When Did It Stop Being About The Music?

Hey man, sucks but it happens. I went to REM some years ago in one of the biggest Dutch venues. It was sold-out by all kinds of fourty year old women. When REM came on stage they delivered a pretty hard rock show. It was really great, much more gusto then the studio version and the vocals of Stipe were incredible. We (my friends and I) were the only one who digged it, the rest of the crowd just froze stiff and sat quietly for the rest of the night.

Sometimes acts just don't get the audience they deserve. We have a bluespub in Apeldoorn which gets some pretty amazing acts from all over the world that are pretty amazing yet unknown so they always play for twenty people or so. Often it's even free entrance. It's a shame, but nothing you can do about it.

It's actually been going on for quite a while, and in all sorts of other areas as well (think sports or comedy shows). Over ten to twelve years ago now, Neil Young was playing two solo acoustic shows on consecutive nights at the Chicago Theater and the crowd was mostly, if not entirely older. I was unlucky enough to be at the first night. There was so much of the audience talking that Neil basically quit after forty-five minutes and the show was over. He was very polite and I don't think that most of the crowd even understood why he did such a short show.

Word must have gotten out, though, because the show for the second night ran close to two hours.

Peace

the last two big shows, Young and Stones where I paid large dollars for okay seats I was totally bummed.
the audience was a constant buzz of alcoholic yammering and cell phones up in the air. I swear I saw more blue lights and brimming plastic cups than I care to see in a life time. the constant trips to the urinals made it worse.
way too much yahooing at the top of the lungs. I believe it wasn't for the stage it was or their own look at me I drunk loud and obnoxious selves. . I had the misfortune of sitting near a beer stand. the vendor slammed those steel kegs on the ground so much I had to confront him. poor dork was just doing his job.
crowds are worse than ever any where now. it is not about the music anymore. the only time I hear a band now is at small clubs.
money money money. it sucks.
ban beer at concerts. I miss the old days when we could sneak a toke, sit back and hear the decibels from the stage not the big ass dork standing in front of me.

I miss the old days when we could sneak a toke, sit back and hear the decibels from the stage not the big donkey dork standing in front of me.

I bet if everyone were stoned out of their minds they'd listen better than a crowd that is drunk off their ass :-P

In the mid-80's I did security for a various venues as a second job.

Nothing I saw caused me to believe that more than a very small percentage of concert goers gave a damn about the music.

Most where there to either be seen, see who else was there, drink, do drugs, or in some way partake in the event of the concert rather than listening to the concert itself.

I was assured by old-timers that it had always been that way then . . . and that was 20-some years ago now.

It's not anybody of any particular age, but our whole society that has drifted in this direction. Kids are kids, but maybe edgier than kids of 20-30 years ago. Older "kids" are now more selfish and intolerant at the same time. It seems as if it is each person only for ones self to attain that personal social experience, everyone else be d@mned.

But OTOH, I'm not sure it has even changed radically, except the audience that used to go only to popular acts and yell and scream through them actually goes to all sorts of shows (blues, folk, jazz, country swing ...) now and behaves as if these are all pop shows. Remember: The Beatles couldn't even hear themselves on stage at the height of their arena popularity. That wasn't about the music either. So the younger crowd has now adopted all the "cool" music the old f*rts have been trying to sell them for years. Now see what's happened?! :wink:

Last note: At the Montreal Jazz Fest a few years ago, I got the distinct impression that our Canadian neighbors make better, friendlier audiences than do US crowds. And trust me, they were pretty beer-soaked.

I saw Roxy Music in 2001. My first big stadium show in years. The couple next to us had their 2 kids (maybe 12-13 or so) and those kids sang along to every song! Except the cacophonous early stuff. :twisted: I remember giving them this stunned look like, 'Hey, you're not in your rec room you know'.
But at least they were engaged in the show. I've seen plenty of smaller club shows where the general audience din is so loud you can barely hear the band.
:)

When I saw Roger Waters last month the crowd was great, everyone was singing along.

But you are right. It's not about the music as much with people anymore. It's a party. And I don't get it.

I hope music eventually reverts back to the way it used to be.

