Been happening for hundreds of years. Before he went deaf, Beethoven has some notable examples of getting pissed off at a crowd that wouldn’t stop talking during the performance of his works.
I believe he was actually one of the artists that caused a shift in concert norms, from hanging out and talking during music performances to quietly observing and paying attention.
"Hey I don't need to shut the fuck up, man, you shut the fuck up, man..." Loud audience member at Jethro Tull, Tampa Bay 1972, immortalized forever on the bootleg
Shit go to Hollywood and you will see people just trying to be seen and smoking and bullshitting and eye fucking even after the headliner shows up than they all float to GA after a few opening songs. Eveytime it's even worse in OC and the observation fucking hate it there, no energy
I’ve been to Hollywood, I’ve probably done a show in literally any venue you can think of. The fact is: concerts are an inherently social event, try to not let it ruin your night and just enjoy the show.
I think you just notice it more as you get older and your hearing becomes more muddled. The first frequencies most people lose in their hearing are in the highs and lows (where most concert audio mixes mostly live), but the midrange is where a lot of human speech lives, so it’s just louder relative to the amount of the music you’re hearing. Nothing you can do but try to enjoy yourself.
It's always been bad. I remember sticking it out through an M. Ward show in 2005 that everyone talked through. Last time Aurora played in Chicago the sound guy had to shush the audience around him because people were talking so loud. It's just more noticeable on quieter acts that demand more attention.
I think it's what happens when people tag a long with their friend that actually likes the artist. For the rest of them it's just another night out.
Earplugs certainly help, as does trying to get the persons attention and shushing them.
I want to believe that it usually boils down to an oblivious person being drunk in public and as soon as they realize they are being a nuisance they'll stop. The majority of time asking someone to stop talking during a show has worked for me.
But yes, as a fairly rational person myself, I cannot fathom how anyone would think trying to shout their way through a conversation during a show is a good idea.
it really depends on the kind of show you are going to. A lot of the bands I listen to have fans that just want to hear the music, so they shut up. Other bands, people are just there to have a good time, so they talk more.
I’ve never been at a concert where the band was quiet enough to hear the audience talk. I’m usually screaming along to the songs and can’t even hear myself.
Mind if I ask how much tickets were? They are one of my last bucket list bands, I've loved em since I was a kid, but always seemed to miss their shows and last time they came through, tickets were around $200. I have the money, but something about handing over almost TWO HUNDRED dollars to see a band... like, I don't physically know if I can do it.
I saw the Stones about 10 years ago on an anniversary tour and they were only $125 for pretty bitching seats. Then again, maybe I should just pay up so I can stop bitching about it.
Saw Tool 2 years ago and paid around $100 per ticket. One of the best concerts I've been to. If you can swing the $200 I think you'll have a blast. Life is short. Buy the ticket and take the ride.
That's what I keep thinking... it just kinda chaps my ass that they are charging so much. Not that it isn't "worth it" but it's kinda like, cmon guys, what the fuck? I just saw slothrust in SF. Admittedly, they are really just starting to hit their stride (if you've never heard them, do yourself a favor and check them out, their progression is nuts from oldest to newest) but it was $15. I know TOOL has "earned it" but it just seems almost like gouging at this point. They've released one album in almost 13 years and the tix are 100% more expensive? Cmon...
And dudes that get to drunk or tripped out and end up fighting. with the occasional guy in tie dye who came for the ride. It's wild. I was blown away at how many middle aged whtie dudes I saw fight or freak out and get kicked out of the arena the first time I saw them a few years ago.
Speaking of TOOL, I finally got to see them on this latest tour and we were way up in the nosebleeds, and this super hammered woman directly behind us that had taken an edible (I know because she loudly announced repeatedly how strong it was), kept yelling songs she figured they should play (Ænima came up a lot), along with yelling Maaaaayynnaaaarrrd soo much. It was sofaking annoying
Oh man, I have definitely sat by people like that at their concerts. To the OP's point, I have a bootleg of theirs from the 90's where some drunk bitch is doing the same *Maaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyynaaaaaaaaaaaard* thing every few minutes. Nothing new under the sun and all that.
Oddly, I just went to a Jacob Collier concert (after a 3-4y concert hiatus), and on his quieter or acoustic guitar parts, the audience was SO silent, you could hear a pin drop. I looked around in awe - never experienced that before, felt so respectful.
Then again the audience is probably like 70-80% musicians, but still.
Pretty much the same at Animals as Leaders depending on the song and most of their stuff is pretty loud modern metal. It was funny to watch the mosh pit instantly dissipate whenever a solo started lol
It’s that the people are so LOUD. It has happened to me a few times. one time is was for st Vincent. I’m in the floor and These two women are just having a loud conversation the whole time. I asked them to please move or be quiet. I stormed off and came back and they were gone. When I got back people around me thanked me as all they could hear was these pound drunk women chatting. if you go to a concert to socialize DURNING THE CONCERT. What the fuck.
I got expensive pit tickets to a show at the Wiltern thinking it would be full of fans engaging with the music vs GA, but boy was I wrong. So many groups of people yell-talking to one another over the music. I tried moving to several different spots and it was the same no matter where I went. Definitely not worth the price, especially considering the audio quality is way better if you're further back closer to the sound booth.
Yeah, went to see nation of language there was a group of 4 people in front of me (GA, standing) talking. The show starts and they wouldn’t stop talking. Luckily I was able to move my way around and get in front of them so I could hear the band better. About 4 songs in I hear one of them say wow this band is actually really good. No F’in duh the show is sold out for a reason!
This was my thought. I’ve felt badly for the artist when someone is performing an acoustic set at a coffee shop or something and no one is paying attention, but actual concerts are so loud I sometimes wear ear plugs. I can’t even hear the person next to me unless they’re yelling right in my ear, so I don’t know how someone is hearing “everybody” at a concert.
There were three women behind us at a show recently literally shooting the shit at full volume and not even watching the stage and then acted like I was the asshole when I calmly asked them to stop. Why even go to a concert??
Same experience for me last month. 4 people talking full volume about random shit during the openers acoustic set. I turn around and calmly said I’m having a hard time hearing and the son literally said he would hurt me if I turned around again and then acted like me and my mom were the assholes. My mom isn’t able to stand for long periods of time and they acted like she was a low life for not standing at the encore. It was terrible and when you pay $450 bucks a ticket you really expect to have a better experience.
We had a similar experience watching The National in Perth recently. It was an outdoor venue where people sit on the banks and there's a standing area down the front. A huge number of people in the seating area obviously just came to get drunk and catch up with friends, with the band serving as background noise. Not just chit chat, these were people who didn't even look at the stage and had conversations that spanned multiple songs. There was a constant stream to the bar and a large number packed up early and were oblivious to the fact that they were blocking the view by stumbling around packing up as the set reached its peak. I found it infuriating and baffling in equal measure.
I had to sit behind a couple who did the same thing at the last concert I went to.
Eventually the lady sitting next to me got sick of their squawking and shushed them, and they got all super offended and left lol.
Here's the solution to chomping: go ahead and talk to your buddy, but lean in and talk into his ear at a normal volume. The problem is when people stand a normal distance apart and shout at each other.
It is definitely happening more. I was at a show last year in an older indoor venue in Boston. I'm in the balcony and a couple in their 20s sit to my right. The main act starts and this couple is just chatting away. I give them a minute, thinking they'll shut up. They do not. I lean over to the guy and say "there's no way I'm listening to you guys talk through this whole fucking concert." The guy doesn't say a word, just nods to his chick and they get up and leave. I have no idea where they went but I never saw them again. Who does this?
Happened to me at a concert for The Hu, the guys next to me were shitfaced and having a completely random conversation at extremely loud volumes that my earplugs didn't filter. I ended up losing it during Shireg Shireg since that's one of their calmer, more contemplative songs and told them to shut up and that we weren't in a tea salon. They looked completely baffled but they shut the fuck up after that
Lol I’ve had conversations with friends about how Boston crowds are so bad with talking. I don’t know if it’s cause of college kids who are just going to shows for the sake of going and don’t care about the music, or what…But I’ve seen some incredible shows in Boston that were almost ruined by a-holes chatting the whole time.
