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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: HoyaSaxa03 on August 26, 2013, 09:46:17 pm
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http://wtop.com/?nid=256&sid=3427950
Time to ban smartphones at concerts?
Monday - 8/26/2013, 9:30am ET
ianagain.JPG Ian MacKaye, in the office of Dischord Records, says, 'Society is stoned on technology.'
(WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
WASHINGTON - Ian MacKaye saw the telltale tiny blue dot.
The D.C. hardcore punk pioneer was speaking to an auditorium full of college students in New England. In one of the last rows, one audience member appeared to be either sleeping or listening reverently.
But that blue dot in his glasses gave him away.
"I said to him, 'You in the back, you're texting,'" MacKaye says.
In a good-natured tone of voice, MacKaye explained to the surprised young man how his texting had been discovered.
"'Just so you know, that blue dot in your glasses, I can see it,'" recalls MacKaye.
MacKaye is not the first or only musician to notice audience members focused on their phones.
Last month, in the middle of a song at the historic Newport Folk Festival, the singer for The Lumineers addressed the crowd:
"What do you say we put away those cellphones and cameras and just be here, right now?"
The audience cheered the suggestion.
Also in July, Beyonce encouraged a distracted fan during a singalong, "You've got to seize this moment, put that damn camera down."
When the now-focused fan sang along, Beyonce rewarded him with, "Yes, that's much better."
In the 1980s, as the frontman of Minor Threat and guitarist in Fugazi, MacKaye often had rambunctious fans leaping on stage to sing along and mosh, before diving back into the crowd.
Today, MacKaye sees preoccupation with smartphones as a distraction.
"Our society at the moment is stoned on technology," says MacKaye, sitting at the dining room table in a North Arlington, Va., house that used to be known as "Dischord House" - where members of Minor Threat practiced and the Dischord label was launched.
Citing psychological research that texting and tweeting prompts a pleasing jolt of dopamine, MacKaye likens consistent smartphone use to marijuana use in the 1970s.
"Quite literally, people are a little high on technology," MacKaye says.
While not suggesting mandatory compliance, MacKaye believes smartphone-wielding fans are cheating themselves because the energy at shows comes from the audience, rather than the band.
"I want the audience to have a sense of their responsibility in terms of making a show," he says. "Not the responsibility to us, but their responsibility to themselves."
Seth Hurwitz, co-owner of the 9:30 Club and I.M.P. Productions -- which produces major concerts at venues that include Merriweather Post Pavilion -- says customers constantly fidgeting with smartphones isn't limited to music.
"This is happening everywhere, isn't it? It's happening at the movies. It's happening in restaurants. It's the same problem with yet another setting," Hurwitz says.
Making people aware their smartphone use can be distracting to others is a first step, says Hurwitz.
In general, Hurwitz believes enforcing smartphone rules would "probably make more of a commotion than the activity itself, so I think the best you can do is put up some notices reminding people, sort of like those things that run before movies now."
"There have been bands that have actually requested us to put up signs. We'll put up signs, but I don't think we want to be sending (9:30 Club security guy) Big Josh into the audience, bothering people that are texting," says Hurwitz.
At Wolf Trap, audience members during last week's concert featuring Cheap Trick and Pat Benatar were reminded by ushers to avoid photography, including with smartphones.
"Our photo policy is based on artist discretion, and we honor the artist and their management's approach to photography and the use of smartphones during performances," says Camille Cintron, manager of public relations for Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Hurwitz's entertainment entities embrace social media and are fully engaged on Facebook and Twitter.
While excited fans often share photos, Vines and Instagrams during shows at the 9:30 Club, Hurwitz hopes they'll use common sense and courtesy.
"Word of mouth is great for anything, whether it's a restaurant, a movie or a concert, but you don't want people standing up in the middle of the restaurant yelling, 'Hey, this is a great restaurant!' to their friends," Hurwitz says.
"You can tell your friends about a great show or a great artist, without bothering other people."
Follow @WTOP and @WTOPtech on Twitter.
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stoned is a good way of thinking about it..
i was waiting for the train the other day... everyone on the platform other than me was staring at their smart phone like zombies..
there's a new ad on tv for some smart phone about the pix a phone takes.. the woman is at a concert and takes a picture and is busy zeroing in on the drummer and then sharing it with her friends.. she is missing the entire song.. and the ad is banking on the "this is cool" message..
i think its just sad..
stop the world i'm getting off!
