show etiquette

I'm with calstars on this. If it's a seated venue sit the fuck down and don't obstruct the view of others sitting behind you. It's just basic good manners.

Yes. otherwise don’t be surprised to see yourself in the horrible savages thread

Playing devil's advocate here... so people who go see a concert for a group or artist that plays dance music that can't afford floor tickets are just fucked and must stay seated?

If it’s really dance music there wouldn’t be seats

Sure, in an ideal world. But I saw Janelle Monae at the Chicago Theatre once and it was non-stop dance songs. I think you might have lost a limb or an eye if you suggested that crowd should have stayed seated.

the urge to adopt a hardman black-and-white opinion on stuff like this is so tiresome

Chicago Theatre is where the Crowded House show was. It's also one of those places where if you dance in the aisles, the ushers will likely make you go back to your seat.

the people shining their phone lights to punish people dancing at a concert are weird and obnoxious, the people standing constantly are somewhat inconsiderate

I really felt like it was two groups of inconsiderate people trying to win approval from everyone around them that the other was awful but nobody else gave a fuck...other than me, because I am addicted to watching conflicts in public events.

*everyone else* - "wau Madonna is suspended 100 feet in the air"

me - "man the energy in Seat 10 is palpable, there might be a beer-cup toss coming"

smoking (cigarettes) seems to be a thing at shows recently. had to move at the Kim Gordon show last week because the smoke was too strong (and I don't feel I'm particularly sensitive, other folks were moving as well). and when performers light up on stage, you get people hooting approval (like, it's freedom, man). younger crowd doesn't remember how bad it used to suck going to shows in a cloud of smoke.

Rosalía's show at the Bill Graham last year was an absolutely beautiful experience - except for the insane fight that broke out right in front of us towards the right hand side. It was pretty intense, to the point one of my friends threw her water at the people fighting prompting others to do the same which finally seemed to calm them down. For sure affected how I felt the rest of the night, the anxiety and paranoia cut into the sheer ecstacy of the show (which was insanely great). Hadn't seem something like that before at a show up close.

I also hate mosh pits. Closest I ever felt to possibly dying in a club was at the NIN show at the Cow Palace in 1999 for the Fragile Tour. My feet left the ground as the crowd moshed in a super densely packed area and I noped the fuck away from that noise. I was young too. I'd rather sit in a seat and smoke a fatty or eat a stem and a cap any day

Oops, not "in a club" per se, but at a show.

I was at a Tom Waits show at the Chicago theater in the 90s & it was all seated all the time except one dude in the front row to the side of the stage who got up and danced to "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" & security kept making him sit down, just pure childlike joy getting kneecapped by authoritarian bummer through the whole song.

The only song I’d stand up to at a Tom waits concert would be “what’s he building in there”

hahaha I covered that song live once! love it.

I remember being at a sold out Joanna Newsom show on the Ys tour (also one of the best shows I have ever seen), this debate broke out and she mentioned that the argument had happened at almost every gig on the tour, she had no opinion, and "you all just need to work it out" iirc - eventually they actually moved a stage monitor because the very small group of standing people had had their view blocked by it.

there is some broken/malware link in this thread but I do not have the energy/time to look for it at the moment

I would like to state that the worst audiences for concert etiquette are classical audiences filled with old people.

I saw a show in Millennium Park here once (I want to say She & Him?) that was super packed. I talked to a security guy, and said something like, wow, this crowd is weirdly nuts, isn't it? And he shook his head and said it was nothing compared to the classical crowds, when the CSO was playing.

The only song I’d stand up to at a Tom waits concert would be “what’s he building in there”

Pretty sure he did this at the same Chicago Theatre show! I don't remember anyone standing up for this one specifically, though.

smoking (cigarettes) seems to be a thing at shows recently. had to move at the Kim Gordon show last week because the smoke was too strong (and I don't feel I'm particularly sensitive, other folks were moving as well). and when performers light up on stage, you get people hooting approval (like, it's freedom, man). younger crowd doesn't remember how bad it used to suck going to shows in a cloud of smoke.

Where was this that you could smoke at a show?? and Kim or a band member were lighting up on stage?? I haven't seen a performer smoke on stage in many years (like probably close to 20).

cat power was puffin away a few months ago in LA

I've got a couple of good slightly older than me friends who are decidedly unhip, which makes them fun, because they are generally up for anything. Case in point, three of them came along with me to see Marc Ribot last night, despite having no idea who he is. (Which kind of reminded me of one time I dragged friends and their college roommates out to see John Zorn at the Knitting Factory in 1993). Anyway, one of the three didn't like the show, which is fine, so wandered off to the adjoining bar/club to watch a shitty band playing for free. The four of us convened there after the Ribot show, and maybe it was because I was at least 1 1/2 drinks behind the rest of them, I was just not feeling it, for reasons better suited to some "bad music" thread. Still, my friends were digging it, which, again, was fine. But at one point one of them - I'll call him "Ron" because that is his name - yelled out "Freebird"! I turned to him and just said, "why are you doing that? don't do that." And he looked at me with absolute innocence and assured me "no, it's OK, it's something people do at concerts!" And I said, yeah, I know, but they really shouldn't be doing it, let alone in 2024. And a second or two later someone in the back also yells out "Freebird!" and my friend Ron turns to me and says, "see, it's something people do!" And I said really, I get it, but it's been pretty played out for years. And Ron just shrugged and says "I don't know, I think it would be really funny if they played 'Freebird.'"

