show etiquette

sweet :)

nothing was worse than listening to this kid ramble on prior to the Jay-Z/Kanye show on my b'day. I guess taht's the bummer with stadium shows, is having to listen to individual convos. But he wouldn't shut up. He loudly criticized a kid for wearing a Wiz Khalifa shirt to the show ("oh man, wear it to a Mac Miller show, not a JAY-Z show"), and then for about twenty minutes, started going on and on about how he hoped Jay-Z performed "99 Problems" because it was clearly the greatest Jay-Z song of all time (footnote: RONG).

Then he starts playing music on his cell phone (I was like whatev, show hasn't started yet), listening to stuff from Watch the Throne...and then goes "Man, hold on, I got some really old school Jay-Z here. don't think most fans remember this one, maybe some"...so I'm thinking dude is about to queue up his guest spot on "Hawaiian Sophie" or "In My Lifetime", and dude starts playing...."Encore". SPECIFICALLY the Linkin Park-Jay-Z mashup version. Dude was acting O.G. smug about having this song on his iPOD?

Then...he started rapping the opening to "99 Problems"...over...and over...and over behind me. Just the chorus. It was like Chinese water torture after a while because he'd stop for 5 minutes or so, then do it again.

About the time I was getting ready to turn around and throttle the kid, some dudes came up and said he and his friend were in their seats. He tried to argue that no, it was THEY that were in the wrong section, and that this was section 406 (it was 405), so all of us (including me) turned around and said NO IT ISN'T. and he whines loudly that the usher "put us over here", blaming her that he apparently couldn't see the giant "405" that was like 500 feet from his head).

I was so happy when he moved. but I also felt bad for who had to sit in front of him. I hope that when Jay actually did perform "99 Problems" that he had an inner ear problem for just the duration of the song.

*50 feet

looooooooooool

hmmm lex there were some dudes sharing a spliff up the back but they were stood out of the way and no-one, including staff seemingly said anything or had a problem. (they were kinda in the dark though, so maybe they didnt see them.) they werent acting like dicks about it though, which i think is more the issue.

show etiquette stickler for me: you at a packed show, dont dance like you are fucking flashdance. everyone should have a bit of room but dont start waving your arms and shit about like the room is empty. [was abt 15 yards away so it wasnt in my face but it was pissing off the lot next to me.]

old school Jay Z, encore, LOL

I mean to be fair kid had to be like 16 but I mean this is the age of the internet, you should know how ignorant that sounds when you say that out loud!

I keep imagining that when "Hard Knock Life" came on he was thinking to himself "hmm this must be a b-side or something!"

omg people smoking cigarettes, stay the fuck home

not the people smoking

you

nice poem

Yes its clearly the people that aren't engaged in disgusting habits that are detrimental to the health of those around them that should stay home, yes sir.

this is why I try not to go to shows, bcz people are there

Yes its clearly the people that aren't engaged in disgusting habits that are detrimental to the health of those around them that should stay home, yes sir.

― Gonjasufjanstephen O'Malley (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, February 6, 2012 9:23 PM (1 hour ago)

engaging in disgusting habits that are detrimental to the health of those around them = humanity

Yes, then that obviously excuses you for being a disrespectful asshole in a public place.

there are a lot of ways one can be a disrespectful asshole in a public place, as I'm sure others have told you, jon.

otm

lol @ smokers trying to justify their disgusting habit

had no idea people clandestinely smoke tobacco cigarettes in clubs, that is weird.

i don't smoke

xp Shakey: I've experienced it every time I've gone to a show at the Regency Ballroom in SF. The weed smoke/smell is much much stronger though.

routinely smoked weed at larger clubs/venues when I used to go to those sorts of places - that was before the ban on smoking indoors tho, I guess.

ont dance like you are fucking flashdance. everyone should have a bit of room but dont start waving your arms and shit about like the room is empty.

^^This is known as the Beatle Bob clause.

i don't get why lex was so angry with the ppl smoking a cigarette

b/c it was a non-smoking venue maybe

b/c he did not want to go home smelling of tobacco or breathe it in

all of the above

> b/c it was a non-smoking venue maybe

everywhere in england is, it's the law.

the relatively new law

i don't smoke and think it should be effectively illegal anywhere in public,, and would probably sympathize with lex in that story assuming it was indoors and non-smoking, but if it's like at a festival or large outdoor concert you pretty much have to dealwithit.jpg when it comes to ppl smoking near you

> b/c it was a non-smoking venue maybe

everywhere in england is, it's the law.

― koogs, Thursday, February 9, 2012 11:19 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

wow didn't know this, kudos england

> b/c it was a non-smoking venue maybe

everywhere in england is, it's the law.

yeah I know, I'm English too

the relatively new law

well, 5 years now! maybe my favourite piece of legislation of the past decade

i don't get why lex was so angry with the ppl smoking a cigarette

they didn't get it either. they were cunts

i was v happy that the two women next to me joined in with me

if it's against the rules, and someone complains, then they should either put it out or move elsewhere in the venue where they're not bothering anyone.

smoking indoors is the ultimate expression of how punk rock you are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=btx0aoH2uKI#t=272s

Where in America can you still go see a show at a smokey bar? (nb: I haven't seen a show in like 6 years).