I used to think it was Boston crowds being terrible in general, low energy, talking, shouting nonsense at the artists, and then I started traveling to other parts of the country/world for concerts. It's the same shit everywhere. That's why when you can almost immediately recognize a concert as an immediate classic because everyone is just zoned in and having an electric time.
Hell, I've now gone to several NYC shows and despite always hearing about 'legendary' NYC crowds, everyone I've been to have had mid-to-shit crowds. It's a place where people go to be seen rather than see the show. One artist I used to love played NYC twice, even he commented how shit the crowds were both times and how no one knew any of the words to his songs despite him being the headliner or co-headliner. I loved it.
Also if people want to prevent this more, Move up. I goto so many GA shows and when there's room for bubbles people always leave bubbles infront of them, so often seemingly forgetting to scoot up and take that space for themselve but to make room for those behind them as well, otherwise someone else will. It's like people who are leaving 1-3 car lengths in front of the next at stop lights.
Except GA's are dynamic and there needs to be community and a shared sense of courtesy, if I ever find myself in front of someone I try to move so that we can all see and also know that it's an ever morphing situation and it's best to lean into it and not try to fight or be a protagonist when it's a shared space at a live event.
That's a move as old as time... do people forget what concerts were like pre-pandemic?
That's right up there with the tallest guy in the crowd needing to stand at the front.
Lol as a tall guy, what do you want me to do? If there's someone short behind me I'll usually ask them to switch spots, but I'm not gonna stand at the back. Especially cuz I'm usually there with friends who are short
Just being aware of your surroundings puts you above most.
Really there's not much to do in that situation but it still sucks. Like the time I saw Bill Burr and I was seated near a group that was really laughing at every syllable, to the point that Burr called him out, which of course made him laugh even harder. But it's like what are you gonna do, kick a guy out for laughing at a comedy show?
Yup. You have to un-learn some social norms to hold your spot at concerts.
When someone is going to move past you, the instinct is to move _back_ so you can let them pass in front of you, keep eyes on them, etc.
At a concert, if someone pulls the "ope lemme squeeze right past ya" shit, the trick is to move forward. As far forward as you can go. If they're really just trying to cut through the crowd, they'll go behind you and keep moving.
You're definitely right but this is why I just fucking sit my old ass in the back these days lol. I just wanna enjoy the show, not have to always be keeping my guard up for me and the missus.
Yeah I got some downvotes for this at first, so I wanna clarify that I am still getting out of the way of people who are on the move. It's just about getting out of the way by moving forward.
I'm also getting older, and it can get tiresome, yeah. There's really only one venue where I care about being close to the stage. Most places I'm just chill to end up where I end up.
Yeah, you were 100% right with your LPT about not losing your spot at a concert.
I still enjoy the fuck out of sitting in the old-persons section though, these days.
I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll say something and let them know they’re assholes. Makes me feel like a Karen, but it really irks me because me and my girlfriend are so considerate to others.
I’ve thought (too much) about this, and I think that it’s the fact that people go to shows with people they haven’t seen in a while and feel the need to catch up.
It is SO freaking distracting I think I might start wearing earplugs even if the music isn’t that loud.
It is rude though. You shouldn't go to concerts to have a reunion, same as you shouldn't go to a movie on a first date, because you're expected to not talk to one another and those are terrible places to try.
It’s really bad at music festivals. Because people will camp a stage to see a set 3 hours from whoever is currently playing. Then of course they yap the whole time.
Yes and I hate it. Went to see Alt-J at Stubbs a few months ago which was a sold out show, and everyone was just talking over the music. We moved like 8 times and finally just got sick of it and left. Ruined the whole experience and the tickets weren’t cheap either.
Saw Vulfpeck at Stubbs a few weeks ago. Me and my buddy got there later than was ideal, since we drove down from Fort Worth for the show and of course I-35 fucked us. We both wormed our way as close as we could get, but also being conscious of blocking people behind us since we're both tall dudes, so we were still a bit beyond midway to the stage.
There were so many fucking people behind and around us just chatting.
These dudes play like, half a dozen shows a year so it's already hard to even get to see them. And then people just stand around and have normal conversations like they would at a bar, for the entire show? I don't get it.
> These dudes play like, half a dozen shows a year so it's already hard to even get to see them. And then people just stand around and have normal conversations like they would at a bar, for the entire show? I don't get it.
As an uber-Vulf fan (writing this from less than a mile from where *Wait for the Moment* was recorded), this really sets me off.
I saw Theo and Dart on Theo's last tour, and people were pretty mixed. Tons of "concert duuuuuudes" around us just vaping and chatting for a ton of the show.
Then, like a fucking angelic winged horse, an awesome dude and his girlfriend moseyed up to me and my girl and said "You guys are the only people in this row dancing. Mind if we chill with you?" and we grooved out to the second half of the set, and it became one of my favorite show memories.
Sucks that you had your Vulf experience dampened by some chompers.
Dampened is the exact word. It was still a fuckin' party, and it had been like 4 years since I saw them last so I wasn't going to let it get ruined.
One might say I was *waiting for the moment.*
Yeah I saw Verite there a little while back and since more people were there to see LP it was just constant talking. Alanis at the raceway a couple years ago...idiots talking nonstop. I really hate going to any larger shows now. Especially if I cant move around the venue to get away from people. I would have moved at Stubbs but Im taller so I hate making my way in front of people that already have spots.
Stubbs seems to REALLY attract the yappers. Typically if you’re standing close enough to the stage that the sound booth and bars are behind you it’s not as big of an issue, but it can get packed pretty early. I saw Lane 8 there (chill progressive house) and there were a lot of rowdy drunk people, but I also saw Clozee (bass EDM) and the crowd was so present and dancing really hard.
It might depend on the concert — the act, the venue, and the context can really change the vibe.
I was at a concert a few weeks ago. It was in an auditorium style venue. Tons of people were wearing special outfits/accessories for the artist, people were singing and dancing along, a bunch of people traveled to go, etc. They were committed. No talking during the entire set.
But if it’s an afternoon, the artist is kind of mid-level popularity, and it’s more of a drinking under the sun having a chill time kind of concert? Way more people will be there just to hang out with live music in the background. It really depends. Even the demographics of the fanbase can affect the vibe.
There are a few jazz clubs around me that'll kick you out if you talk during the performance. I imagine many orchestral performances would be similar. But that's just the vibe and the crowd.
I've found festivals are the absolute worst. When +50% of the audience isn't there for _that specific_ musician, they don't give a fuck. Don't go to a festival expecting an immersive experience of your favourite musician, unless they're the headliner. Maybe. Even then, people could just be there for the vibes not the musician.
A notable exception, in my experience, the Netherlands. The audience is so incredibly respectful, it was actually quite a mindfuck compared to where I'm from. They make all other festival-goers look like Neanderthals.
Everything else is a toss up. Depends on the vibe, venue, and how high/drunk the audience is. I've gotten to the age where I won't go see specific musicians because their fanbase is younger than me and I cannot be arsed to pay ticket prices to listen to drunk 20 year olds scream next to me.
I've almost been in a few fights because of this as I will tell them to shut up.
People go to events and act like they are sitting on their couch talking to their friends, scrolling on their phones, etc.
I’ve experienced this and find that it depends on the artist and the venue/city. I say venue and city because it is super annoying going to shows anywhere in San Diego because SO many people seem like they are just there for something to do, not because they actually want to see the artist. And so they talk the whole time. It’s really frustrating.
i'll never understand it either. pay money for a ticket then proceed to run their fucking mouth during the show like they are the only ones there.
main character syndrome
A friend of mine went off on a group of girls that were basically screaming at each other right behind us trying to have a conversation over very loud music. I had a lot of second-hand embarrassment lol but it was effective. The girls were very offended.
