COncert Etiquitte

poobags

DOnt know if I spelt etiquitte right but anyway....

After been chucked outta the Frames pit for shoutin I was wonderin what everyone considered decent concert etiquitte.
Is jumping out of the question. Is singing along also taboo.
Ive been to a load of Frames gigs in my time and each time I seem to come across a bigger asshole who thinks singing or in some cases moving is out of the question. I agree that in a small intimate venue constant talking can be quite annoying but at outdoor gigs with 6000 people.....................thats a ****in joke.

Any other concert etiquitte views. What about crowd surfin, crowd banter ( are you allowed talk to any people) etc..

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DOnt eat the chocolate log buried in the yellow snow......

Ste k

Went in very early last nite to phantasim and was delighted to see a band called label who were really good. However I dont think they had many actual fans rather (oh my friend is playing in Whelan's like thats so cool do you wanna go, yuppies) cause some people beside the sound desk actually had their backs turned and yacked away the hole entire time. I think labels sound engineer put up the music too loud to cover out their insesent ranting about work & their new shoes.

It really ruined the gig to have people you just didnt give a crap and it was visibly taking it toll on the lead singer who was getting pissed off. First time i heard the band and was very impressed as well.

Thats my two cents anyway

atonal

I think alot of etiquette depends on the venue size, layout, crowd etc. There always seems to be a divide between those people who are just out to have fun and the really intense music fans. I personally am a bit of a nazi I want to see and hear everything and get really annoyed when people talk loudly through the show, I even get pissed with my friends who in turn find me obsessive and boring at gigs. But you need some jumping about and noise from the crowd to keep the energy up too. There is a fine line between buzz/audience participation and outright rudeness

Arch

During a performance at the Shelter last New Years Eve, one act told the audience to shut the **** up - and specifically signalled out one bloke in the crowd, who he had seen talking.

On a New Year's Eve party night?

Now, I've always loved taking myself very seriously as an 'artist' and all, but that made even me sick. Sure, as an audience member, it's nice and decent behaviour to stay schtum while a musician performs for you, but given the social parameters of your average rock gig, I don't feel respectful silence is something an act can INSIST on.

If I were performing on a New Years Eve night, the most I would wish for is someone not to throw up in my whiskey.

skittles

new years eve hmmm I'm puzzled now who was it..ah gowan tell us!!

I myself like to take in the whole experience and there's nothin that anoys me more than someone screamin' and singin' in your ear but what can ya do? they paid their money aswell and should be entitled to enjoy the gig their own way. I don't know, maybe some all round consideration is in order.

stickinikki

i was at the muse and the hives gig last sunday. i have 2 say i was kinda surprised.on the back of the tickets they say no crowd-surfing or moshing.
moshing was allowed-they didnt really crack down on that too much unless people were like, dying. but as for the crowd surfin...they kicked ppl out if they did.
i thought that was kinda sucky-
a) seeing as it was a muse gig i mean come on, ya gotta crowd-surf!
and
b) on the ads for the heineken green energy fest. they depict a girl on trolleys , meant to be someone crowd surfin i presume? hmm....lets sue!!!
but it was great fun anyway so i wont complain anymore ...

decob

The one thing that really pi$$e$ me off at gigs, either large or small is when u get people trying to make their way closer to the front and they just try barging their way to the front and who just push pass you, knock over u're drink etc.... a few simple words like.. excuse me.sorry goes a long way...

the_corpo

i really don't understand the mentality of people who are happy to part with their hard earned wages for a gig then spend the duration nattering over the music. idiotic, go to the damned pub instead. i've had a lot of gigs ruined for me thisway.

regarding moshing and crowdsurfing, it's stupid and people can get hurt. ever been to a rocket from the crypt gig? they *hate* it and always single out the culprits. dancing is waaay cooler. do the jerk!

Monkey

Ah, you've got to crowdsurf at least once in your life, you're only young once.