Maryland and Washington, D.C. have had bar/restaurant smoking bands since '07-'08, which is awesome, i sometimes forget how shitty the air in clubs used to be or that people in other states still have to put up with it

Detroit still allows smoking in bars, clubs and restaurants.

i went to belgium a couple of years after the england smoking ban came in, and i remember walking into a bar and feeling as though i'd been hit by a physical wall of smoke

there were a few Low Life parties that were in the basement of this club that you could smoke in. Even as a smoker the novelty wore of in like 1 second.

Interviewed Craig Finn the other day and we talked a bit about gig etiquette. He said:

There’s a weird thing as well of people who want to be front and centre whether they enjoy it or not. There was a girl in New Orleans. Her boyfriend was having the time of his life and they were front row centre. She was crying, storming off to get a reaction then coming back and crying, then being dramatically dejected and flopping down on the stage. We got between a song and I said: “You’re really distracting me. I would like for you to leave.” And the whole crowd started cheering. Then she said: “It’s his fault!” I was like, “It doesn’t look like it to me. You look like the problem.”

He was the one who dragged her along! Wasn’t it his fault?

He was fine for her to go! They probably got married. That’s my experience with those things. Those people find each other and stick together.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/19/kate-bush-asks-fans-no-phones-tablets-london-gigs

no tablets should be a given

where's peter grant and his heavies when you need them

Wait, people bring tablets to shows?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Ecstasy_monogram.jpg

so this fucking drunk asshole muscled his way in between me and this other guy at the front of the stage for Obituary yesterday. being in a less than stellar mood, I refused to budge because I'm tired of being bullied out of my spot. but he kept drunkenly stumbling, yelling in people's ear, and rudely jabbing people. a few times he stumbled into me and I had to shove him to get him to mind his space.

the show starts, and he starts smashing into people (whereas the mosh pit wasn't within 5 miles of where he was - he was thwacking unwitting people). I shoved him hard in anger and he shoved me back and then he crashes into the guy next to me who is HUGE and immediately tells him to fuck off and that he's going to knock his head off.

I walked away because I knew if I stayed there it was going to ruin my show. He wound up crashing into about 4 other people during the night who all told him to fuck off and even Jon Tardy looked at the situation concerned, getting distracted while he was vocalizing.

Not only did the guy not get thrown out, but one of the other dudes there asked us to "leave him alone". Like he was the victim! for being "too passionate" about the music!

between that and the 'press' people who kept shoving past to shoot the show right in front of us (there is no special barricade or anything), it was an aggravating evening that still turned out to be a great show.

I feel like in these seedier, metal or punk venues, these folks who are disruptive and aggressive get seen as "really passionate" about the music so the security/organizers won't address it because they "like their energy". Whereas there was a guy at a show two weeks ago who was outright just PUNCHING people in the moshpit. When he went to crowd surf, nobody caught him and he faceplanted.

I mean I know it's aggressive music and all but unless we're in the designated "fuck shit up" area, unless it's just an accidental surge, we should be free to mind our business, no?

grr.

I feel like in these seedier, metal or punk venues, these folks who are disruptive and aggressive get seen as "really passionate" about the music so the security/organizers won't address it because they "like their energy".

As someone who has been a show organizer/semi-security person at a "seedy" venue -- I don't think it has to do with "liking their energy" -- it's more like they don't want to be like aggro security people at more corporate venues. Was there any security or venue person who could even see what the dude was doing? Unless someone complains or the person is doing something that is likely to bring about actual physical injury to themself or others, it tends to be hands off.

Not to be a dick, but it's kinda part of the experience, just like $7 budweisers in plastic cups are at corporate venues, the asshole jabby oblivious dude is part of the divey metal/punk show experience.

eh, i dunno? i mean, lots of things are "part of the experience" until they're not, y'know? norms change, it becomes understood that going around just assaulting people isn't cool or passionate or w/e. i guess we've already passed that point, since it sounds like HSB was in the majority in thinking this guy was an asshole. it just hasn't reached the point where you get kicked out for it even at seedy venues. like i think if the guy was setting off an air horn or trying to nail other people in the face with spray paint, he would be kicked out.

maybe i just feel obliged to stick up for riot grrl principles or something. there's a risk that accepting asshole dudes as "part of the experience" is on the continuum towards the show only being welcoming and feeling safe to certain people, or even being outright dangerous to others. i think the hope is that we're on the continuum away from that. like 10, 20, 30 years ago a different, i think much greater(?) quantity of asshole aggro masculine behavior was normal and part of the experience, and now it's not, or less so (?). not trying to say you're just excusing it obv!