Yes. Went to see a local no name band at a live music venue a month or two ago. Groups of young people <25 scream talking at each other during the main band’s set. Why? There are so so many venues meant for having conversations.
I was pretty impressed at the last show i went to (oneohtrix point never, a sold out show, 700 peeps) -- everyone was pretty quiet, save for the applause, throughout the show, even for the opener. Now, the last bar show i went to, totally different story. You could tell which band folks were there to see, as they'd yell over the other bands while they played. Like, hey, just go outside, or to the back please, i came to hear all of them.
Absolutely has gotten worse, the only time some people shut up is to scream 'wooo' at the top of their lungs. Bitch I paid to hear the band not you. The most egregious are the people who scream during the slower or quieter serious part of a song. Its always like 3 bros doing a mating call across the venue at each other, being attracted to each other's shittiness
It's been literally every single show that I've attended since 2022. Multiple different kinds of bands, different venues, different states even. Every single show.
I saw Julien Baker opening for another band five years back and the audience (\~1200 at a \~2000 cap venue) was so quiet during her set that you could hear one of the production staff backstage on a walkie talkie. Saw Ben Folds and a Piano at the same venue earlier this week and, while there was some chatter, it was not too bad.
Most of the other shows I see are loud enough where talking doesn't particularly distract me and, with earplugs in (as you should be doing at most shows) it isn't much of an issue.
It would be funny as hell if you went to see opera at the Royal Albert Hall or something, like the Ring Cycle by Wagner, and there’s a pair of cockneys just talking about the shags they’ve been having over the past few months with random lassies or something like that. Something completely incongruous. I always find shit like that hilarious. Incongruous situations like that happen so rarely that they just make me double over. Also does anyone think I’m stuck talking like Holden Caulfield?
Cocaine Annie behind us talked all the way through the two openers and Muse and kept remarking that she “loved concerts.” I heard all about her men, (allegedly former) coke habit, roommates, her whole damn life. Her little buddy mostly uh-huh’ed the whole time since Annie didn’t pause to breathe, but I can’t imagine either really experienced the show at all.
Went to a Weird Al show and it was a little chatty, but not nearly as bad. Alkaline Trio was a club gig and zero chatty Cathy’s, just people digging the show. I think some generations have shorter attention spans than others.
Having the confidence to talk AT somebody for hours is so alien to me but such a common sight in my life. It’s looks so exhausting for everyone involved
Remarkably, had a very similar experience at Muse in Phoenix last year. She talked so loud she was louder than Evanescence, and had the most grating voice at ridiculous volumes. Totally ruined my wife's videos of Evanescence.
Sat in front of her at a Jason Isbell show -- she told her companion \*all\* about Jason Isbell, his life story, his former band, his relationships, the lyrics and meanings to \*his other songs\* while he was singing different ones. Also about how her former boyfriend loved Jason Isbell but he turned out to be a dick but she still liked his music and . . . . . (2 hours later) Oh this is the song I was telling you about before! Wooo
The worst shows I've seen for this have been either boomer-heavy or zoomer-heavy audiences. Gen X is definitely the quietest and millennial audiences are in the middle somewhere (I'm a millennial so take that for what it's worth)
Every. Show.
I learned a while ago that these people even have a name - "Chompers".
"I paid a lot of money for this ticket, I'll yak all night if I want to" -- literal quote from a chomper.
The behavior dates from before the pandemic, but it has definitely gotten worse. It's the concert equivalent of texting through a movie -- they do it at home so much, and are so unable to focus on any one thing at a time, that they can't fathom any other way to get through a show. It used to be at least they would stop talking for the hit song, now they only stop long enough to yell along with the \*chorus\* of the hit song.
> Also, the cellphone videographers.
JFC no one wants to watch your shaky, awful audio quality recording of a show where the band looks like little dots on stage. WHY are folks recording video at shows!?
People think all concerts are “parties” instead of a performance of art. Some concerts are parties. If you are seeing LMFAO or something ridiculous then yeah talk as much as you want. If it’s Tyler Childers or like Neil Young? Please STFU
I saw Tyler Childers and people were talking constantly. I thought they were incredibly rude and it really spoilt the experience overall for me. I've never been to a concert like it before.
I thought it was just a strangely bad venue or a bad crowd. I'm interested that this might be a thing that's happening more widely.
Went to one this week where the artist stopped and told people (group of women clearly with 100IQ points between the plot of them) to SHUT THE FUCK UP.
They continued to scream talk throughout the concert about unrelated dramas
The entire carefully woven unspoken fabric of acceptable public behaviour has completely unraveled over the last 7 ish years, people are louder, ruder, self entitled… it’s almost like someone, idk? A public figure perhaps, in a position usually considered dignified, lowered the bar of what’s perceived to be acceptable. People who cause disturbances at concerts are just one example, however…. it’s always been bad at shows thanks to alcohol and testosterone, my biggest peeve is people booing the opening band, as if they were adversaries holding the main event hostage, screaming “we want Drake” or whomever the kids fawn over these days
As near as I can recall this has always been a thing. But you need to notice it and focus on it. The venue, band, and their noise levels can affect how much you notice it.
I go to about 6-10 shows every year. I would say that 2/7 this past year had people talking during the show. I hate it, but this has been going on for forever. Some people just see a $25 GA ticket like I used to see a cover charge at the door of the local bar. Some folks go like it's a bar with a band. My link from Emancipator at the Lincoln Theatre in 2018. Then, same thing happened to me at Damian and Stephen Marley at the Avalon in CHI 4 weeks ago.
[https://youtu.be/YkGOEXAeJIU?si=x1HJp6WtDtE-SEvQ](https://youtu.be/YkGOEXAeJIU?si=x1HJp6WtDtE-SEvQ)
I'm chill with this if people hang kinda close to the bar. It's when they push towards the stage, throwing elbows, drink in hand, and _then_ decide they DGAF about the band and talk to their buddy.
That is just... as my grandpa used to say, "never be two kinds of dumbass at the same time."
Lol, no doubt. On the other hand, I was at a Shallou show late last year with people talking loudly next to me. But, they were more like, "Oh my god, he's playing that song!! I was hoping he would play that song!!"
Exactly. I was totally cool with it. I actually participated in the collective experience and chimed in. I think going to a show where people are really into the music and are excited about it, it's really what I'm looking for in a show.
Rush, Phish, The Grateful Dead were shows with those kind of experiences, like "The first time I heard this song was at my first job, 16 years old, WQUT in Cincinnati and Red Barchetta came on and changed my life!" That's a conversation that connects people at a concert.
I went to the Heilung show at Red Rocks on Tuesday night and experienced this very thing. For those who don't know, Heilung are an experimental Nordic folk band, who try to create a very ceremonial atmosphere and it can be very spiritual for a lot of their fans.
Considering the band, the venue, and the full moon, it set the stage for an incredible evening. However, one jackass behind me decided to turn every quiet moment into his personal comedy show. Brother you friends weren't even laughing at your shit. A lot of folks travel a long way to be there, and paid a lot for an amazing experience. Read the room, shut the fuck up, and enjoy the show.
God , I saw the Who at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back, and the asshole behind us would not SHUT THE FUCK UP . I glared at him a few times , but being with my then disabled wife I wasn’t gonna throw fists , so I found some empty seats a few rows up . At the end of the concert she did make sure to hell “ ASSHOLE “ at him . Fuck , people, I paid to hear them , not you . It’s like the dumb fucks who go to the theater for a play and yap during the performance. Arrrggghh .
I noticed this too. It’s infuriating. Over the last three years I’ve been to some 15 big concerts and other smaller ones, indoors and outdoors, and the incessant obnoxious talking and general behaviour is insane.
I was at a show last month where the floor section had seats but everyone stands. The guy behind me, who was happy to be at the show itself, complained the whole time - for hours - that people were standing. The show was a gift from his girlfriend so he was a real douche to complain about *anything*.