Some friends of mine were at the Hives gig and when they jumped up and down they were told to "keep it low, lads or you're out"

Kurdt

as regards to the crowd surfing/moshing aspect...security these days are far too strict...you don't have to mosh if ya don't want to but if ya do want to yer usually turfed out...obviously there's a risk you might get hurt but everyone that does it knows that and acepts it...if yer not up for a mosh move aside...

and the security at dublin castle all weekend...they did there job an all...and they're there for a good reason...but kicking people out for jumpin too high...plus i saw that guy get kicked out of the frames gig on monday for shouting...whats going on?!?... gigs are supposed to be fun...you shouldnt have to keep looking out for security (they were coming up behind people at muse)

Raggamuffin

i surfed once at pearl jam......
but i don't like moshing...... corpo is right way too many get hurt.
i remember interviewing At The Drive -IN and they hated it so much... and right before the gig they like asked people not to mosh....... and to be honest it was a great gig.....

I guess if the music is good and a gig and the right crowd go (crowd by which i mean PEOPLE WHO ACTULLY LIKE THE MUSIC AND KNOW WHO THE BAND IS) then i'm sure it will be a great gig.

one band i went to see Les Savy Fav and Enon in parnell mooney was a great gig and if more band s coming to ireland could be like that i'd be a much happier gig-goer

crow

if you're at a gig to hear music, go and hear the music and make the band feel cool.... just dont be a dick and ruin it for everyone else, it boils down to common sense really. agreed?

jonny

this is one subject that really gets me fuelled.

people shouting and acting the bollox at a gig.

aaargh.

ive seen so many fantastic musicians play and be talked over and its such a pity because then nobody enjoys the gig.

a while ago i saw the frames in vicar street. josh ritter was supporting solo. i was up in the balcony and these two men were talking constantly very loudly at the back. everybody around was getting very pissed off with them so i went up and told them to be quiet and subsequently got in a huge argument with the one guy. his point was he wasnt into joshs music and paid to see the frames. but everybody else around there paid to see the WHOLE gig and he was really ruining it for everybody. so, frustrated, i went back to my place, finished my drink and threw the empty cup at his head (due to him shouting abuse at me). he then got violent and was threating me so somebody called a bouncer and he got booted out. yipee. that feckin lout.

aside to that, i generally dislike the behaviour of most of the people at frames gigs. because i find that frames fans are extremely hardcore loyal and often just psycho. i mean, ok its one thing talking so loud that youre disturbing other people, but its another thing when, even if you cough, ten people turn around, glare at you, and "SHHHSHHHH, glens talking!!" and then start shouting stupid things up like theyre a fecking boy band or something.

and directed to that person talking about new years at the shelter. fair play to the person who said shut up. i'm a performer and i tell ya, its the most disrespectful, and immature thing, and it really shows you up to be an arsehole if you are constantly talking loudly and are blantantly uninterested in the band.
i once saw mic christopher supporting glen hansard in whelans. all through the gig there was a hum of talking through the crowd and it was difficult to really absorb the music due to this. so in between songs mic said something along the lines of "if you wanted to talk, why did you pay to see the gig? if you wanted to talk you shouldve stayed at home!" - fantastic (it was probably phrased better)


i think that people are sheep and a lot of the time only go to the gigs because either their friends are going or because they want to be able to say that they went. likewise people will stay quiet and hang on every word if the performer is popular at the time. aside to that, very few people will listen and try out bands that they dont know about or their friends or whoever dont like. if it "cool" to be quiet at a gig, people will be quiet at a gig.

poobags

This is a very hard topic.

I think music is about havin fun. I go to gigs to have the craic.
I dont pay 20-30 euros to stand there with my arms crossed, a frown on my face and something stuck up my arse.
I too am a singer songwriter but dry singersongwriters are the bane of my life. So ****in dull and meloncholly. And then they get mad when someone else is havin the craic. If someone told me to shut up at a gig I would hit them in the face.

