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When Did It Stop Being About The Music?

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(@vic-lewis-vl)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

I'm with Cnev on this one. If everyone in the crowd just sat and listened to the music, there'd be no atmosphere. If I go to a gig, I WANT the crowd to be pumped up. If you're just going to sit and listen to the music, then put a CD on in your living room. And what's wrong with singing along? Are you telling me that a band with thousands of watts of power pumping through their amps can't drown out the odd loudmouth?

It's rock'n'roll - it's meant to be loud, and it's meant to be FUN!

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@slejhamer)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3221
 

"Sit down or stand up or lay down but SHUT UP! This is a #$%&ing rock and roll concert, not a #$%&ing tea party!"
- Pete Townshend, to a talkative audience in 1971

What has changed?

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@guitarhack)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 196
 

Parker, great post. this is something ive noticed for a long time but never really thought to bring up in a music forum. im 33 and have been going to concerts for as long as ive been able to drive myself to them. i agree with a lot of the replies when they say that this probably isnt anything new. regardless, it does bug the hell out of me.
a great example...an ex-girlfriend of mine was always bugging me to take her to a jimmy buffet concert. i dont like his music (no offense to the parrot heads out there), and asked when she suddenly became a fan. she said "i dont really like his music either, but everyone says he puts on a great show, and the crowds are always partying and hitting beach balls around..." sorry, but the FIRST thing i go to a concert for is the music, and anything peripheral is a distant second.
i hate to sound like a complete music snob, but i really dont want to share the floor with people who go to shows for things other than the music. its distracting to me. thats why i really have to love a band before i'll go to shows now.

Dan


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
Topic starter  

Like I said, I really enjoy a crowd that's into the show. I love the energy. It gives me a natural high just being part of it.

Incidently, the last Stones show I went to, I was beside a few teeny-boppers. Not only did they get into the show, if the stones played a song the they didn't recognize, they asked me afterwards what it was, etc. I remember one answer was "That's Dead Flowers. It's on your father's Sticky Fingers album." They asked "He does have that album, how did you know?". Good times.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@kevin72790)
Prominent Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 837
 

I'm with Cnev on this one. If everyone in the crowd just sat and listened to the music, there'd be no atmosphere. If I go to a gig, I WANT the crowd to be pumped up. If you're just going to sit and listen to the music, then put a CD on in your living room. And what's wrong with singing along? Are you telling me that a band with thousands of watts of power pumping through their amps can't drown out the odd loudmouth?

It's rock'n'roll - it's meant to be loud, and it's meant to be FUN!

:D :D :D

Vic
Exactly. But like I said people should be respectful to the musicians.

Cases in which you aren't-

-Lighting off fireworks (see: Pink Floyd Animals Tour in '77)
-Talking the entire time (see the Pete Townsend quote)
-Being a drunken fool (go ahead and dance but don't make it worse for everyone else)

Oh and I jsut thought of this.

Mosh pitting has got to be the most ridiculous event at concerts. Some people go to concerts just to MOSH PIT! Not to listen to music, no, but to MOSH PIT! Why? What's the point? If you want to fight, go fight somewhere else, not at a god damned concert. What's even worse is that some musicians encourage this.

Damn, what happened to the music?


   
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(@guitarhack)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 196
 

i really think some people misunderstood Parkers objection. i dont think any of us have a problem with people getting into the music, dancing, making noise, etc...
things i have an issue with are: throwing objects, cellphones (the person has to SCREAM the conversation because we are, after all, at a rock concert and the person on the other end of the line cant hear a damn thing!), fighting, and as Kevin brought up, moshing.
sing, dance, cheer, drink, smoke, whatever. i just wish people would respect the fact that others are there to enjoy the music.

Dan


   
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(@oenyaw)
Reputable Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 395
 

Last concert I attended was Deep Purple 7/13/07. The younger portion of the crowd was just staring st the stage, eyes wide open, jaws dropped and gawking. It was great.

Most of the shows I see around here (theme parks) the "kids" are actually there for the music. Besides, it's so loud, they wouldn't hear themselves anyway.

At the Heart concert, there was this woman who seemed to get pissed off that people were "standing up." She left, I laughed.

Brain-cleansing music for brain-numbing times in a brain dead world
http://www.oenyaw.com


   
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(@vic-lewis-vl)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 10264
 

sing, dance, cheer, drink, smoke, whatever.

No smoking allowed now at indoor concerts in England. Which raises an interesting point - how's Slash going to cope next time he tours? I can't imagine him without that trademark ciggy dangling out of his mouth!

:D :D :D

Vic

"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)


   
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(@boxboy)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1221
 

The posts by cnev and Arjen reminded me that 3 of the most unsatisfying concerts I've seen had 'DAS', Dead Audience Syndrome.
In each case, the bands had had some sort of crossover hit that brought out a dreary audience of wall to wall yuppies who sat like bumps on a log until that one song got played.
:)

Don


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

I don't have a problem with moshing it's like aggresive dancing and as long as I'm not in the middle of it's OK with me. It gets a little weird when you go to a concert and they start moshing to Hootie and The Blowfish though(I've seen it)

And I don't hold any special reverance for the musicians either. Who are they to tell me to be quiet at a concert I paid money for? Just shut up and play!

Obviously it's about the music but it's not all about the music. It's a performance and it's entertainiment. If I want to be told to be quiet and sit in my chair I'll go to the library.

I'm not saying I condone everything that goes on at concerts cuz I don't, but if you can't stand the heat then you got to get out of the kitchen and if you can't stand the drunks, moshers, stoners, singers etc....stay home, your not meant for rock and roll, Celine Dion will be coming around soon enough!

