The Concert Etiquette Thread

[joshisgod]

It's funny you make the comment about picking people up when they fall. I have never been anyplace where people are so polite for bumping into you. The small gesture of putting your hand on someones shoulder and making eye contact to say sorry goes a long way with me.

Every show ive gone too. RULE 1. if someone falls in the pit, PICK THEM UP. unless they are a chump. then kick them when they are down and step on their fingers.

[Wrainy]

While walking through the crowd..don't walk one way while looking another. You will hit someone.
Pay attention to people around you.

[fluxequalsrad]

Awww, fluxy. Is this your first concert?

I've never done Coachella before, so I'm not sure how I can be a snob, but there is a level of courtesy one expects at a show, and at a festival that is obviously multiplied 10fold.

really.. the only concert rule is -> shut the fuck up.

If everyone followed this, everything else would follow suit.

[algunz]

When walking across the field try to avoid making a sudden stop and then immediately making a 180 and walking ahead at full speed, there's "occasionally" someone behind you.

[BeeII]

Fuck this thread, who made all of you the concert police?

rules? at a rock concert? last time i checked, yo-yo ma isn't on the bill.

[fluxequalsrad]

Fuck this thread, who made all of you the concert police?

rules? at a rock concert? last time i checked, yo-yo ma isn't on the bill.

I respect this opinion because of the homer simpson avatar.

[denies the day]

Do not be the guy wearing the bands shirt. It doesn't make you a bigger fan, it doesn't make you cool, it doesn't mean you are in on some secret we aren't. It usually just means you're a johnny come lately douchebag who heard their single on the radio and ordered the shirt online. Or worse, bought it at Hot Topic. It is cool to wear a shirt from a side project or previous band though, i.e Uncle Tupelo at Wilco, Ugly Cassanova at Modest Mouse.

This is the stupidest thing I've heard all week. Rules on what to wear, gimme a fuckin' break. Did you JUST graduate high school?

Oh, and if you're fat, don't dance. You're only embarassing yourself.

Scratch that. THIS is the stupidest thing I've heard all week. Thanks for the tips, n00b. Too bad you missed Bright Eyes when he played. I heard he killed it.

[OzzyRunner]

It's not about making rules. It's about not being the asshole at the show. I have had far too many concerts ruined by other concert goers.

Girls don't wear heels if you're going to complain about your feet hurting. And if you are wearing heels careful where you step with those things...

If you have carefully staked out a place near the front, you can expect that there are hundreds of other fans who want that spot. Stand your ground as they try to muscle their ways forward, but don’t raise hell if someone stands in front of you. These things happen.

Participation: Once the music has started, you should do a few things. Do sing along to songs you know. You are allowed.
I know that hipsters encourage apathy at shows, but as long as you aren’t louder than the music, have at it.

Dance—space permitting.

Make friends with your neighbors; they are here for the same reason.

If you don’t know a song, this does not mean that you are allowed to talk through it. Get hip to the lyrics or keep your mouth shut, but don’t ruin things for those who care.

cell phones. They aren’t lighters, and they will never look cool when hoisted over your head during a slow jam.

And don’t call your friends who are unfortunate enough to miss the show and hold up your phone. They can’t hear the music. I promise.

[Foucault]

Amazingly sensible, and simple. Om.

It's not about making rules. It's about not being the asshole at the show. I have had far too many concerts ruined by other concert goers.

Girls don't wear heels if you're going to complain about your feet hurting. And if you are wearing heels careful where you step with those things...

If you have carefully staked out a place near the front, you can expect that there are hundreds of other fans who want that spot. Stand your ground as they try to muscle their ways forward, but don’t raise hell if someone stands in front of you. These things happen.

Participation: Once the music has started, you should do a few things. Do sing along to songs you know. You are allowed.
I know that hipsters encourage apathy at shows, but as long as you aren’t louder than the music, have at it.

Dance—space permitting.

Make friends with your neighbors; they are here for the same reason.

If you don’t know a song, this does not mean that you are allowed to talk through it. Get hip to the lyrics or keep your mouth shut, but don’t ruin things for those who care.

cell phones. They aren’t lighters, and they will never look cool when hoisted over your head during a slow jam.

And don’t call your friends who are unfortunate enough to miss the show and hold up your phone. They can’t hear the music. I promise.

[Monroe]

Participation: Once the music has started, you should do a few things. Do sing along to songs you know. You are allowed.
I know that hipsters encourage apathy at shows, but as long as you aren’t louder than the music, have at it.

No. NO singing.* That's no more acceptable than bringing your own guitar or drum or whatever and playing along. It's a concert, not a jam around a campfire. Would you like it if I participated by standing next to you and playing my violin along with your favorite band? Of course not - I'm as crappy at playing the violin as all you audience-singers are at singing. That's why we aren't on stage.

The rest I agree with.

* Songs or portions of songs intended by the band to be sung along with are obviously exceptions to this.

[ivankay]

No. NO singing.* That's no more acceptable than bringing your own guitar or drum or whatever and playing along. It's a concert, not a jam around a campfire. Would you like it if I participated by standing next to you and playing my violin along with your favorite band? Of course not - I'm as crappy at playing the violin as all you audience-singers are at singing. That's why we aren't on stage.

The rest I agree with.

* Songs or portions of songs intended by the band to be sung along with are obviously exceptions to this.

ahhhh, sing a longs a some of the things that can make a concert epic. When all are in tune and tap into the universal and lift their voices when (fill in artists here) cups their ear and holds out the mic, individuality moves aside for the communal religious experience. True there are those who do it horribly and loud just to prove they are a BIGGER FAN than everybody, but to be against it outright will blow the opportunity for all to feel one of the most awesome things you can at a show.

