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US venue introduces phone locking system during live shows

#21
But I think the real issue here at least to me is the fact that you've got more people trying to control you and tell you what to do. We pay is all this money for these tickets and come to support these bands who the hell do they think they are telling us that we can't have our phones? It's bad enough that you can't bring this you can't bring that into an event.
How many times have you gone to a show where they banned phone video devices are they band wallet chains or whatever you make it take it back to your car and as soon as you walk to the gate there's vendors selling the exact same stuff on the other side of the gate? I think the artist should be more appreciative the fans that are there to begin with regardless of what they do with the show the bottom line is they bought the ticket they're supporting the band and the band getting paid so shut the hell up and quit whining
 
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#23
Yeah well that's true and my choice will definitely be to not go to this kind of s***. I'm not paying big money to be here on talk face that's a whole different situation hopefully bands don't screw themselves in the long run with attendance because that would be the real lost here
 
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#24
ptg said:
I find this interesting from a historical perspective.

I'm old enough to remember when The Dead used to encourage people to tape the shows and would even set up cordoned off areas for people with recording devices. (What better way to advertise your product?)

My, how times have changed...
Click to expand...

Exactly - looking at this from the other "side", pictures/video taken and posted on social media by fans provide free advertising for the artists.
 
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#25
Some of my favorite pics ever are ones of my wife and I at concerts. Some are selfies. Some were taken by people behind us so the band could be in the background.

We also have young children. So if we're at a concert, somebody else has them. I need to answer my phone if the sitter or my parents call to ask a question about my child.

We both have small businesses. Emergencies happen.

We attend concerts all the time. I would wager we spend several grand on concert tickets (and that doesn't count hotel rooms and food) annually. Birthday, Valentines, Christmas and anniversary presents to each other almost always include concert tickets.

I will not attend a show if my phone has to be locked up.

I have never EVER at DOZENS (maybe even hundreds) of shows had one person say a single word to or near me about phone use. If there are millions of you, you are a passive-aggressive bunch.

I have attended huge concerts and the singer will literally ASK the audience to turn on their phone lights during a ballad (kind of like lighters were used a couple decades or more ago). It looks incredible and makes for a great moment. You can tell even the band digs it. This has happened at four major concerts I can remember and there may be more.

I have played hundreds of shows since phones landed in our pockets. Show attendees are my customers. My interactions with their phones is mostly positive. I "pose" for pics on stage. I take pics with attendees during breaks and after shows. I am constantly being videoed. I have even grabbed people by the hand, ushered them on stage, and turned them toward the crowd and said over the mic "The view is even better up here! Video that!" ....and the crowd goes nuts.

Yes, there's a balance. I teach my children that they will not sit and stare at screens all day.

But the population at large are not my children. I don't make rules for them.


Phones at concerts, loud motorcycle pipes, tattooed necks, thongs at the beach, protests, protestors protesting the other protest, church services, nudity on TV, legal intoxicants, and cat videos are all part of liberty. We will all love parts of that and despise others. But I'm just not going to approve of your liberties being taken away, even if the thing you were doing is not something I'm thrilled about.

This rant was proudly typed on my phone. :wacky:
 
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#26
Sur3.jpg
 
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#27
Again, it's all a matter of choice. I am sure the artists and the venues are more aware than we are regarding the pros and cons of doing this, and made an informed decision. Regarding the "emergency" argument, people for decades have been attending rock concerts with nothing more than cell phones. I am sure you are responsible compared to many, but if people were not abusing them, this policy would not be put in place.

You don't want to attend concerts because of this, that is your choice.
 
#30
two fingers said:
Phones at concerts, loud motorcycle pipes, tattooed necks, thongs at the beach, protests, protestors protesting the other protest, church services, nudity on TV, legal intoxicants, and cat videos are all part of liberty. We will all love parts of that and despise others. But I'm just not going to approve of your liberties being taken away, even if the thing you were doing is not something I'm thrilled about.
Click to expand...
Amen bro! :thumbsup: Tolerance and acceptance of things you may not understand or approve of is the benchmark for liberty!
 
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#31
There should also be no cheering, no clapping, no standing, and no dancing, because all these things can interfere with the show. Maybe every attendee needs to be placed into a restrictive bag?

Without cell phones, will people go back to using lighters as an homage to the performance?
 
#32
I am 100% against using cell-phones to film, text, talk, game, etc during performances. To me there is nothing more disrespectful to an artist or other patrons as seeing the silly texting that goes on during shows. Artists of ALL genres depend on some form of interaction with the audience, and if that interaction is diminished in some way because of cellular phones, the performance invariably suffers subconsciously or not. (And as performances suffer, so do ticket sales, and so on...)

That said, I believe it is wrong for a venue to “lock” individuals’ cell phones in bags or lockers or whatever. Asking to turn phones off is one thing. Having a strict policy where if a patron is caught using his or her phone in the concert hall and thus may be removed is harsh, but fine. But locking peoples phones away is just wrong.
 
#37
ptg said:
I find this interesting from a historical perspective.

I'm old enough to remember when The Dead used to encourage people to tape the shows and would even set up cordoned off areas for people with recording devices. (What better way to advertise your product?)

My, how times have changed...
Click to expand...
I think you *had* to be in the taper section to set up a recording rig, right? They didn’t allow booms and periscope mics outside of the taper section.

With phones now it is annoying when someone in front of you blocks your view with their phone, taking what will definitely be some sub-par video with their phone in page view. Just a mountain of annoying cluelessness.
 
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#39
StraffordMike said:
Emergencies! Duh. I don't carry a phone cause I feel the need to talk on it 24/7. But if my 12 year old or my ailing mother needs to reach me? Yeah! Screw them.
Click to expand...

I don't buy the "I need my phone for emergencies" argument for several reasons:

1. 20 years ago we all functioned just fine without cell phones. The babysitter knew what to do in an emergency.

2. The babysitter still knows what to do. If your house catches fire, the babysitter should not be calling you instead of 911. If they do, you need a better, smarter babysitter.

3. What emergency can you possibly respond to from a concert? It can take half an hour to get out of a venue and retrieve you car from a parking garage. Then the drive home, which could be an hour or more, depending on where you live. By the time you get home it will be way too late to save the day. The best you can do is react to bad news.

4. Like in pre-cell days, it's still possible to call the venue and have the staff retrieve you from the show. Just tell the babysitter where you're sitting before you leave home.

5. There are already places where you absolutely cannot use your phone. Broadway shows, for example, and all TV show tapings (talk shows, sitcoms, etc.). At some of these tapings they take your phone from you on the way in and give it back on the way out (practical because the audiences are small).
 
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