And different bands attract different crowds. You're right about Waters' gigs -- people are there to get lost in the music. You'd think people would get lost in Dave Matthews' jams too but they're a rowdier college crowd. It's unfortunate. Sometimes at Stones concerts people are so drunk it's a wonder they can hear the music. But the McCartney or Dead or Phish crowds are just plain enthusiastic.

By and large, though, I do think people listen to music differently. Back when I was in college, we'd put on an album and get lost in it and analyze it. I think often today people tend to treat music like background music. I read a comment somewhere (was it Trey Anastasio?) said that most people treated music today like furniture. It sits in the room but people don't pay close attention to it.

Frankly, I think sometimes small clubs provide much more engaging venues. But, alas, I've yet to wander into a small club where the Stones were playing! :wink:

I just don't go to large venue concerts anymore because of the behavior of the crowds. I'd much rather go to a smaller club and see less well known artists than put up with a bunch of stuff that takes away from my enjoyment of the music. When I go to see someone, I go for the music. I want to hear every note and not the drunk two rows away.

Due to accessability reasons, I never really started going to many shows until the 90's. I don't know what the crowds were like back in the 70's-80's. I do enjoy a crowd that is into the show, whether it's sports or music, and also enjoy watching the performers get pumped up from the crowd and visa-versa. It's quite a thing to be part of. In large part, that's mostly what I've felt around here.

Our town is really good for that. NHL playoffs is a helluva rush for that reason. However, this area can produce it's share of jerks too. I'm glad I have more positive stories than negative ones. I guess I've been lucky. I hardly hold isolated incidents against a crowd. You know, there's the "one in every crowd" thing.

Last night was the first time I experienced a really bad crowd as a whole. I'm really grateful that the band did not do what Neil Young did in David's earlier post. I was actually afraid of that a few times.

To top the evening off, we went out for a bite to eat afterward to one of those chain restaraunts that serves food until 2:00am. Low and behold, a fight broke out. Fitting end to the evening.

Was Anthony Hopkin's character, Hannibal, so wrong???? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Roy, if it's any consolation, I remember seeing Yes back in the early 70's and a drunken lout behind us hollered. 'Play Roundabout!' for the better part of 2 hours. Surprise, surprise, one of the band's biggest hits got held back to near the close or the encore. :roll:
You can get a bad crowd in any sort of venue for sure, but, in mulling over the many shows I've seen, a 1000-2000 seat venue where there's no alcohol served once you're seated, is the best bet.
Great thread; thankfully, lots of great memories.
:)

Went to see Clapton in March, good show good crowd. That one seemed about the music! Last show in July was Fogerty, Super show,crappy crowd. In that show it seemed like it was OK to sing the songs and get up and dance in front of your face. I have to be honest, I don't have the kind of cash where I want to pay to hear some drunken jerk sing the songs that I have paid good $ to hear. We live a couple hundred klms. from the venue and with fuel, supper etc. it costs the same amount of money as buying n fairly decent guitar to see a show ($400. approx ) Won't be going to anymore shows. Maybe it's just because I'm a cranky senior. Someone mentioned shutting down the beer sales at a certain point and I agree. It seemed like a dozen beers was the norm for the yahooes and then of course the bathroom breaks cut in, everyone stands up to let the inebriated in and out of theiir seats several more times. The venue must score huge bucks from the liquor sales though and I don't see them shutting down beer sales. Was going to submit a review of the Fogerty show but to be honest I've had a better time in my living room watching him on my bigscreen TV.
Robbie
edit: also went to see Meatloaf in March, that was in a smaller venue outside San Diego, about 2000 people. The bar was only open during the half time intermission. Good show, good crowd, no drunks! The show was quite enjoyable.

Well I think there are jerks everywhere in every era so I'm not sure that anything has changed. I went to many concerts in the 70-80's and there were always some drunk people acting stupid. If you go to a concert and think you're not going to have to put up with it...don't go because it's gonna happen and you can't control it.

On the other hand I saw Carlos Santana at an indoor facility last year, very nice venue, everyone sat and was respectful of the music etc., it had to be the most boring concert of my life.

The crowd is part of the show, they are the ones that provide the energy. At the Santana concert everyone sat in their seats and were quiet like we were in a movie theater. It suxed big time.

If I go to a rock n roll concert I want to experience all the craziness that goes on at the concert that's part of the fun.