then there are bands who embrace it, "lemmie see your phones out there! Everyone!"
Then you have the other side, those who have been vehemently opposed to it even before cell phones, i e analog cameras, tape recorders, video camcorders and whatnot. I e messrs Robert Fripp and Keith Jarrett. Mr Jarrett is a piece of work too, because he thinks coughing, or doing noises from the audience is more distracting than anyone texting on their cell phones. Yet he can get so involved on stage, that he makes these noises himself.... talk about "mote and the beam". Beats me. If one doesn't feel comfortable doing gigs, why do them? Sort of self punishment, to get you riled up? But that's slightly OT, and this kind of audience have ALWAYS existed, that isn't there for the concert, but to documentate the concert. There always will be. And today, it's just so much easier. Me myself have a hard time doing both.
I don't think the "Mastodon" thing is the way to go, anyone in the audience who has paid for a ticket has the right to react as they themselves seem fit. That was another thing though, because not everyone (or really anyone) was texting their phones, it just happened to be lame, and chilly afternoon, where everyone was a little subdued by the weather. No cell phone, camera thing going on. If you're really pissed off at is as an artist, I've seen SEVERAL bands in concert who has been working it up, if there was a tough, pathetic crowd, that got their way of having to walk that extra mile on stage, to get a "sleepy" audience up on their legs, just by means of music, and positive vibe on stage. I e the at the reaction from the audience at the end of the concert is totally different that it was at the beginning. You know, the Ian Anderson, Nick Mason thing, that you should as a professional artist try to WOW them if they seem unresponsive at the start. With just music, and onstage enthusiasm. To be able to reach them at the last row... too. You know, job victory as it is called. We should not speak of support acts that has been playing circles around the headliners from time to time. The Kiss mentality can sure come in handy ever so often. But I've seen bands doing this, without onstage antics, and stage props, smoke bombs, lightning flashes and so on. So it's only how passionate, and enthusiastic you are as a performer to try to WOW them off their cell phones. Audience participation is what it's all about.
The thing is about that, it's a catch 22 of some sort. The more onstage props, stage antics, and light effects, as well as demeanor, they have to try to WOW the audience, the more they have reason to pick up their cell phones to make flicks of it. The more boring and dull stage set, the less reason to even take a snapshot of it. So down with their heads they'll go and texting...
a lose lose situation.