Freebird shouts weren't funny in 1991 much less now

Bill Hicks was right.

"Freebird, Freebird, keep saying it, eventually it'll be funny"

I had an idea back at its ironic request peak, that every band should learn to play it and then play it, start to finish, whenever requested. And then, inevitably, someone would request it again, and the band would play it again. And within a week every audience everywhere would have stopped requesting it.

I did it once. At a Dead Can Dance show. I plead guilty to being 18. But they asked for requests, so really it was their own fault.

I could imagine them doing a pretty good version of it.

I could imagine Marc Ribot doing an interesting version

I read of a band (not Southern Rock) that played "Freebird" in full every time someone yelled for it. The irony would be if they became known and loved as the Freebird band to the exclusion of their regular material.

xps to majorairbro: Kim wasn't smoking, this was younger guys in the crowd. also people walking around with unlit cigs in mouth. and, no, smoking not permitted/legal.

have seen a few people smoking on stage recently, including David Thomas with Pere Ubu last year (Wayne Kramer on guitar, so got Kick out the Jams!).

Remembering the time I saw Built To Spill in the early 2000s and they played Freebird. That was the last time I listened to Built To Spill.

Ha, me too (on both counts). I feel like the same night I saw BtS do "Freebird," George Harrison had just died, and they did a great "What Is Life." The might have done another cover that night, too, like maybe Cheap Trick's "Dream Police."

lol nailed it, memory like a steel trap!!!

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/built-to-spill/2001/metro-chicago-il-3e8797b.html

Marc Robit is boring af imho

If you can’t smile at “Freebird” I feel bad for you

My old stoner rock group would do a few bars of sweet home Alabama if it was yelled to us a few times on stage.

I would think that if your band was known for playing "Freebird" in full every time it was requested, your shows would be nothing but endless versions of the song, and you'd wind up being the musical equivalent of that Tim Robinson mime performer whose promise to give money to the audience every time he breaks silence guarantees non-stop frat-boy chaos.

IT'S A FUCKING CUP

What are you doing?! What are you supposed to be doing?!!!

My old stoner rock group would do a few bars of sweet home Alabama if it was yelled to us a few times on stage.

I would think that if your band was known for playing "Freebird" in full every time it was requested, your shows would be nothing but endless versions of the song, and you'd wind up being the musical equivalent of that Tim Robinson mime performer whose promise to give money to the audience every time he breaks silence guarantees non-stop frat-boy chaos.

― henry s, Saturday, April 13, 2024 2:14 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

you would essentially be Big Mouth Billy Bass: the band

Opposite concept I thought would be funny: saw Tim Kinsella play solo in Chicago when I was there and he started to play his ear-worm "whose afraid of Elizabeth taylor", just the opening guitar line. The audience "wooo"'ed, myself included at which point he said "nah, I don't feel like playing that one any more, you can't get everything you want people".

It was kinda funny, but also, I just wanted the guy to play the hits, nor his boring ass new material!

N-e-ways, I thought it'd be a great bit for aging, pissed off rocked groups to try, ideally multiple times a night

lol feist did that with a broken social scene tune when i saw her.

Ray Davies would do that with "Lola" and maybe some other tunes. He would end up playing them eventually though.

ha I am betting Jonathan Richman has never, ever done this

Freebird is great, by the way. Ironically requesting it at shows is lame.

otm on both counts, also it is fun to play

Each band must gaze deep into the audience's soul to find out if their desire for "Freebird" is ironic or sincere/

Mark Eitzel and Vudi were once booted from a Bark Psychosis show for loudly requesting "Tequila", per an AMC feature in the early 90's, I wanna say Melody Maker or maybe Lime Lizard?

Actually, the best version of this trope would take place at a Lynyrd Skynyrd show. When they come out for their final encore, asking "y'all know what we're gonna play now, dontcha?", the whole audience stares back at them in silent bewilderment.

Each band must gaze deep into the audience's soul to find out if their desire for "Freebird" is ironic or sincere/

― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, April 13, 2024 5:08 PM

i like this. treat it like challenges to review the replay in sports: you only get a few, so use 'em wisely!

Am I imagining it or did Skynyrd preface Freebird in concert by asking “what song is it you wanna hear?”