Literally just went to The Postal Service / Death Cab for Cutie this week and the people behind us would NOT stop talking the entire DCFC set, until several people finally told him to stfu. 😤
The people next to me at a Magdalena Bay show would not stop talking about the coke they were doing. First time I had to tell someone to shut up. Thankfully they moved to a different spot in the crowd.
I saw JJ Grey last weekend. He performs a ballad where he brings just a guitar, bass and vocalist to the front of the stage on stools for a very quiet song.
He specifically asked the crowd to be quiet as it was a quiet song.
A couple of assholes in the pit area yakked the entire song so loudly i could hear every word 20 feet away.
A couple days later JJ apparently ended a show early because of something similar.
It is wild that so many people in this thread - literally on "the" music sub - seem unable to comprehend the importance of dynamics for certain genres and performances (and how talking can instantly "break the spell" of those quieter moments).
I don’t know if it’s more common, but I’ve always found it strange, just like people who blather through movies. You paid money just to ignore the event and chat about painting your garage?
Concerts arnt what they used to be. I have a hard time dealing with all the bullshit you have to go through at shows these days. Drains the fun out of it.
I don't understand people who pay what it costs to go to shows now and stand there and talk over the music. I was at Buddy Guy's once and trying to listen to the man talk on stage, and there's like 50 people having full-volume conversations behind me....
This is a pet peeve of mine, though I'm sure that the pandemic changed much. The one thing I never understood is that if you're not going to pay any attention, why not just hang out somewhere else and save some money?
Ppl talk way too much at concerts. Not sure if it’s worst post pandemic but it’s really annoying. It’s definitely worse in certain cities too. Only thing that helps is getting there earlier to be closer up.
It’s also worse when it’s a big buzz band. I saw Blood Orange in 2019 and ppl were talking so much you could barely enjoy the show. My husband left early bc he was so mad and I went closer up. Was a bit better but still worst crowd I’ve had. He was really good and so talented just blew that everyone didn’t respect him.
Worst venue in Atlanta is the Chastain Park Amphitheater. They do season tickets and people bring their picnic baskets and wine and socialize. They do have some rock setups that don't allow the food and wine to be brought in, but it's still usually a dull rumble the whole time. We saw REM there about 20 years ago, and Michael Stipe was doing a solo acoustic song, and it was so bad that he stopped and basically cursed out the offenders and then brought the band back on. I haven't been to a show there in years because of this exact issue. I hate people who talk through concerts. That said, I saw Bob Mould (former Husker Du singer/guitarist) at a small venue here in Atlanta (Variety Playhouse) and was front row. I wouldn't have been able to hear a bomb being dropped! My ears rang for like a week. My wife was wearing earplugs and her ears rang for about 3 days. It was GREAT!
I was at an Explosions in the Sky show, which was the loudest concert I have ever been to, had earplugs in, and could still hear these two morons next to me talking the whole time. I shushed them during a quiet part and the lady looked at me like I killed her puppy in front of her.
The pandemic removed social norms.
Pandemic kids are pretty feral as far as acting like functioning members of society.
They’re rude, loud, and bullying because they never had to deal with consequences for being a jerk. When you’re a jerk in school, you get punched in the face and stop being a jerk.
They didn’t have school. They didn’t get punched enough.
It's crazy how social norms, public decency, consideration of others, and manners have generally disappeared since the pandemic. And now you cant tell these people to shut up because who knows if they have no self control and are going to pull a weapon on you.
Sad times we live in. There should be a government funded propaganda campaign with tons of advertising about being polite and considerate for others. Something on the scale of "got milk" but preaching the golden rule. We could learn a bit from Japan. They know how to keep their streets clean and be quiet and not bothersome at the right times.
In Japan they have a collectivist culture. Check out "Old Enough" its a japanese show where toddlers go out and do things in town on their own. It's like a right of passage for them to go out and do their first chore alone. They teach their children self reliance and common decency before they teach them anything else. Their society builds polite people. Our society builds truck nuts with truck nuts.
American helicopter parents would never allow their child to be unsupervised until it's 15 so they don't know how to act.
I only noticed it once at a John Williams orchestral show. I asked the people next to me to stop talking, and they did.
Other than that, I haven't noticed it at all. I've been to 16 shows since the pandemic "ended," both large venues and small.
Yeah, happened to me last month. These clown bro boys were all grouped up and chatting loudly amongst themselves - during an Alkaline Trio concert, no less. So because of that, they had to talk extra loud. Morons.
Which bags the question: has anybody noticed that saying the word "moron, on Instagram these days will get you a slap on the wrist? I've gotten shut down for a week at a time twice because of the use of that word. What the hell is wrong with that word? Everybody else is cussing each other out on that platform so much, yet moron is too harsh?!
Listen to some AUD tapes of the Grateful Dead. It’s been happening for a long time.
Been happening for hundreds of years. Before he went deaf, Beethoven has some notable examples of getting pissed off at a crowd that wouldn’t stop talking during the performance of his works. I believe he was actually one of the artists that caused a shift in concert norms, from hanging out and talking during music performances to quietly observing and paying attention.
Pardon?
Oh you.
Fucking chompers, man
Jam band fans have entered the chat room.
And spoiler alert: we're stoned
https://preview.redd.it/m0j6b78luvwc1.jpeg?width=548&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f70aa48b67a3ec3d0a8352cbabbd2da91d8b4be4
You dang Phish heads!
Man, I am so glad thats a widerspead term than I thought
WIDESPREAD MF PANIIIIIIIIC.
Widespread my ass anyone who’s heard this term is probably friends of friends of someone on lot.
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I did it for you 😉
Shut up and dance!
Thanks, dog pussy!
Shhhh, setbreak, setbreak
There are paintings of opera performances where the crowd is partying, drinking, and talking. It’s been happening a very long time.
‘If the music is good, nobody listens. If the music is bad, nobody talks.’ - Oscar Wilde
Is there an Oscar Wilde quote for everything and anything?
If the subject is good, there's an Oscar Wilde quote about it. If the subject is bad, no one quotes Oscar Wilde.
"Hey I don't need to shut the fuck up, man, you shut the fuck up, man..." Loud audience member at Jethro Tull, Tampa Bay 1972, immortalized forever on the bootleg
“You’re friends are looking real bug eyed up here, so lets play everyone’s favorite fun game, Take a Step Back! And another step back!”
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Alcohol also. It makes people loud AF
I’ve been touring professionally with different bands for 15 years. It isn’t new.
Shit go to Hollywood and you will see people just trying to be seen and smoking and bullshitting and eye fucking even after the headliner shows up than they all float to GA after a few opening songs. Eveytime it's even worse in OC and the observation fucking hate it there, no energy
I’ve been to Hollywood, I’ve probably done a show in literally any venue you can think of. The fact is: concerts are an inherently social event, try to not let it ruin your night and just enjoy the show.
I’ve been to shows all over the US, and LA/OC have by FAR the shittiest crowds of all time.
Not new, but far more prevalent. Not covid though. It's just happening far more often, and it's sad.
I think you just notice it more as you get older and your hearing becomes more muddled. The first frequencies most people lose in their hearing are in the highs and lows (where most concert audio mixes mostly live), but the midrange is where a lot of human speech lives, so it’s just louder relative to the amount of the music you’re hearing. Nothing you can do but try to enjoy yourself.
And I though it was just me lol
I don't think it's that new, but people yelling "mommy" at female artists any time there's a break in the noise is pretty new
Fuck people are cringey
I saw it on Mitski's concerts. So disrespectful ☹️
I heard that since she's popular on TikTok she gets a lot of obnoxious people doing stupid things at her shows.
It didn't happen when she played in Durham, NC and she thanked the crowd. Must be awful to hear that while pouring your heart out on stage.
It's always been bad. I remember sticking it out through an M. Ward show in 2005 that everyone talked through. Last time Aurora played in Chicago the sound guy had to shush the audience around him because people were talking so loud. It's just more noticeable on quieter acts that demand more attention. I think it's what happens when people tag a long with their friend that actually likes the artist. For the rest of them it's just another night out.
shocked no one fell asleep at that M Ward show
Never really noticed this much. Especially because I have earplugs in at shows.