I like my Rock n Roll loud and obnoxious!

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@dogsbody)
Prominent Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 715
 

Yeah!

I can identify with a lot of the points of view on this thread.

I'm probably one of the few left in this world who's over 50 and up until last year had never been out and seen a major artist or band in concert.

Went with Rodders to see Eric Clapton at the NEC Areana Birmingham. Fantastic crowd and atmosphere but I have to admit I got a bit p---_d off with all the constant walking about people did in front of us, going and getting beer etc, conversations, mobile phone calls etc. They didn't seem to be in the least bit interested in what Eric was creating out there on stage. It was just what to me appeared as extremely bad manners by loads of people. Why pay £50 plus to go to a concert and then behave that way? Crazy!!! I was appauled by some of those so called concert go'ers. It's not the way I was brought up to behave.

I didn't mind people singing along badly I was doing it myself and off course we all stood up and applauded. .

Later that year I took Trish my wife to see The Eagles at Birmingham NIA. Totally different concert. Nowhere near the level of disruption, people seemed totally engrossed in the performance, a few people were walking about mostly late arrivals it seemed. Trish and I still went wild with everyone else singing along and applauding. Maybe it was the fact that this might have been the last chance we would have to see The Eagles on tour or maybe it was a better venue. I don't know.

It would be interesting to see Clapton again at the NIA maybe to compare.

Finally at the beginning of this year we saw James Taylor at Birmingham Symphony Hall. A much smaller venue. Totally Brilliant show by James but it was obviously not a rock concert. It was great though because it was more intimate as most of the audence were only 30 yards or so from the stage. Still singing along though and wild but slightly restrained applause.

Verdict: Loved Clapton, hated the venue! Loved The Eagles, great venue! Loved James Taylor, loved the venue.

Well that's my two penny worth.

Don't get me wrong though "I'm still gonna be 18 till I die"

Here are snippets of these concerts from youtube probably from audience camera's.(Don't reflect the audence type though). Yeah ok probably camera phones but do you have to take call and do text messages at a concert? I don't think so. Anyway these show the class performances of these guys.

Eric Clapton 11th May 2006: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-_bFSu-cBU
Eagles 14th June 2006 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU--EGNxuVQ
James Taylor 8th March 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHRe-cSp_sM

Chris

The guitar is all right John but you'll never make a living out of it! (John Lennon's Aunt Mimi)


   
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(@rahul)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2736
 

sing, dance, cheer, drink, smoke, whatever.

No smoking allowed now at indoor concerts in England. Which raises an interesting point - how's Slash going to cop next time he tours? I can't imagine him without that trademark ciggy dangling out of his mouth!

:D :D :D

Vic

He can hold the cig in his mouth but not light it. Problem solved.


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

I think the older you get the more you expect it to just be about the music and you aren't interested in the rest of the antics that go on.

Now me on the other hand I will readily admit I still haven't grown up so I don't think like a normal middle aged old guy (even though I am).

When I saw Carlos at what's called the Chevy Arena which was recently redone and it's a really beautiful venue, plush seats etc. it had to be the most boring thing I've ever sat through. I'm sure some people enjoy the assigned plush seating (I will admit they were very comfortable) but man the first thing I told my friend is this ain't rock n roll.

I love luxury but when it comes to rock n roll I'd much rather see a concert that doesn't have assigned seating where I can squeeze my way to the front, where beer covers the floor etc., and all the other craziness that goes on at a concert.

Sitting in some pristine music theater eating wine and cheese while everyone sits there quiet as church mice until it's time to applaud doesn't cut it for me. I want to see music in clubs that look like CBGB's that's rock n roll.

Maybe that's why i don't have any friends!!

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@rahul)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2736
 

I think the older you get the more you expect it to just be about the music and you aren't interested in the rest of the antics that go on.

Now me on the other hand I will readily admit I still haven't grown up so I don't think like a normal middle aged old guy (even though I am).

When I saw Carlos at what's called the Chevy Arena which was recently redone and it's a really beautiful venue, plush seats etc. it had to be the most boring thing I've ever sat through. I'm sure some people enjoy the assigned plush seating (I will admit they were very comfortable) but man the first thing I told my friend is this ain't rock n roll.

I love luxury but when it comes to rock n roll I'd much rather see a concert that doesn't have assigned seating where I can squeeze my way to the front, where beer covers the floor etc., and all the other craziness that goes on at a concert.

Sitting in some pristine music theater eating wine and cheese while everyone sits there quiet as church mice until it's time to applaud doesn't cut it for me. I want to see music in clubs that look like CBGB's that's rock n roll.

Maybe that's why i don't have any friends!!

Its nothing to do with age, Cnev.

I am also after music only. And, even I am pretty friendless. But btw us, we are friends right ? 8)


   
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(@boxboy)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 1221
 

When I saw Carlos at what's called the Chevy Arena which was recently redone and it's a really beautiful venue, plush seats etc. it had to be the most boring thing I've ever sat through. I'm sure some people enjoy the assigned plush seating (I will admit they were very comfortable) but man the first thing I told my friend is this ain't rock n roll. I love luxury but when it comes to rock n roll I'd much rather see a concert that doesn't have assigned seating where I can squeeze my way to the front, where beer covers the floor etc., and all the other craziness that goes on at a concert.

cnev, I saw Santana at least 4 times through the 70s and 80s and it was always assigned seating. And always one of the top 5 live bands I've ever seen.
:)

Don


   
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