side, I went to see Michael McDonald last month in Vicar Street and the crowd were wonderful. Very respectful and everyone just had a great night.

eth0_

Arrgg this drives me insane at gigs!
Particularly bad was ..well I can't mention their name...recently, the tickets were about 70 or 80 euro so you would think it would only attract REAL fans. But no. So many morons acting like they were just on a day out drinking in a park with their mates, just standing around in the crowd talking and laughing when people were trying to enjoy the band!

It's something that seems to have gotten much worse in the past 2 years.

It's normally fine if you are right up at the front, but I don't feel comfortable in the "pit" at gigs unless it's somewhere like Tripod or Crawdaddy where you can easily get out.

One gig where miraculously this phenomenon did not occur was when I went to see Elbow in Vicar street. Brilliant gig and a respectful crowd who were there because they love the band.

ntlbell

eth0_ wrote: »

Arrgg this drives me insane at gigs!
Particularly bad was ..well I can't mention their name...recently, the tickets were about 70 or 80 euro so you would think it would only attract REAL fans. But no. So many morons acting like they were just on a day out drinking in a park with their mates, just standing around in the crowd talking and laughing when people were trying to enjoy the band!

It's something that seems to have gotten much worse in the past 2 years.

It's normally fine if you are right up at the front, but I don't feel comfortable in the "pit" at gigs unless it's somewhere like Tripod or Crawdaddy where you can easily get out.

"real fans"

the snobbery in this thread is a tad sickening..

People out having the craic, talking and drinking with mate's the country is going to sh|t

it is possible to have a chat and a laugh and enjoy the music, you don't need to stand there an analyze every friggin note/lyric...

GIGS!

Serious Buisness!

eth0_

ntlbell wrote: »

it is possible to have a chat and a laugh and enjoy the music, you don't need to stand there an analyze every friggin note/lyric...

That's not what we're talking about at all.

There's a different between having a bit of banter, and being an irritating loud pr1ck.

However if you're happy to pay 50-100 euro for a gig just to ignore the music, you need your head examined.

John

ntlbell wrote: »

"real fans"

the snobbery in this thread is a tad sickening..

People out having the craic, talking and drinking with mate's the country is going to sh|t

it is possible to have a chat and a laugh and enjoy the music, you don't need to stand there an analyze every friggin note/lyric...

GIGS!

Serious Buisness!

No, gigs are EXPENSIVE business. I work hard during the week and spent a lot of money on music, be it recordings or gigs. Bigger gigs tend to be expensive and also tend to attract people who are there just for the craic. I'm not complaining about these people, I go to a lot of gigs where I'm not a "real fan" but equally I'm aware that some people have paid their money with the wish of hearing an artist they love live. So even though I will chat, I won't be obnoxious about it or do it in the middle of quiet songs.

Those who do go to gigs just as an alternative to a pub/club, do you also go to the cinema or the theatre to chat? Would you be happy if you were at a movie and the people behind you kept yapping? What makes a gig different? You're paying a particular type of entertainment that is based on attention and are expected not to disrupt it for other people.

ntlbell

John wrote: »

No, gigs are EXPENSIVE business. I work hard during the week and spent a lot of money on music, be it recordings or gigs. Bigger gigs tend to be expensive and also tend to attract people who are there just for the craic. I'm not complaining about these people, I go to a lot of gigs where I'm not a "real fan" but equally I'm aware that some people have paid their money with the wish of hearing an artist they love live. So even though I will chat, I won't be obnoxious about it or do it in the middle of quiet songs.

Those who do go to gigs just as an alternative to a pub/club, do you also go to the cinema or the theatre to chat? Would you be happy if you were at a movie and the people behind you kept yapping? What makes a gig different? You're paying a particular type of entertainment that is based on attention and are expected not to disrupt it for other people.