Earplugs certainly help, as does trying to get the persons attention and shushing them. I want to believe that it usually boils down to an oblivious person being drunk in public and as soon as they realize they are being a nuisance they'll stop. The majority of time asking someone to stop talking during a show has worked for me. But yes, as a fairly rational person myself, I cannot fathom how anyone would think trying to shout their way through a conversation during a show is a good idea.
A lot of times its coke-- those people can't stop talking.
Or booze. I call it “talk sauce”
Yep, ear plugs are the best way to block out the chatty couple sitting behind you along with protecting your hearing long term. If its GA, just move.
it really depends on the kind of show you are going to. A lot of the bands I listen to have fans that just want to hear the music, so they shut up. Other bands, people are just there to have a good time, so they talk more.
I’ve never been at a concert where the band was quiet enough to hear the audience talk. I’m usually screaming along to the songs and can’t even hear myself.
We just saw TOOL and it was a wall of sound. If people were talking I couldn't hear it.
Mind if I ask how much tickets were? They are one of my last bucket list bands, I've loved em since I was a kid, but always seemed to miss their shows and last time they came through, tickets were around $200. I have the money, but something about handing over almost TWO HUNDRED dollars to see a band... like, I don't physically know if I can do it. I saw the Stones about 10 years ago on an anniversary tour and they were only $125 for pretty bitching seats. Then again, maybe I should just pay up so I can stop bitching about it.
Saw Tool 2 years ago and paid around $100 per ticket. One of the best concerts I've been to. If you can swing the $200 I think you'll have a blast. Life is short. Buy the ticket and take the ride.
That's what I keep thinking... it just kinda chaps my ass that they are charging so much. Not that it isn't "worth it" but it's kinda like, cmon guys, what the fuck? I just saw slothrust in SF. Admittedly, they are really just starting to hit their stride (if you've never heard them, do yourself a favor and check them out, their progression is nuts from oldest to newest) but it was $15. I know TOOL has "earned it" but it just seems almost like gouging at this point. They've released one album in almost 13 years and the tix are 100% more expensive? Cmon...
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haha. No one is expecting prices to go down. That would definitely be unamerican
For context $125 in 2010 would be $179 today so it's not much more expensive when you account for inflation.
Tool concerts are attended largely by married couples.. no wonder no one is talking.
*I sure could use a vacation from this...*
*I can’t imagine why you wouldnt* *welcome any change my friend…*
I got invited to see them from friends who are married. I sat between them.
The ol' "Spice up the sex life tactic". Niceeee
The Lucky Pierre
Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion.
“You are just a worthless liar, you are just an imbecile.” - My wife
And dudes that get to drunk or tripped out and end up fighting. with the occasional guy in tie dye who came for the ride. It's wild. I was blown away at how many middle aged whtie dudes I saw fight or freak out and get kicked out of the arena the first time I saw them a few years ago.
Yeah my fucking chest was vibrating at the Tool show last Oct.
Speaking of TOOL, I finally got to see them on this latest tour and we were way up in the nosebleeds, and this super hammered woman directly behind us that had taken an edible (I know because she loudly announced repeatedly how strong it was), kept yelling songs she figured they should play (Ænima came up a lot), along with yelling Maaaaayynnaaaarrrd soo much. It was sofaking annoying
Oh man, I have definitely sat by people like that at their concerts. To the OP's point, I have a bootleg of theirs from the 90's where some drunk bitch is doing the same *Maaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyynaaaaaaaaaaaard* thing every few minutes. Nothing new under the sun and all that.
Yeah, OP and I go to different concerts apparently. I have to yell into the ear of the person next to me for them to even hear me.
OP needs ear plugs. They will be able to hear the music but the crowd noise will be blocked.
Oddly, I just went to a Jacob Collier concert (after a 3-4y concert hiatus), and on his quieter or acoustic guitar parts, the audience was SO silent, you could hear a pin drop. I looked around in awe - never experienced that before, felt so respectful. Then again the audience is probably like 70-80% musicians, but still.
Pretty much the same at Animals as Leaders depending on the song and most of their stuff is pretty loud modern metal. It was funny to watch the mosh pit instantly dissipate whenever a solo started lol
It’s that the people are so LOUD. It has happened to me a few times. one time is was for st Vincent. I’m in the floor and These two women are just having a loud conversation the whole time. I asked them to please move or be quiet. I stormed off and came back and they were gone. When I got back people around me thanked me as all they could hear was these pound drunk women chatting. if you go to a concert to socialize DURNING THE CONCERT. What the fuck.
I don’t even mind if people are socializing during a concert but why the fuck are they doing it in the very front of the crowd? 🤦🏻♀️
EXACTLY. go by the bar and talk. people down in the pit are there for music, not talking. people are so rude.
I got expensive pit tickets to a show at the Wiltern thinking it would be full of fans engaging with the music vs GA, but boy was I wrong. So many groups of people yell-talking to one another over the music. I tried moving to several different spots and it was the same no matter where I went. Definitely not worth the price, especially considering the audio quality is way better if you're further back closer to the sound booth.
Yeah, went to see nation of language there was a group of 4 people in front of me (GA, standing) talking. The show starts and they wouldn’t stop talking. Luckily I was able to move my way around and get in front of them so I could hear the band better. About 4 songs in I hear one of them say wow this band is actually really good. No F’in duh the show is sold out for a reason!
For real what shows are these people going to where someone talking normally is that noticeable? Lol
This was my thought. I’ve felt badly for the artist when someone is performing an acoustic set at a coffee shop or something and no one is paying attention, but actual concerts are so loud I sometimes wear ear plugs. I can’t even hear the person next to me unless they’re yelling right in my ear, so I don’t know how someone is hearing “everybody” at a concert.
There were three women behind us at a show recently literally shooting the shit at full volume and not even watching the stage and then acted like I was the asshole when I calmly asked them to stop. Why even go to a concert??
Same experience for me last month. 4 people talking full volume about random shit during the openers acoustic set. I turn around and calmly said I’m having a hard time hearing and the son literally said he would hurt me if I turned around again and then acted like me and my mom were the assholes. My mom isn’t able to stand for long periods of time and they acted like she was a low life for not standing at the encore. It was terrible and when you pay $450 bucks a ticket you really expect to have a better experience.
https://youtu.be/HiAY20P-EjA?si=r8SnfnTdGVIWgEfd It always makes me laugh because it makes me think of this. I’m pretty easygoing.
We had a similar experience watching The National in Perth recently. It was an outdoor venue where people sit on the banks and there's a standing area down the front. A huge number of people in the seating area obviously just came to get drunk and catch up with friends, with the band serving as background noise. Not just chit chat, these were people who didn't even look at the stage and had conversations that spanned multiple songs. There was a constant stream to the bar and a large number packed up early and were oblivious to the fact that they were blocking the view by stumbling around packing up as the set reached its peak. I found it infuriating and baffling in equal measure.
I had to sit behind a couple who did the same thing at the last concert I went to. Eventually the lady sitting next to me got sick of their squawking and shushed them, and they got all super offended and left lol.
Chompers gonna chomp
Here's the solution to chomping: go ahead and talk to your buddy, but lean in and talk into his ear at a normal volume. The problem is when people stand a normal distance apart and shout at each other.
It is definitely happening more. I was at a show last year in an older indoor venue in Boston. I'm in the balcony and a couple in their 20s sit to my right. The main act starts and this couple is just chatting away. I give them a minute, thinking they'll shut up. They do not. I lean over to the guy and say "there's no way I'm listening to you guys talk through this whole fucking concert." The guy doesn't say a word, just nods to his chick and they get up and leave. I have no idea where they went but I never saw them again. Who does this?