;D
I do agree Ian M. is a killjoy though... he's been just terrible for this town..him and the dischord mafia.. I wish they'd retire to Florida already..
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Seth's been callled alot of thingsl I wonder if he's ever been calleda killjoy before?
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this should probably be filed under "real life imitates the onion"
i'd love to see ian prowling through an audience smacking phones out of their hands like cigarettes
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Some of you must have been at that December Evens show. The five-minute lecture he gave before it was one of the most unnecessary/absurd things I've witnessed an artist do at a show. He was talking down to us as though we were children. It was insulting. You don't want anyone using phones? Fine. Put up a fucking sign. 99% of us will do what it says. If you want to address it, do it in a subtle, brief, humorous manner. Anything more makes you look like a dick that is trying to tell grown adults how to behave at concerts.
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Some of you must have been at that December Evens show. The five-minute lecture he gave before it was one of the most unnecessary/absurd things I've witnessed an artist do at a show. He was talking down to us as though we were children. It was insulting. You don't want anyone using phones? Fine. Put up a fucking sign. 99% of us will do what it says. If you want to address it, do it in a subtle, brief, humorous manner. Anything more makes you look like a dick that is trying to tell grown adults how to behave at concerts.
he's been doing it for 30 years, why should it be any different now?
I'd love to see a Stephin Merritt / Ian MacKaye double bill.
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if they hate phones at concerts so much . . . fucking quit music and go get a job bagging groceries you bunch of spoiled pussies. fuck off. make tickets ten dollars. sign autographs before and after shows. play what the crowd wants. and again, fuck off. remember who pays your fucking check, and makes it so that you can be up on that fucking stage. us. we do.
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whoa whoa whoa! being a rockstar is hard! So hard there's even songs about how hard it is (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RockstarSong).
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if they hate phones at concerts so much . . . fucking quit music and go get a job bagging groceries you bunch of spoiled pussies. fuck off. make tickets ten dollars. sign autographs before and after shows. play what the crowd wants. and again, fuck off. remember who pays your fucking check, and makes it so that you can be up on that fucking stage. us. we do.
this is so true... if going to concerts wasn't beginning to resemble going on a vacation- good lord the time and expense one has to put into it- people wouldn't feel like they need to take frickin' pictures/videos to remember it by and share the experience...
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that . . . is very true.
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Ian might not have wanted phones out during the 2640 the Evens show earlier this year, (he did a slight rant) but he was cool enough to sell records, sign autographs and take pictures with people. I would definitely go see them (or any band/project he might be in) again and do not mind if there is a camera/phone ban (and I LOVE taking show photos, at least 1 to 5 per set... I have thousands on my computer(and i TRY to be unobtrusive when I take mine)). Its his prerogative.
And guys, you can go to less expensive shows!
I RARELY pay more than $10 for a night of live music, and i go out at least once a week, every week. I save the $25 shows for special occasions, and the more than $50 for REALLY special occasions.
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if they hate phones at concerts so much . . . fucking quit music and go get a job bagging groceries you bunch of spoiled pussies. fuck off. make tickets ten dollars. sign autographs before and after shows. play what the crowd wants. and again, fuck off. remember who pays your fucking check, and makes it so that you can be up on that fucking stage. us. we do.
Truth be told, Ian has kept ticket prices at $5-$15 for the very reason of knowing who pays to go to a show.
http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/ian-mackaye-minor-threat-fug.html (http://boingboing.net/2012/11/26/ian-mackaye-minor-threat-fug.html)
And he stated the reason he doesn't like phones is for audience engagement for more group enjoyment. To me, it's similar to 'Throw you arms in the air and wave 'em like you just don't care'. Do you get mad at artists that tell the audience to jump, dance, sing, etc. because you paid money and they should do all the work?
If you look at it from another viewpoint, don't pay to go to his shows if you want to text. Some artists aren't in it to get rich. I don't think Ian fits in the 'spoiled pussies' file. He jams econo and would gladly sign an autograph.
Dischord mafia is laughable! What exactly has Dischord done to this town?
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my point was not so much my specifics . . . but more so, youre in a band, so shut up.