That's rediclous, it's a bit like saying would you be happy if you went to a libary to study and people kept talking..

no i wouldn't be as I wouldn't expecting people to be talking, the samr way i dont expect them to talk at the movies.

but if I go to a gig, I DO expect people to drinking/talking/being loud

Be it my fav band or someone I don't tend to like you'll probably find me enjoying myself and that may very well be drinking and lauging with mates being a "moron"

If you're that concerned about hearing each and every single note just move away from anyone that looks like they might enjoy themselves or god forbid start talking !

John

I shouldn't have to spend €80 for a gig and have to move around the venue to accommodate people who have spent €80 for a chat and a few more expensive than usual pints. Plus it's very hard to do at a seated gig. What I normally do is ask them politely to keep it down (not to stop talking). Music is about listening, I don't know if you've ever noticed that before but it is. Fair enough if you don't want to listen but to ruin someone else's experience after they have paid in is beyond ignorant and no different from talking in the cinema or theatre in my book.

If only all gigs were in the National Concert Hall where they'll actually throw you out for being disruptive.

ntlbell

John wrote: »

I shouldn't have to spend €80 for a gig and have to move around the venue to accommodate people who have spent €80 for a chat and a few more expensive than usual pints. Plus it's very hard to do at a seated gig. What I normally do is ask them politely to keep it down (not to stop talking). Music is about listening, I don't know if you've ever noticed that before but it is. Fair enough if you don't want to listen but to ruin someone else's experience after they have paid in is beyond ignorant and no different from talking in the cinema or theatre in my book.

If only all gigs were in the National Concert Hall where they'll actually throw you out for being disruptive.

Uptight and condesending, well lets hope you never tell me to be keep it down at a gig, you'll be wearing your exspensive pint over your anorak;)

eth0_

ntlbell wrote: »

Uptight and condesending, well lets hope you never tell me to be keep it down at a gig, you'll be wearing your exspensive pint over you're anorak;)

Wow you're a very aggressive person. If you tried that with me i'd make sure you were thrown out. Not that you'd mind, considering you're happy to pay 80 euro to chat to your mates with some background music.

John

ntlbell wrote: »

Uptight and condesending, well lets hope you never tell me to be keep it down at a gig, you'll be wearing your exspensive pint over you're anorak;)

And you'd be wearing the pint glass as a butt plug.

ntlbell

eth0_ wrote: »

Wow you're a very aggressive person. If you tried that with me i'd make sure you were thrown out. Not that you'd mind, considering you're happy to pay 80 euro to chat to your mates with some background music.

oh my, have me thrown out indeed!

I don't ever recall stating how much I pay into gigs.

ntlbell

John wrote: »

And you'd be wearing the pint glass as a butt plug.

OoooOoOoooOOO matron...

I might enjoy that

John

Well if it keeps you quiet I don't mind either way!

eth0_

Can we get back on topic now, please.

Kold

No don't... I'm close...

JJ

MIAW! John and NTLbell...pistols at dawn! Anyhoo, I do agree that people who talk through gigs are the biggest eejits in the entire known universe. You have plenty of time before and after a gig to talk your puny little brains out. If you want to talk through a loud rock gig that fair enough because nobody's going to hear you but if you're at a quiet, acoustic type gig you should shut your stinkin' hole. The one gig where I was very impressed by the quietness of the crowd was at Arab Strap. I admit I wasn't the most dedicated fan but I appreciated that everyone there was a big lover of music and could respect the musicians on stage.

AnonoBoy

I recently stood near the front at a gig and endured some eejit behind me who loudly complained that the band were no good and he didn't see what all the fuss was about.

After two songs worth of his 'critique' me and my 6'4 mate turned around and told him to shut up or **** off down the back. He mumbled something and mvoed off. It's handy having big friends!

Seriously though - why would you come to a gig and then just talk about how much you don't like the band all the way through. What a pile of ****e!

Tommy the Cat

Yeah I'd agree if its a rock concert I dont see there being any problems, if its an acoustic affair in a small venue a bit of tact is in order.

turgon

ntlbell wrote: »

People out having the craic, talking and drinking with mate's the country is going to sh|t

This is exactly what Im on about.