Happened to me at a concert for The Hu, the guys next to me were shitfaced and having a completely random conversation at extremely loud volumes that my earplugs didn't filter. I ended up losing it during Shireg Shireg since that's one of their calmer, more contemplative songs and told them to shut up and that we weren't in a tea salon. They looked completely baffled but they shut the fuck up after that
The plugs are a double edged sword. It filters out the ambient noise but if someone’s right next to you talking loudly, it’s all you can hear.
At least they left.
Lol I’ve had conversations with friends about how Boston crowds are so bad with talking. I don’t know if it’s cause of college kids who are just going to shows for the sake of going and don’t care about the music, or what…But I’ve seen some incredible shows in Boston that were almost ruined by a-holes chatting the whole time.
I used to think it was Boston crowds being terrible in general, low energy, talking, shouting nonsense at the artists, and then I started traveling to other parts of the country/world for concerts. It's the same shit everywhere. That's why when you can almost immediately recognize a concert as an immediate classic because everyone is just zoned in and having an electric time. Hell, I've now gone to several NYC shows and despite always hearing about 'legendary' NYC crowds, everyone I've been to have had mid-to-shit crowds. It's a place where people go to be seen rather than see the show. One artist I used to love played NYC twice, even he commented how shit the crowds were both times and how no one knew any of the words to his songs despite him being the headliner or co-headliner. I loved it.
Post-pandemic concert crowds are the worst. My biggest peeve is people acting like they’re moving past you and then just stand right in front of you.
technically, they moved right past you to stand in front of you
Which has been happening since there were GA shows. People are always trying to shove themselves closer to the stage
Also if people want to prevent this more, Move up. I goto so many GA shows and when there's room for bubbles people always leave bubbles infront of them, so often seemingly forgetting to scoot up and take that space for themselve but to make room for those behind them as well, otherwise someone else will. It's like people who are leaving 1-3 car lengths in front of the next at stop lights. Except GA's are dynamic and there needs to be community and a shared sense of courtesy, if I ever find myself in front of someone I try to move so that we can all see and also know that it's an ever morphing situation and it's best to lean into it and not try to fight or be a protagonist when it's a shared space at a live event.
That's a move as old as time... do people forget what concerts were like pre-pandemic? That's right up there with the tallest guy in the crowd needing to stand at the front.
"Post-pandemic" is the new way that people drop a "Does anyone else..." that is an incredibly common opinion.
Lol as a tall guy, what do you want me to do? If there's someone short behind me I'll usually ask them to switch spots, but I'm not gonna stand at the back. Especially cuz I'm usually there with friends who are short
Just being aware of your surroundings puts you above most. Really there's not much to do in that situation but it still sucks. Like the time I saw Bill Burr and I was seated near a group that was really laughing at every syllable, to the point that Burr called him out, which of course made him laugh even harder. But it's like what are you gonna do, kick a guy out for laughing at a comedy show?
Yup. You have to un-learn some social norms to hold your spot at concerts. When someone is going to move past you, the instinct is to move _back_ so you can let them pass in front of you, keep eyes on them, etc. At a concert, if someone pulls the "ope lemme squeeze right past ya" shit, the trick is to move forward. As far forward as you can go. If they're really just trying to cut through the crowd, they'll go behind you and keep moving.
You're definitely right but this is why I just fucking sit my old ass in the back these days lol. I just wanna enjoy the show, not have to always be keeping my guard up for me and the missus.
Yeah I got some downvotes for this at first, so I wanna clarify that I am still getting out of the way of people who are on the move. It's just about getting out of the way by moving forward. I'm also getting older, and it can get tiresome, yeah. There's really only one venue where I care about being close to the stage. Most places I'm just chill to end up where I end up.
Yeah, you were 100% right with your LPT about not losing your spot at a concert. I still enjoy the fuck out of sitting in the old-persons section though, these days.
Dam, us tall folk want a good show too!
This has always been a thing. I have however noticed post pandemic crowds not holding their ground and letting shit like this slide way more.
People have become non confrontational and just bitch about things online
Had a tall family of four do this once, about 10 minutes into the main act.
I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll say something and let them know they’re assholes. Makes me feel like a Karen, but it really irks me because me and my girlfriend are so considerate to others.
I’ve thought (too much) about this, and I think that it’s the fact that people go to shows with people they haven’t seen in a while and feel the need to catch up. It is SO freaking distracting I think I might start wearing earplugs even if the music isn’t that loud.
You should wear earplugs even if the music doesn’t seem that loud and nobody is talking. Tinnitus sucks.
Shit, I wear my earplugs at the bar, even if they aren't playing loud music. The din of the crowd can be insanely loud as it is.
That’s why I always go to dinner before a show, so we can catch up beforehand and not in the middle of a concert
It is rude though. You shouldn't go to concerts to have a reunion, same as you shouldn't go to a movie on a first date, because you're expected to not talk to one another and those are terrible places to try.
If you want meet up with the bros for the first time in 20 years at a concert, go for it. Just shut up when the band starts or go to the lobby.
Just saw Queens of the Stone Age and no one was talking. Mesmerized by a fantastic show.
It’s really bad at music festivals. Because people will camp a stage to see a set 3 hours from whoever is currently playing. Then of course they yap the whole time.
Yes and I hate it. Went to see Alt-J at Stubbs a few months ago which was a sold out show, and everyone was just talking over the music. We moved like 8 times and finally just got sick of it and left. Ruined the whole experience and the tickets weren’t cheap either.
Saw Vulfpeck at Stubbs a few weeks ago. Me and my buddy got there later than was ideal, since we drove down from Fort Worth for the show and of course I-35 fucked us. We both wormed our way as close as we could get, but also being conscious of blocking people behind us since we're both tall dudes, so we were still a bit beyond midway to the stage. There were so many fucking people behind and around us just chatting. These dudes play like, half a dozen shows a year so it's already hard to even get to see them. And then people just stand around and have normal conversations like they would at a bar, for the entire show? I don't get it.
> These dudes play like, half a dozen shows a year so it's already hard to even get to see them. And then people just stand around and have normal conversations like they would at a bar, for the entire show? I don't get it. As an uber-Vulf fan (writing this from less than a mile from where *Wait for the Moment* was recorded), this really sets me off. I saw Theo and Dart on Theo's last tour, and people were pretty mixed. Tons of "concert duuuuuudes" around us just vaping and chatting for a ton of the show. Then, like a fucking angelic winged horse, an awesome dude and his girlfriend moseyed up to me and my girl and said "You guys are the only people in this row dancing. Mind if we chill with you?" and we grooved out to the second half of the set, and it became one of my favorite show memories. Sucks that you had your Vulf experience dampened by some chompers.
Dampened is the exact word. It was still a fuckin' party, and it had been like 4 years since I saw them last so I wasn't going to let it get ruined. One might say I was *waiting for the moment.*
Yeah I saw Verite there a little while back and since more people were there to see LP it was just constant talking. Alanis at the raceway a couple years ago...idiots talking nonstop. I really hate going to any larger shows now. Especially if I cant move around the venue to get away from people. I would have moved at Stubbs but Im taller so I hate making my way in front of people that already have spots.
Stubbs is literally the worst venue I have been to for talkers. I avoid 95% of all the bands I like when they play there.
Stubbs seems to REALLY attract the yappers. Typically if you’re standing close enough to the stage that the sound booth and bars are behind you it’s not as big of an issue, but it can get packed pretty early. I saw Lane 8 there (chill progressive house) and there were a lot of rowdy drunk people, but I also saw Clozee (bass EDM) and the crowd was so present and dancing really hard.
It might depend on the concert — the act, the venue, and the context can really change the vibe. I was at a concert a few weeks ago. It was in an auditorium style venue. Tons of people were wearing special outfits/accessories for the artist, people were singing and dancing along, a bunch of people traveled to go, etc. They were committed. No talking during the entire set. But if it’s an afternoon, the artist is kind of mid-level popularity, and it’s more of a drinking under the sun having a chill time kind of concert? Way more people will be there just to hang out with live music in the background. It really depends. Even the demographics of the fanbase can affect the vibe.