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Not wanting phones to interfere with the experience is fine but once you rant about them for five minutes, they have interfered.
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Good thing his phone rant at 2640 was only 30 seconds (maybe one minute)!
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my point was not so much my specifics . . . but more so, youre in a band, so shut up.
not sure what you're getting at here, walkies... he should be grateful to be in a band, so stop complaining?
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yes. i am not afraid to say that i am jealous of people in bands and of their talents to be in such bands and of the lives they live because of such bands and talents. maybe it is only small time or maybe they make it, but either way, the life they live is that much cooler than mine, so yes, i also am not afriad to say, shut up when it comes to something i can do to somehow be apart of your beautiful people life.
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my point was not so much my specifics . . . but more so, youre in a band, so shut up.
not sure what you're getting at here, walkies... he should be grateful to be in a band, so stop complaining?
I believe what he is trying to say is summed up by Mr. Knopfler below.
Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
Maybe get a blister on your little finger
Maybe get a blister on your thumb
We gotta install microwave ovens
Custom kitchen deliveries
We gotta move these refrigerators
We gotta move these color TV's
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oooh . . . a new person.
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oooh . . . a new person.
I think you're atomicfront.
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yes. i am not afraid to say that i am jealous of people in bands and of their talents to be in such bands and of the lives they live because of such bands and talents. maybe it is only small time or maybe they make it, but either way, the life they live is that much cooler than mine, so yes, i also am not afriad to say, shut up when it comes to something i can do to somehow be apart of your beautiful people life.
i'd tell you how much hard work goes into getting to that level of musicianship, and how unglorious being in a band is most of the time... but it would be a waste, wouldn't it?
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He just sounds old and crotchety.
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He just sounds old and crotchety.
MacKaye, or walkies? ;D
<hides>
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wonders that myself. doesnt hide. and what does how hard it takes to get to point have anything to do how awesome it is that not everybody in life can get to that point?
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oooh . . . a new person.
I think you're atomicfront.
me or the new person. now ill hide.
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Trent Dalton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXvtlRdkAGQ
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Trent Dalton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXvtlRdkAGQ
That is kind of amazing, but that isn't me.
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I'm totally fine with people taking pictures/videos at concerts as long as it doesn't get in my way. YES, I'll take 1-5 pictures throughout a concert, but I like the experience more. I always feel like a dingus when I take a picture, but some moments you DO want to capture. The people taking 100 pictures in the crowd and instantly putting it online are the annoying ones.
I get it. I really do. But, come on.
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I've mastered the 1-3 picture initiative. videos are stupid. it's cool to snag a picture or two, really capture what that show was like, and be able to look back over time. only takes you "out of the moment" for 30 seconds, if you're good, and let's you document that moment forever.
it's fucking incredible how fast you can pull out an iphone, switch to camera mode, snap a picture (pro-tip: use the + volume button), and put it back in your pocket.
that said, check it after the show and save instagram and social media for later. that's the bullshit seth and ian are most likely talking about.
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it's fucking incredible how fast you can pull out an iphone, switch to camera mode, snap a picture (pro-tip: use the + volume button), and put it back in your pocket.
Awesome, I had no idea you could use the volume button to take pictures. Another one I recently learned is you can swipe upwards from the camera icon on the bottom right of the lock screen to get into camera mode.
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that said, check it after the show and save instagram and social media for later. that's the bullshit seth and ian are most likely talking about.
yes, Ian MacKaye is nothing if not reasonable -- just like he's cool if you have a beer and a smoke after the show, but not during it.
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and what does how hard it takes to get to point have anything to do how awesome it is that not everybody in life can get to that point?
nothing wrong with admiring someone's accomplishments, but i took issue with you telling him to shut up because of them. the implied message i was getting is that he was lucky to be in a band and had no right to comment on/complain about folks constantly holding up their cell phones. IMO, the artist has every right to take issue with idiots instagram'ing the whole show. they're not enjoying what is going on, they're placing more value on what others think of them then on what the artist is providing right in front of them, and they're annoying other people trying to enjoy the show.
that said, check it after the show and save instagram and social media for later. that's the bullshit seth and ian are most likely talking about.
yes, Ian MacKaye is nothing if not reasonable -- just like he's cool if you have a beer and a smoke after the show, but not during it.
actually, the smoking analogy is an interesting one. the fact that shows are now smoke-free is a good thing, IMO. cigarettes were banned for the greater good of everyone and to the annoyance of a few. cell phones, while obviously not hazardous like cigs, can present the same sort of personal behavior vs. public good situation. that idiot holding up a cell for the whole show is having a blast putting it all on facebook but he's pissing off everyone behind him. they came to see the band, not the screen of a cell phone.