Why do people go to see artists like Paul Simon and Neil Young? To listen to the music. If people want to go drinking with the intention of having craic making lots of noise at the gig then why are they there? You can drink and have craic in any one of the thousands of pubs in Ireland where making nice will not annoy everyone else.

I go to gigs like Paul Simon to hear music. THAT IS IT. If I want ill go to the pub afterwards for drink and "craic". Yet these people who have no interest being there have a negative effect on everyone else.

Oh and ntlbell as for giving out for calling ourselves "true fans". The fact remains that I have listened to all 10 Paul Simon albums, the 5 Simon and Garfunkel albums and multitude of concerts. I AM a bigger fan than someone who turns up after just hearing the greatest hits (or a few songs on the radio). I have no problem with people coming like this! But its when these such people come and infringe on everyone else enjoyment of the night because they cant appreciate what theyve signed up for, thats just rude.

turgon

Tommy the Cat wrote: »

Yeah I'd agree if its a rock concert I dont see there being any problems, if its an acoustic affair in a small venue a bit of tact is in order.

+1

Paul Simon however is not a rock concert, not something you would dance to, yet the goms still insisted on infringing on everyone elses night.

boosh_fan

At Rock Werchter at the weekend the crowd ruined Radiohead for me - I had to move 3 times right to the back so that I wouldn't have nattering in my ear. Talkers to the back please! The crowd were obviously waiting for Creep & a few other hits which they didn't get.

Morgans

Am i right to class anyone who shout out song requests at gigs, or tries to interact with the "talent" as an eejit? I havent come accross an exception to the rule yet.

eth0_

Morgans wrote: »

Am i right to class anyone who shout out song requests at gigs, or tries to interact with the "talent" as an eejit? I havent come accross an exception to the rule yet.

No you're right.
I was at Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip in the button factory recently and there was a group of little teenage, nu-rave outfitted tw4ts right at the front who kept chanting out "DAN LE SAC! DAN LE SAC!" and offering a cigarette to Scroobius Pip, daring him to smoke it. The guy doesn't even smoke afaik.

I'm not violent but I was so close to smacking the face off them.

eth0_

I don't think there's any call for being abusive to turgon. He was giving examples of gigs he goes to - please count to ten before posting ntlbell, you seem to take so many posts as a person affront to you.

WindSock

I was at Radiohead and was talking to a friend when Exit Music came on, then I got shushed. I said 'don't you shush me'


Seriously, ffs. Radiohead are my favourite band, I wasn't even talking loudly and it was an open air gig.

Kold

Ah but you need to shut up for Exit Music! Same rule applies for Nude, Pyramid Song, Faust Arp and How to Disappear Completely.

WindSock

Meh, if you like a band that much you can easily tune out the noise and engage. It's the tall feckers with big heads and ears standing right in front of me that pee me off. They need their own section.

eth0_

WindSock wrote: »

Meh, if you like a band that much you can easily tune out the noise and engage. It's the tall feckers with big heads and ears standing right in front of me that pee me off. They need their own section.

If you're at the front it's easy enough to tune out the background noise because it's so LOUD yeah, but not everyone wants to be right up at the front.

I know what you mean about tall people. Do you suggest a roped off stage for them, like the disableds have?

Kold

eth0_ wrote: »

If you're at the front it's easy enough to tune out the background noise because it's so LOUD yeah, but not everyone wants to be right up at the front.

I know what you mean about tall people. Do you suggest a roped off stage for them, like the disableds have?

Perhaps... Or perhaps something a little more permanent...