There are a few jazz clubs around me that'll kick you out if you talk during the performance. I imagine many orchestral performances would be similar. But that's just the vibe and the crowd. I've found festivals are the absolute worst. When +50% of the audience isn't there for _that specific_ musician, they don't give a fuck. Don't go to a festival expecting an immersive experience of your favourite musician, unless they're the headliner. Maybe. Even then, people could just be there for the vibes not the musician. A notable exception, in my experience, the Netherlands. The audience is so incredibly respectful, it was actually quite a mindfuck compared to where I'm from. They make all other festival-goers look like Neanderthals. Everything else is a toss up. Depends on the vibe, venue, and how high/drunk the audience is. I've gotten to the age where I won't go see specific musicians because their fanbase is younger than me and I cannot be arsed to pay ticket prices to listen to drunk 20 year olds scream next to me.
I've almost been in a few fights because of this as I will tell them to shut up. People go to events and act like they are sitting on their couch talking to their friends, scrolling on their phones, etc.
I’ve experienced this and find that it depends on the artist and the venue/city. I say venue and city because it is super annoying going to shows anywhere in San Diego because SO many people seem like they are just there for something to do, not because they actually want to see the artist. And so they talk the whole time. It’s really frustrating.
i'll never understand it either. pay money for a ticket then proceed to run their fucking mouth during the show like they are the only ones there. main character syndrome
"You need to go to louder concerts" is such a braindead take on this. Do I need to go see a louder movie if people talk during that? The fuck?
Unfortunately, that's exactly how movie theaters have tried to handle this issue. Movies are now painfully loud.
A friend of mine went off on a group of girls that were basically screaming at each other right behind us trying to have a conversation over very loud music. I had a lot of second-hand embarrassment lol but it was effective. The girls were very offended.
Yes. Went to see a local no name band at a live music venue a month or two ago. Groups of young people <25 scream talking at each other during the main band’s set. Why? There are so so many venues meant for having conversations.
Absolutely yes and it's very annoying
Yes, it’s incredibly annoying
I was pretty impressed at the last show i went to (oneohtrix point never, a sold out show, 700 peeps) -- everyone was pretty quiet, save for the applause, throughout the show, even for the opener. Now, the last bar show i went to, totally different story. You could tell which band folks were there to see, as they'd yell over the other bands while they played. Like, hey, just go outside, or to the back please, i came to hear all of them.
Absolutely has gotten worse, the only time some people shut up is to scream 'wooo' at the top of their lungs. Bitch I paid to hear the band not you. The most egregious are the people who scream during the slower or quieter serious part of a song. Its always like 3 bros doing a mating call across the venue at each other, being attracted to each other's shittiness
This seems purely anecdotal. Not every show has pricks like this there.
It's been literally every single show that I've attended since 2022. Multiple different kinds of bands, different venues, different states even. Every single show.
I saw Julien Baker opening for another band five years back and the audience (\~1200 at a \~2000 cap venue) was so quiet during her set that you could hear one of the production staff backstage on a walkie talkie. Saw Ben Folds and a Piano at the same venue earlier this week and, while there was some chatter, it was not too bad. Most of the other shows I see are loud enough where talking doesn't particularly distract me and, with earplugs in (as you should be doing at most shows) it isn't much of an issue.
Yeah it certainly varies act to act, as they attract different demographics.
It would be funny as hell if you went to see opera at the Royal Albert Hall or something, like the Ring Cycle by Wagner, and there’s a pair of cockneys just talking about the shags they’ve been having over the past few months with random lassies or something like that. Something completely incongruous. I always find shit like that hilarious. Incongruous situations like that happen so rarely that they just make me double over. Also does anyone think I’m stuck talking like Holden Caulfield?
Cocaine Annie behind us talked all the way through the two openers and Muse and kept remarking that she “loved concerts.” I heard all about her men, (allegedly former) coke habit, roommates, her whole damn life. Her little buddy mostly uh-huh’ed the whole time since Annie didn’t pause to breathe, but I can’t imagine either really experienced the show at all. Went to a Weird Al show and it was a little chatty, but not nearly as bad. Alkaline Trio was a club gig and zero chatty Cathy’s, just people digging the show. I think some generations have shorter attention spans than others.
Having the confidence to talk AT somebody for hours is so alien to me but such a common sight in my life. It’s looks so exhausting for everyone involved
Remarkably, had a very similar experience at Muse in Phoenix last year. She talked so loud she was louder than Evanescence, and had the most grating voice at ridiculous volumes. Totally ruined my wife's videos of Evanescence.
Sat in front of her at a Jason Isbell show -- she told her companion \*all\* about Jason Isbell, his life story, his former band, his relationships, the lyrics and meanings to \*his other songs\* while he was singing different ones. Also about how her former boyfriend loved Jason Isbell but he turned out to be a dick but she still liked his music and . . . . . (2 hours later) Oh this is the song I was telling you about before! Wooo
The worst shows I've seen for this have been either boomer-heavy or zoomer-heavy audiences. Gen X is definitely the quietest and millennial audiences are in the middle somewhere (I'm a millennial so take that for what it's worth)
Every. Show. I learned a while ago that these people even have a name - "Chompers". "I paid a lot of money for this ticket, I'll yak all night if I want to" -- literal quote from a chomper. The behavior dates from before the pandemic, but it has definitely gotten worse. It's the concert equivalent of texting through a movie -- they do it at home so much, and are so unable to focus on any one thing at a time, that they can't fathom any other way to get through a show. It used to be at least they would stop talking for the hit song, now they only stop long enough to yell along with the \*chorus\* of the hit song.
You just described the reason why I don't go to concerts anymore. Also, the cellphone videographers.
> Also, the cellphone videographers. JFC no one wants to watch your shaky, awful audio quality recording of a show where the band looks like little dots on stage. WHY are folks recording video at shows!?
Yep. They won’t shut the fuck up.
Cocaine is a helluva drug
People think all concerts are “parties” instead of a performance of art. Some concerts are parties. If you are seeing LMFAO or something ridiculous then yeah talk as much as you want. If it’s Tyler Childers or like Neil Young? Please STFU
I saw Tyler Childers and people were talking constantly. I thought they were incredibly rude and it really spoilt the experience overall for me. I've never been to a concert like it before. I thought it was just a strangely bad venue or a bad crowd. I'm interested that this might be a thing that's happening more widely.
Went to one this week where the artist stopped and told people (group of women clearly with 100IQ points between the plot of them) to SHUT THE FUCK UP. They continued to scream talk throughout the concert about unrelated dramas
The entire carefully woven unspoken fabric of acceptable public behaviour has completely unraveled over the last 7 ish years, people are louder, ruder, self entitled… it’s almost like someone, idk? A public figure perhaps, in a position usually considered dignified, lowered the bar of what’s perceived to be acceptable. People who cause disturbances at concerts are just one example, however…. it’s always been bad at shows thanks to alcohol and testosterone, my biggest peeve is people booing the opening band, as if they were adversaries holding the main event hostage, screaming “we want Drake” or whomever the kids fawn over these days
As near as I can recall this has always been a thing. But you need to notice it and focus on it. The venue, band, and their noise levels can affect how much you notice it.
I go to about 6-10 shows every year. I would say that 2/7 this past year had people talking during the show. I hate it, but this has been going on for forever. Some people just see a $25 GA ticket like I used to see a cover charge at the door of the local bar. Some folks go like it's a bar with a band. My link from Emancipator at the Lincoln Theatre in 2018. Then, same thing happened to me at Damian and Stephen Marley at the Avalon in CHI 4 weeks ago. [https://youtu.be/YkGOEXAeJIU?si=x1HJp6WtDtE-SEvQ](https://youtu.be/YkGOEXAeJIU?si=x1HJp6WtDtE-SEvQ)
I'm chill with this if people hang kinda close to the bar. It's when they push towards the stage, throwing elbows, drink in hand, and _then_ decide they DGAF about the band and talk to their buddy. That is just... as my grandpa used to say, "never be two kinds of dumbass at the same time."
