US venue introduces phone locking system during live shows

[Fiset]

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.

Exactly. Several artists I respect have a "no photo or video" policy at their shows and this is one of the big reasons cited. I've lost count of the number of times some douche in front of me has held up his phone to video an entire song (or more) leaving those of us directly him a nice view of his phone. And when you've got two or three of them in a row in front of you its not so easy to just move.

 

[ptg]

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.

To my knowledge you are correct regarding booms, etc., but if you had a small recorder at your seat no one bothered you.

Maybe they should set up an area for phone users like there used to be smoking and non-smoking sections in theaters...

 

[Skokiaan]

Amen bro! Tolerance and acceptance of things you may not understand or approve of is the benchmark for liberty!

Farting in church is part of liberty. It's still bad form to do it.

 

[Pedulla?]

I could see this catching on in niche venues and scenes. You don't want to see people on their phones then don't go to venue X. Kind of like how the Alamo Draft House is with talking and cellphone usage. I know if I'm seeing a movie at the Alamo that looking at my phone can get me kicked out pretty easily, that' part of why I like going there. I'm sure everyone has a venue in their town that is known for being super strict about their recording policies. I don't really have a problem with it since I personally never use my phone at shows, but I also know that's not the case for everyone else. A few artists or venues working this way is fine with me, I doubt it'll catch on as a huge thing though, just because of some of the liability reasons people have stated about me.

 

[pigpen1]

Problem number is that this will cause a huge traffic jam entering leaving the video. You know that they will only have about 1 unlocking station for every 1000 fans, no exaggeration intended. So you'll have to wait longer to get in AND to leave. I'm willing to bet it will take an extra 45-60 minutes on each end of the concert experience.

Then, as much as I thought crowds were better before cell phones, I will miss the periscopes and youtube videos. Bands that suck will just overdub studio tracks on top of "official" concert videos.

Also, someone like me, who is on call most of the time, will always have to find someone to cover for me now (yeah right)

 

[pigpen1]

Well, I won't be doing Any of that. I do think it's a serious issue and it really sucks when you're on stage and you see a bunch of people messing around with their phones but at the same time I have family kids and things like that and many times I've had to leave early because there was something going on at home or otherwise. I get where they're coming from with this but it just ain't happening I'm paying all this ridiculous money for these tickets begin with and I'll be damned if I'm handing over my stuff to some clown and it's already been stated what morons event staff typically are to begin with

Since there's no money in live albums anymore, and no one is gonna pay .01 for a concert photo in 2018, the only reason for doing this is to improve the live concert experience, which is good I guess. Maybe just have a section for people who want to use phones.

Other than that some live acts that suck probably want to keep that fact hidden from periscope viewers and youtube watchers until after they buy the ticket.

Plus they will totally under-supply unlocking stations and the distribution of the bags. Are they gonna check every person on the way in? Make you stand in line with 100 people to unlock it on the way out. Takes way to long. F it. I won't go lol.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

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...

And YES, they were the only group that did that. Every other concert I went to in the 70's and 80's had signs up prohibiting recordings of any kind. But the Dead were a much different group in very many ways. They toured ALL the time and they were happy to see Bootleg recordings come out and spread their music to a wider audience. Thinking was that they created more demand for their concerts. Worked fine for the Dead (always sold out!) although most record labels wouldn't put up with that kind of thing because they are in the business of selling recordings, not letting people make their own.

 

[rogerbmiller]

I don’t like this for so many rrasons. But I will boil down to 4 words:

In case of emergency...

 

[Fingerbottom]

Farting in church is part of liberty. It's still bad form to do it.

True, but a church doesn't force you to plug your bunghole before you enter


I'm a younger Gen Xer who remembers and appreciates a time before smartphones, while also eagerly adopting the new tech that came along. Today's children are the future artists and fans of tomorrow. They will have no problem adapting to this brave new world. Imagine a phone app that fans download prior to a show which connects with the rest of the audience and the band, via a venue's wifi, allowing them to participate musically in certain songs. It'd be the modern version of a singer holding a mic out to the audience and encouraging them to sing or clap along. In the end, concerts are about shared experience. Tech can be used to strengthen that.

That said, I don't use my phone in shows or restaurants. But I don't agree with this "locked up in bag" solution. It's too invasive and not very creative.

 

[Alkali Ike]

"I'm entitled to use my phone any darn place I want at any time and nobody is gonna stop me."

Well there you have it.

Patrons at movie theaters have gotten much better at complying with no phone rules. I mean I can't remember the last time a movie was interrupted by someone using a phone. If people can go to the latest Star Wars movie and not use their phone, they can go without a phone for a Jack White performance.