*i am an idiot and responded before i caught your exception that i thought might be some quote...but i'll leave this up anyway*

[MusicIsMyBoyfriend]

I'm a singer all the way. Not a singer as in I know how to sing or am particularly talented, but I can't be a t a gig and not sing along. But out of respect to my fellow concert goers I try to attune my voice to the music. If it's a loud show I sing the fuck out of that shit, but if it's something more reserved I maybe just mouth the words, but I physically can't not sing.

That is all.

[gaypalmsprings]

If you pick yer booger, don't flick it across the crowd.

[woogie846]

Be excellent to each other!

[ediger]

Be excellent to each other!

that is some great advice.

[DeltaSigChi4]

Totally disagree. Snow patrol asked everyone in the crowd to take out their phones at a concert I was at and wave them around, and it looked incredible. There were so many lights moving around. Not everyone has a lighter on them but 95% of people have a phone on hand, plus you don't singe your fingers

U2 > Snow Patrol

E

[sp12ite]

I think it's funny to see kids wear a shirt of the band we are all there to see. (why are they always kids? Somehow, we seasoned concert-goers know that if you are wearing the band's logo, you are under 22 or just completely concert-clueless).

Wear whatever you want, but just know that you will totally be pinned as the douche or newbie or kid-who-just-jumped-on-the-bandwagon if you wear a shirt from the band you are seeing.

As said somewhere before, side projects/feeder bands ARE cool, since you've obviously followed them in detail or for a while.

QUESTION-to those who agree with the above....is it passable to wear, say, a Sonic Youth shirt on either saturday or sunday, or perhaps a ROOTS shirt on friday or saturday? (A shirt of a band who is playing the festival, just not that day...?)

[MonsoonSeason]

I think it's pretty cool not to call each other frat boys simply because they're excited to see one band

I mean they're still coming to the concert and they're probably going to watch other bands and be excited to hear music so you should really just cool out and let them be

[fluxequalsrad]

I think it's funny to see kids wear a shirt of the band we are all there to see. (why are they always kids? Somehow, we seasoned concert-goers know that if you are wearing the band's logo, you are under 22 or just completely concert-clueless).

Wear whatever you want, but just know that you will totally be pinned as the douche or newbie or kid-who-just-jumped-on-the-bandwagon if you wear a shirt from the band you are seeing.

As said somewhere before, side projects/feeder bands ARE cool, since you've obviously followed them in detail or for a while.

QUESTION-to those who agree with the above....is it passable to wear, say, a Sonic Youth shirt on either saturday or sunday, or perhaps a ROOTS shirt on friday or saturday? (A shirt of a band who is playing the festival, just not that day...?)

people who razz on people for concert shirts are stupid. Everybody gets that your can be a snob who pin points the fact that some d00d in the crowd is wearing the t-shirt of whatever band your seeing.

Reality being, if you go to concert, and buy a t-shirt, you can either carry it around (annoying)...or wear it. Most people wear it. Which is why you see a sea of merch in the crowd of the band that is performing :-O!!!

as far as side project t-shirts go, thats a pathetic fucking grab at cred and is such a lame ass hipster thing to do. I actually hate these people more.

The only concert shirts you should be offended by are shopping mall nirvana (or any chain store stocking band merch) t-shirts and the dreaded 'band hoody' (usually reserved for emo-sceners with shitty overdone graphics -ie- smeared paint, capitlized bold words that are slanted and off to the side, DEAD! <- capatilized anywhere on the shirt, ripped cassettes, +guns.)

[MonsoonSeason]

why is this a big deal just wear clothes on your body it's easier than being pretentious

seriously nobody cares that much

[JoeW88]

I'll be wearing my RATM no faces t-shirt on Sunday and won't give a sh!t what other people want to label me as... I know myself that if I had just jumped on the Rage bandwagon I wouldn't be paying £700 to fly to the other side of the world to watch their first reunion gig.

And with reference to the side-project thing, I'd quite clearly look more of a gimp wearing my Audioslave t-shirt during Rage's set.

[alphaape]

alright, so i see lots of hating on people wearing the band's shirt that they're about to see.

is it any different if theyre wearing a coachella merch shirt for said band at the show? i think so, but maybe that's against "etiquette"

etiquette is pretty simple:
-shut up and enjoy the show
-don't bother other people who are trying to enjoy the show

[lastpolarbear]

Usually at shows if I feel the need to sing, I just mouth the words. With oompf. It's better, because then you can pretend your voice rocks as hard as whoever you are watching, and no one can tell if you fuck up the words.

[Monroe]

Usually at shows if I feel the need to sing, I just mouth the words.

Thank you!

[brandon_derder]

I have only one rule at concerts...don't get tired. Stay awake, alert, and full of life at all costs. There is nothing worse than being help back by a couple friends who simply can't keep up.

[PineapplePete]

DONT CLAP DURING ARCADE FIRE'S SET
I MEAN IT
ive seen videos where people do it and it is just horrendous

why?

[marooko]

heres one for all you jaded ass bags. rant rant rant here on the board, but when you get to the show "GET THE FUCK OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE." or i might strangle you with my RAGE shirt.

[SubBass49]

heres one for all you jaded ass bags. rant rant rant here on the board, but when you get to the show "GET THE FUCK OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE." or i might strangle you with my RAGE shirt.

A little late to the party, aren't we Marooko?

[algunz]

Sound advice is always timely, SubBass.

The best thing learned from marooko . . .

is to stay away from guys in RAGE t-shirts.

[MarkO]

How did I miss this thread ? If only I had known, I would have specifically sought out DeltaSigScalper and trod on his toes. Then invited him to punch me.