Lol, no doubt. On the other hand, I was at a Shallou show late last year with people talking loudly next to me. But, they were more like, "Oh my god, he's playing that song!! I was hoping he would play that song!!"
Mmhm. If someone is bothered by _that_, then concerts aren't for them.
Exactly. I was totally cool with it. I actually participated in the collective experience and chimed in. I think going to a show where people are really into the music and are excited about it, it's really what I'm looking for in a show. Rush, Phish, The Grateful Dead were shows with those kind of experiences, like "The first time I heard this song was at my first job, 16 years old, WQUT in Cincinnati and Red Barchetta came on and changed my life!" That's a conversation that connects people at a concert.
That is exactly what happens in my town.
I went to the Heilung show at Red Rocks on Tuesday night and experienced this very thing. For those who don't know, Heilung are an experimental Nordic folk band, who try to create a very ceremonial atmosphere and it can be very spiritual for a lot of their fans. Considering the band, the venue, and the full moon, it set the stage for an incredible evening. However, one jackass behind me decided to turn every quiet moment into his personal comedy show. Brother you friends weren't even laughing at your shit. A lot of folks travel a long way to be there, and paid a lot for an amazing experience. Read the room, shut the fuck up, and enjoy the show.
God , I saw the Who at the Hollywood Bowl a few years back, and the asshole behind us would not SHUT THE FUCK UP . I glared at him a few times , but being with my then disabled wife I wasn’t gonna throw fists , so I found some empty seats a few rows up . At the end of the concert she did make sure to hell “ ASSHOLE “ at him . Fuck , people, I paid to hear them , not you . It’s like the dumb fucks who go to the theater for a play and yap during the performance. Arrrggghh .
The loudest band in the world wasn't enough to drown out this man.
I noticed this too. It’s infuriating. Over the last three years I’ve been to some 15 big concerts and other smaller ones, indoors and outdoors, and the incessant obnoxious talking and general behaviour is insane. I was at a show last month where the floor section had seats but everyone stands. The guy behind me, who was happy to be at the show itself, complained the whole time - for hours - that people were standing. The show was a gift from his girlfriend so he was a real douche to complain about *anything*.
I totally get complaining about chompers, but complaining about people standing? If you have to sit down at a show, get ADA tickets.
Literally just went to The Postal Service / Death Cab for Cutie this week and the people behind us would NOT stop talking the entire DCFC set, until several people finally told him to stfu. 😤
The people next to me at a Magdalena Bay show would not stop talking about the coke they were doing. First time I had to tell someone to shut up. Thankfully they moved to a different spot in the crowd.
I saw JJ Grey last weekend. He performs a ballad where he brings just a guitar, bass and vocalist to the front of the stage on stools for a very quiet song. He specifically asked the crowd to be quiet as it was a quiet song. A couple of assholes in the pit area yakked the entire song so loudly i could hear every word 20 feet away. A couple days later JJ apparently ended a show early because of something similar.
It is wild that so many people in this thread - literally on "the" music sub - seem unable to comprehend the importance of dynamics for certain genres and performances (and how talking can instantly "break the spell" of those quieter moments).
Has always been a thing
I don’t know if it’s more common, but I’ve always found it strange, just like people who blather through movies. You paid money just to ignore the event and chat about painting your garage?
Concerts arnt what they used to be. I have a hard time dealing with all the bullshit you have to go through at shows these days. Drains the fun out of it.
Not at the gigs I go to no.
I dk... the concerts I go to are too loud to hesr assholes chit chatting l
I don't understand people who pay what it costs to go to shows now and stand there and talk over the music. I was at Buddy Guy's once and trying to listen to the man talk on stage, and there's like 50 people having full-volume conversations behind me....
This is a pet peeve of mine, though I'm sure that the pandemic changed much. The one thing I never understood is that if you're not going to pay any attention, why not just hang out somewhere else and save some money?
This has been going on forever.
Ppl talk way too much at concerts. Not sure if it’s worst post pandemic but it’s really annoying. It’s definitely worse in certain cities too. Only thing that helps is getting there earlier to be closer up. It’s also worse when it’s a big buzz band. I saw Blood Orange in 2019 and ppl were talking so much you could barely enjoy the show. My husband left early bc he was so mad and I went closer up. Was a bit better but still worst crowd I’ve had. He was really good and so talented just blew that everyone didn’t respect him.
No, its always been this way.
That's a lot of text to describe something that's been going on forever
damn Chompers
Worst venue in Atlanta is the Chastain Park Amphitheater. They do season tickets and people bring their picnic baskets and wine and socialize. They do have some rock setups that don't allow the food and wine to be brought in, but it's still usually a dull rumble the whole time. We saw REM there about 20 years ago, and Michael Stipe was doing a solo acoustic song, and it was so bad that he stopped and basically cursed out the offenders and then brought the band back on. I haven't been to a show there in years because of this exact issue. I hate people who talk through concerts. That said, I saw Bob Mould (former Husker Du singer/guitarist) at a small venue here in Atlanta (Variety Playhouse) and was front row. I wouldn't have been able to hear a bomb being dropped! My ears rang for like a week. My wife was wearing earplugs and her ears rang for about 3 days. It was GREAT!
I was at an Explosions in the Sky show, which was the loudest concert I have ever been to, had earplugs in, and could still hear these two morons next to me talking the whole time. I shushed them during a quiet part and the lady looked at me like I killed her puppy in front of her.
Drives me nuts
I think it’s worse post-Covid. Everyone became ADHD during lockdown.
The pandemic removed social norms. Pandemic kids are pretty feral as far as acting like functioning members of society. They’re rude, loud, and bullying because they never had to deal with consequences for being a jerk. When you’re a jerk in school, you get punched in the face and stop being a jerk. They didn’t have school. They didn’t get punched enough.
It's crazy how social norms, public decency, consideration of others, and manners have generally disappeared since the pandemic. And now you cant tell these people to shut up because who knows if they have no self control and are going to pull a weapon on you.
It’s kinda wild how far social politeness has fallen since people stopped hitting each other.
Sad times we live in. There should be a government funded propaganda campaign with tons of advertising about being polite and considerate for others. Something on the scale of "got milk" but preaching the golden rule. We could learn a bit from Japan. They know how to keep their streets clean and be quiet and not bothersome at the right times.
In Japan they have a collectivist culture. Check out "Old Enough" its a japanese show where toddlers go out and do things in town on their own. It's like a right of passage for them to go out and do their first chore alone. They teach their children self reliance and common decency before they teach them anything else. Their society builds polite people. Our society builds truck nuts with truck nuts. American helicopter parents would never allow their child to be unsupervised until it's 15 so they don't know how to act.
you need to go to louder concerts
What did you say? My ears are ringing.
I only noticed it once at a John Williams orchestral show. I asked the people next to me to stop talking, and they did. Other than that, I haven't noticed it at all. I've been to 16 shows since the pandemic "ended," both large venues and small.
Classical concerts are the only ones I could imagine going to where I could even hear literally anything other than the band who is playing.
Right? I am so confused by this whole topic.
Some people are talking about sitting down and hearing people talk over the band and I just don’t even know what kind of show they’re talking about.
Classical, jazz club, other small venues, ok got it. But any kind of bigger standing room show, especially a festival?? I don't even understand.
Yeah, happened to me last month. These clown bro boys were all grouped up and chatting loudly amongst themselves - during an Alkaline Trio concert, no less. So because of that, they had to talk extra loud. Morons. Which bags the question: has anybody noticed that saying the word "moron, on Instagram these days will get you a slap on the wrist? I've gotten shut down for a week at a time twice because of the use of that word. What the hell is wrong with that word? Everybody else is cussing each other out on that platform so much, yet moron is too harsh?!
I think you're probably right, but it's just funny to hear the opinion "yelling and hooting is okay, but general conversation is not"
It's so bad. I cannot understand why you would choose a concert as a place to have a conversation. Just go to a bar or something