We are not Germans. Everything doesn't have to be serious. I went to Gomez in the Ambassador and everyone was havin the craic. Talkin to each other. Jumpin, Singin Shoutin, just havin fun.
A frames gig is a hard one because on the one hand you have songs like Revelate and Rent Day Blues which are good time songs but then you have What happens when the heart justt stops.
If you want to hear Glen without the constant murmour of the crowd, without a man beside jumpin like hes in the Olympics, without a drunken person tryin to get off with you, without any noise but the sound of your own heart then listen to the CD at home. All those things are what a gig is all about. HAvin a good time. Gettin slighty bumped about. But if you dont agree and leave the concert early to beat the traffic your old. Plain and simple your old. Your just pissed off theres young people around you who are having a good time and will put up with anything.#

DOnt be facsists at gigs. If you were a real fan you would put up with anythin just to hear your idols voice and silky guitar riffs.
Moshing can get annoying but just move away. Crowd surfing is
something that happens. They're not goin to stay on your head forever so dont get pissed off. I think dancin at gigs should be compuslory. It would get everyone into a better mood.

P.S. For all those complainin. Theres a thing called seatin. Your so old it would do your back some good.

crazyface

Onoff performed at my scool on thursday and because it was our school we all had to sit down but that didnt take away from the band. I'm sure there were people talking but the music was still f***in A. Good bands will either humiliate the people disturbin the gig or play on regardless. It isn't fun to see someone stop midsong to have a fit because people are too loud.

About security, well it was overkill at this gig cos the band themselves got kicked out after(or so i've heard).

thedrowner

i dont go to many gigs in more "initimate" places like the shelter and whelans. The only problem i ahve at concerts is height, im usually concetrating on the band and im able to block out whats going on around me. I have to say, ive never noticed a huge problem with people talking in the shelter, people just come, watch the gig and go, it doesnt usually get too packed at gigs so theres just the right amount of people there so thats its bearable but not too empty. BUt whelans is smaller (around the stage) and noise does seem to be harder to block out there. BUt its never been that much of an issue anyways, for me.

Vladimar

It seems the whole what-to-do-at-a-gig situation needs to be broken down somewhat.

If you know the band you're going to see, you'll know how to act, simple logic yes, but having said that, a first timer at a frames gig for instance won't necessarily know when to go crazy and when to shut the **** up.

Example: at the international several weeks ago I was there to see The Murder of Crows, during thier entire set there was talking, laughing, singing along, occasional explosions of volume from somewhere or other, but that didn't matter, the place was full of energy and everyone was getting into the Cock-Rock mood.
Later (or maybe it was earlier, i forget) that evening, there was a young female solo artist (who's name i also forget, but that's not the point), and as soon as she started the entire mood of the venue inverted itself. People were being told to shut up left right and center, and not unjustly so, the music was a subdued affair, and deserved relative silence. Having said that her act was ill timed as most people there were drunk off thier asses and unable to control the volume of their voices.

Also at Witnness last, Muse kicked mighty ass, and the moshing of the crowd reflected it. It becomes so you don't know if you're jumping of your own accord, or are simply being lifted a foot from the ground three times a second by the people next to you. The bouncers only seemed to be kicking out those who crowd surfed near the front, understandable as most people in that area are unable to remove thier arms from the mesh of people either side of them, thus exposing them to dangerous neck injuries.

All in all it depends on;
1 - The band, several bands (e.g. at the drive-in) don't like people moshing, and people (the real fans) should respect that.
2 - The people, if you're surrounded by the "Wow I love your new top!, who are these guys by the way?" people who's sister's boyfriend knows the ex-bassist of the band, it is your responsibility to set them straight.
3 - The security, if you're gonna get thrown out for crowd surfing, and you really want to the whole show, don't crowdsurf.
4 - The location, you're less likely to be stopped mid-mosh at witnness that in Eamon Dorans, can you guess why?
5 - The crowd, some people find it hard to fit in, and some some people, are just jerks...stop that Mr. Simpson.

That's about all my excess thought power for tonight, lemme know your thoughts.

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I cat biscuits from excess walnut.

Gordon

Ever been to a classical music concert and clapped at the wrong moment?! so embarrassing! Never tried crowd surfing though, that may have been out of place, cue tumbleweed...