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I was going to equate it to when you could smoke in clubs, but it's just not the same. Your clothes don't stink after someone pulls out their phones, phones don't make you cough, phones don't burn your eyes [i think], so it's not really the same. Annoyance? I'd say yes. But for the "greater good", totally different.
I also recently quit smoking SO that's just my opinion.
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what about the 6 foot 4 clown who goes up and stands front and center blocking 300 people's view of the lead singer?
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He already deleted his user account, maybe he'll stop going to shows as well.
what about the 6 foot 4 clown who goes up and stands front and center blocking 300 people's view of the lead singer?
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Congratulations on quitting.
I was going to equate it to when you could smoke in clubs, but it's just not the same. Your clothes don't stink after someone pulls out their phones, phones don't make you cough, phones don't burn your eyes [i think], so it's not really the same. Annoyance? I'd say yes. But for the "greater good", totally different.
I also recently quit smoking SO that's just my opinion.
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He already deleted his user account, maybe he'll stop going to shows as well.
what about the 6 foot 4 clown who goes up and stands front and center blocking 300 people's view of the lead singer?
+1
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I was going to equate it to when you could smoke in clubs, but it's just not the same. Your clothes don't stink after someone pulls out their phones, phones don't make you cough, phones don't burn your eyes [i think], so it's not really the same. Annoyance? I'd say yes. But for the "greater good", totally different.
I also recently quit smoking SO that's just my opinion.
the straight-edge movement never cared about the physical collateral effects of drug use on non-users, but on the self-righteous, dogmatic enforcement of their world view -- not unlike islamists.
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I think it is annoying for people to take photos for the whole show. What is most annoying is when people talk the whole shows. If people want to text during the show that is lame but it doesn't really effect me. I guess it is sort of a respect thing to show the perfomer attention. Bad manners I guess. I blame their parents.
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what about the 6 foot 4 clown who goes up and stands front and center blocking 300 people's view of the lead singer?
So because he's tall he's not allowed to have a great spot to see a show?
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Atomic? :D
I agree, people talking while bands are playing (especially "quiet" artists) is definitely more annoying than any photography or texting.
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what about the 6 foot 4 clown who goes up and stands front and center blocking 300 people's view of the lead singer?
So because he's tall he's not allowed to have a great spot to see a show?
well i don't know..its a tough call.. if you're really tall any spot close up is really good so why be right up front where you are blocking everyone else?.. in other words if you're really tall a great spot might be a few people back... its like if you have a short girl behind you.. don't you usually ask her if she wants to stand in front of you or do you stand there blocking her the entire night?
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what about the 6 foot 4 clown who goes up and stands front and center blocking 300 people's view of the lead singer?
So because he's tall he's not allowed to have a great spot to see a show?
well i don't know..its a tough call.. if you're really tall any spot close up is really good so why be right up front where you are blocking everyone else?.. in other words if you're really tall a great spot might be a few people back... its like if you have a short girl behind you.. don't you usually ask her if she wants to stand in front of you or do you stand there blocking her the entire night?
Survival of the fitest. I am not going to the back because I am tall. I mean if someone is 5'2" they are screwed no matter what. Blame the venue for being flat not the tall dude.
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watch this video.
http://gawker.com/short-film-about-smartphone-overuse-is-smart-poignant-1189811144
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what about the 6 foot 4 clown who goes up and stands front and center blocking 300 people's view of the lead singer?
Puddles? (http://www.puddlespityparty.com/BigTop.html)
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http://www.factmag.com/2013/08/30/in-praise-of-slowness-why-unsound-festival-was-right-to-ban-photography-and-why-it-might-be-time-for-us-all-to-slow-down/
(i dont agree with it, just posting, as I stated before, I dont think the average person snapping off a couple is that big a deal. People who FILM songs/sets or CONSTANTLY snap pictures, they do bug me.)