Cell phones at concerts pose all kinds of discussion surrounding respect and etiquette. In terms of checking your phones during concerts, many agree that it is rude to both the performer and the neighbouring audience. Chilling on your phone, texting, and scrolling through social media is something that is frowned upon at any kind of show, whether it be film, theatre, music, or a lecture.
However, though there is a general consensus that being glued to your phone at a concert is generally annoying to everyone around you, filming a concert is held at a totally different regard. Anytime a friend of mine is at a concert, I’m bound to see a Snapchat or three of a few snippets of songs, as well as a selfie somewhere on Instagram.
I do this as well—guilty as charged. Due to the nature of my job, I’ve been to countless concerts over the past few years and I’ve probably digitally documented all of them in one form or another—sometimes on my personal social media accounts, sometimes on The Ontarion’s.
Honestly, it’s also fun to post photos of live shows on Twitter and get retweets and favourites, sometimes even follow-backs, from your favourite musicians and bands. Generally, if you’re at a concert and you look around the stadium, or festival, or small venue, and view the rest of the crowd, most people probably have their phones in the air, recording and documenting the live show. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more of this than when Vance Joy performed “Riptide” at the end of their set at WayHome.
However, is there a downfall to our need to constantly document everything that we see? Does focussing on what’s happening on your cell phone screen take away from the experience of a live concert? Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to see Fleetwood Mac at the Air Canada Centre. Being a huge fan of Stevie Nicks, this event was a gigantic deal for me. When the band played my favourite song, “Dreams,” I instantly pulled out my phone and began recording the gig for Snapchat. About eight seconds into my video, I realized that I was ruining one of the most iconic moments of my Stevie Nicks fanship by trying to share the moment with people who weren’t even there. I was pulled out of a moment that I was in via my need to share my experience with my followers—and that’s exactly what phones at concerts do: they pull you out of the moment.
I also find that recording a concert through a phone involves paying too much attention to the way the video looks through the phone’s tiny screen. Recently, at a Foo Fighters’ concert, I kicked myself for spending half of my favourite Foo song watching the band perform through the screen on my iPhone, so that I could show my friend the video later.
It might seem harmless to snap a few photos here and there, record a five second Story, and post a cute selfie on Instagram, but while you were taking the right photo and choosing the perfect filter, you lost time that could have been better spent paying attention to what’s happening on stage. And though you might have photos to look back on in the future, can you look at those photos and remember the sights, sounds, and feelings associated with that moment?
So, next time you’re at a concert for one of your favourite bands, I challenge you (as well as myself) to resist the urge to pull out your phone and document your favourite song for your social media followers. Instead, sink into your surroundings, absorb the sights and sounds around you, and record the moment with your mind instead of your phone.