WindSock

Yeah, stick them down the back so they don't get in anyones way :pac:

Everyone should be placed in specified areas according to their height. Or else we should all sit down when the band comes on.

landydef

why punish the lanky when you could give the short-arses stilts according to their height to bring them up to the level of the less vertically challenged :pac:

Jack Sheehan

There was loads of this at Neil Young and it pissed me off no end. 'Dya think He'll play heart of gold?'

yevveh

I was pissed off at a Muse gig a few years ago, they played 'Forced In' (without the vocals) and I love that tune but a friend of mine decided that this was the exact best point to talk to me. *sigh*

Fair play to the promoters at the Bon Iver gig, came out to request the audience to get pints etc. before he came out in 15mins so as to minimise noise for his quiet set. Still, the air conditioners shoulda been chucked out cos they refused to keep it down

On the whole I can't remember many other incidents. There'll always be people talking and it does piss me off it people are nattering in my ear. If I was at a festival I'd expect it of course - luckily a lot of the bands I like are loud enough not to allow people's sometimes shockingly small attention spans to drift at the more quiet gigs, I haven't had a problem. Still, if I was at a Paul Simon gig, I wouldn't be much happy about people yapping away without any consideration for their volume level. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen - if you can't shut up, get out of the venue. No problems with people having the craic - at MSI I was up the front, didn't care about crowdsurfers or anything (that all adds to it) but nothing will annoy me more than loud talking.

(apologies if I've repeated myself slightly, it's late and I don't much fancy changing it now)

the fnj

WindSock wrote: »

Seriously, ffs. Radiohead are my favourite band, I wasn't even talking loudly and it was an open air gig.

Out of interest what were you talking about that was superseding seeing your 'favourite band' live? Could it not have waited until after the show?

You were obviously talking loud enough to distract someone, that's not really fair on them?

Epic Tissue

ntlbell wrote: »

"real fans"

the snobbery in this thread is a tad sickening..

People out having the craic, talking and drinking with mate's the country is going to sh|t

it is possible to have a chat and a laugh and enjoy the music, you don't need to stand there an analyze every friggin note/lyric...

GIGS!

Serious Buisness!

hahaha so true:pac:

down with music snobs tbh so fucking annoying

turgon

Epic Tissue wrote: »

hahaha so true:pac:

down with music snobs tbh so fucking annoying

Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.

WindSock

the fnj wrote: »

Out of interest what were you talking about that was superseding seeing your 'favourite band' live? Could it not have waited until after the show?

You were obviously talking loud enough to distract someone, that's not really fair on them?

I can't remember what I was talking about exactly, but I wasnt having a full blown shoutathon. I was just saying a few words to a friend who I hadn't seen in ages, which I guess will supersede any band.

Fair? It's a friggin open air gig, not theatre. What would you say to people who sing along to their favourite songs?

the fnj

WindSock wrote: »

I can't remember what I was talking about exactly, but I wasnt having a full blown shoutathon. I was just saying a few words to a friend who I hadn't seen in ages, which I guess will supersede any band.

Fair? It's a friggin open air gig, not theatre. What would you say to people who sing along to their favourite songs?

I don't really mind people singing along provided the 'out of key really loud person' isn't within a three meter radius.

I'm happy to concede that some people are too quick to sush but in my opinion they are normally the minority (except at Sigur Ros concerts). Obviously people disagree but in my opinion it is bad manners to talk while an artist is performing. I think it’s disrespectful to the band and the other people that want to enjoy the show.

WindSock

the fnj wrote: »

I think it’s disrespectful to the band and the other people that want to enjoy the show.

I agree with that point in certain venues, but at large scale concert with 30,000 + people it's hopeless to expect everybody to stfu. I myself had trouble trying to enjoy Radiohead and Neil Young and anyone else at large scale concerts here because they are so packed. I have decided from now on to go to bands I really like either abroad or in smaller venues.

JJ

yevveh wrote: »

Fair play to the promoters at the Bon Iver gig, came out to request the audience to get pints etc. before he came out in 15mins so as to minimise noise for his quiet set. Still, the air conditioners shoulda been chucked out cos they refused to keep it down

Was this at Tripod? I'd rather have a little air conditioning playing in the background then having no noise in the background and everybody sweating like a whore in church.