 

[lz4005]

I don’t like this for so many rrasons. But I will boil down to 4 words:

In case of emergency...

Exactly.

When I go out with a certain group of friends (three couples who go to shows and dinner regularly together) we sometimes throw all our phones into a pile in the middle of the table. The first person who does anything more than look at who's calling/texting to make sure it isn't a sick kid or other family emergency pays everyone's bar tab. If one of us needs to send a text or make a call we go to the restroom or outside. At shows none of us have ever spent more than 5 minutes of dozens of sets taking pics or video. One or two to remember the night by and then back into your pocket. It isn't that difficult.

Locking phones in socks is silly. It teaches people that they don't need to take any personal responsibility or develop self control.

 

[40Hz]

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.

Not so. There’s a dozen scenarios I could sketch out where immediate communications could make a huge difference.

In my case:

I’m a caregiver for an elderly parent. Dealing with something that comes up with a sitter I’ve brought in on those rare occasions when I need to be out can make the difference between me quickly and efficiently resolving a minor issue over the phone -or- me deciding I need to get back home immediately -or- having the sitter unnecessarily dialing 911.

Most agencies that handle elder sitters require that they be able to reach you immediately by cellphone as a condition of them providing their service.

Considering the number of people in the same boat as me with regard to such responsibilities, I’m far from being alone.

My larger objection is it’s a form of prior restraint. I’m still enough of a believer in due process, and restraints only being imposed in the face of an actual offense rather than a presumption of misbehavior, for me to call BS on this practice.

Time was when only the police had a right to frisk and restrain - and only within the limits of the law. Why would I want to cede my rights to some hopped up thug who’s itching to “deal with” trouble when I don’t willingly like it when it’s coming from people legally authorized to do so?

People don’t realize how much they’re giving up in terms of their personal rights for the trivial benefits they’re getting back in return for relinquishing them to private parties.

PS - Jack White really needs to get over himself a little. He’s not that great to be worth putting up with beyond a certain point. And as time goes on he seems (to me at least) to be getting more and more mouthy and unstable. Jack my man! Lighten up already.

 

[Sixgunn]

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).

Not really very good arguments. Technology has been WAY more of a benefit than a detriment to human life. People functioned without electricity and indoor plumbing too lol. Countless lives have been saved by cell phones and to say that the best we can hope for is to arrive to bad news is just plain wrong. Just like everything, cell phones have their downside but the benefits are greater.

 

[Sixgunn]

Farting in church is part of liberty. It's still bad form to do it.

Not if you attend The Church of the Sacred Fart

 

[40Hz]

FWIW I get more annoyed by people standing throughout an entire show while bellowing stupidities and doing dog whistles all the way through every single freekin’ song than I am by anything else.

Anything being done to address the morons who can’t just kick back and enjoy the show without getting excessively “interactive” about it? How about they start bagging some of these jerks while they’re at it? (Unless maybe Mr. White doesn’t mind those kinds of show distractions.)

 

[Sixgunn]

I don’t like this for so many rrasons. But I will boil down to 4 words:

In case of emergency...

Yep. What? Doctors on call can't attend certain events? ......hmmmm.... I'm gonna bring back beepers and make a fortune!!!

 

[Skokiaan]

And YES, they were the only group that did that. Every other concert I went to in the 70's and 80's had signs up prohibiting recordings of any kind. But the Dead were a much different group in very many ways. They toured ALL the time and they were happy to see Bootleg recordings come out and spread their music to a wider audience. Thinking was that they created more demand for their concerts. Worked fine for the Dead (always sold out!) although most record labels wouldn't put up with that kind of thing because they are in the business of selling recordings, not letting people make their own.

The Allman Brothers had a recording section, too. they encouraged tapes to be traded, but not sold.

 

[lz4005]

PS - Jack Black really needs to get over himself a little. He’s not that great to be worth putting up with beyond a certain point. And as time goes on he seems (to me at least) to be getting more and more mouthy and unstable. Jack my man! Lighten up already.

Jack Black is an actor who's also in the band Tenacious D. As far as I know he doesn't want your phone in a sock.

Jack White is a musician who was in White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather, etc. He's the one who wants your phone in a sock.

 

[40Hz]

Jack Black is an actor who's also in the band Tenacious D. As far as I know he doesn't want your phone in a sock.
View attachment 2890857


Jack White is a musician who was in White Stripes, Raconteurs, Dead Weather, etc. He's the one who wants your phone in a sock.
View attachment 2890858

Mea culpa! I even know that. Fixing it now.

Sheesh! Where’s my head at? Talk about a proverbial black and white difference.

Thx!

 

[Skokiaan]

Not if you attend The Church of the Sacred Fart

Point taken.