Annoying Things People Do At Concerts

[Initech]

This week is Coachella, and one Coachella band - the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has posted a strict "no cell phones" rule at their shows.

So here's a few things I think are annoying:

1. Glowsticks. Seriously - at outdoor shows I've been to lately these things get thrown everywhere. Stop it. You will hurt somebody.

2. If the band invites you on stage, don't act like a Nazi (yes this actually happened at a recent Dropkick Murphys show: http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/03/dropkick_murphy_1.html )

3. A cell phone is not, never has been, nor ever will be considered a lighter. Stop it, let people with real lighters light up the crowd.

4. People shouting out requests. Stop it. Unless Freebird is being shouted as a joke (like I saw at a Devin Townsend show last year), this shouldn't happen. Bands have set lists. Lighting cues. Sound effect cues. Visual cues. It's not funny. They're here to entertain you, you're not here to entertain them.

Feel free to add to the list.

[In_The_Wind]

1. They never bring enough to share.

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[olddots]

2. I've had people puke on my back

been wet with all kinds of liquids had to smell people smoking something that didn't smell like it came from earth and then the mandatory
naked person wanting to be tossed around above people's heads ......

And that's at the L.A. symphony

[tblue]

3. Standing up dancing & blocking the view

Case in point: There was a lady in the first row dancing, all by her lonesome, and it was not a pretty sight. She was never going to stop. At about the 5th song, an usher came and asked her to cut it out. A woman in front of me shouted, "Thank you!" and everyone laughed.

People love to stand in front of me at concerts. Sometimes dancing and sometimes standing through the entire concert. Or else the tallest, widest person with the biggest hair in the entire audience is drawn like a magnet to the seat in front of me. If I'm seated before they are, I can spot them when they walk in the theatre. I have spent many a play or convert sitting on my purse and coat, or watching the back of somebody's head.

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. Late 80's - early 90's, friends and I put together an all-original band that would NEVER...

,
,
,
,,, in a million gazillion years be mistaken for a band that would EVER play "Freebird".
.
We used to have set lists that would include a song or two per night that would let
each of us (one or two at a time -- we had 9 people by the time we split) a chance
to sit that one out -- to get a beer, to mingle with friends, to check the band out from
the crowd.
.
I would head for the back of the crowd and start calling out for "FREEBIRD!!!
FREEBIRD!!! I'M FUCKING SERIOUS MAN -- PLAY FREEFUCKINGBIRD!!!"
.
It was a blast, when we'd take a set break, to hear the band wonder why the biggest
asshole in the world showed up at EVERY FREAKIN' ONE OF OUR SHOWS and
called out for "Freebird".
.
It took them months to realize that, yes indeed... I was that biggest asshole in
the world!!!!
.

.
.
.

[leftyohiolib]

5. now that's funny

[mikeytherat]

6. I play in a funk/R&B band, and I can't tell you the number of times I've heard, "Play some Skynard!"

We do have a funk version of Sweet Home Alabama (think P-Funk All Stars meets The Alabama Shakes) and we do play it - the Skynard devotee will either love it or loathe it.

mikey_the_rat

PS
Here's a good old band story:
Lame-ass frat gigs in the '80s - between 1st and second sets, member of the band goes to payphone on the street and complains to the cops about the noise. They always showed up and shut down the party right before we were to start the 2nd set!

[hobbit709]

7. I remember one time at a small club where Tom T Hall was playing.

some idiot kept wanting him to play one of his not better songs. Tom finally said "I don't have to, it's my guitar"

[MadrasT]

9. That is hilarious

I used to play trumpet in a lederhosen-wearing German polka band... and we would even get people yelling "FREEBIRD!!!" at us.

[Tom Ripley]

8. 7 Obnoxious Assholes Who Show Up At Every Concert...

http://www.cracked.com/article_17523_7-obnoxious-assholes-who-show-up-at-every-concert.html

[Initech]

10. I laughed my ass off at the second part:

"Unless you're checking out Hannah Montana, there is no good reason anyone under the age of 12 should be anywhere in your vicinity at a concert. (If you're reading this and you've been to a Hannah Montana concert without child accompaniment, you should just add your name to the sex offender registry now. Go ahead, we'll wait.)"

[MadrasT]

11. The dude next to you who insists on singing along with every tune.

Hello, I paid my $$ and came to this show to hear PAUL SIMON, not to hear YOU singing DUETS with Paul Simon.

[Dash87]

12. Morons who scream every 5 seconds, people who sing along,

the person who takes up 3 chairs with their legs, arms, or personal items, people at a lighter concert that won't shut up and listen to the music.

[Initech]

17. Makes it even worse when one doesn't know the lyrics.

If you're at like a Flogging Molly show where they're encouraging the crowd to sing along that's one thing.

[Taverner]

13. Get mad for dancing at Dead and Phish shows

Or: dance at a show that is CLEARLY not a Dead or Phish show (ex: SF Symphony)

[TrogL]

15. How can you NOT dance to the Rite of Spring?

We've got a performance coming up. I'll ask the conductor.

[TrogL]

14. Non-stop talking

I was at Roger Waters' The Wall Live in Vancouver up in the nosebleed seats (all I could get). Two guys behind us started talking 10 minutes before the concert and continued non-stop for the entire first half. I glared at them, I yelled at them, I told them if they wanted to talk, why they didn't simply sit in their living room instead of blowing GOd knows how much money on tickets, I even talked to the user who was useless. She looked like she was going to kick me out for bothering them.

They left after the first half.

When Roger was in Edmonton I bought floor seats and had two disabled people with me. The entire audience stood the entire concert and they couldn't see a thing. The second night, I had a different set of disabled people with me in wheelchairs and we were seated in a special area. Best seats in the house.

[Initech]

16. Yes I have seen this one.

I was at a Porcupine Tree show a couple years ago at a small venue. These guys would not shut the fuck up. Security was called in to remove the assholes and Steve Wilson even said something about it between songs. Really you're watching someone perform at a venue where they could actually hear you. Shut up.

[Populist_Prole]

18. Another vote for standing up and blocking the view

Standing up for the whole show and screaming. They stand and then if I don't stand then I can't see the band. Why can't we all just sit down in comfort and enjoy the show?