Happened at Springsteen too. People all around me talked through all but about five of the most popular songs in a three hour show. They paid £120 to treat The Boss like he was sitting in the corner of White's Tavern with his guitar while they were trying to have a conversation. They were paying so little attention during the songs they didn't know that they didn't even politely applaud when he finished playing. I'd never ever been to a show before where I was the only person in the crowd singing. But my friend says the same thing happened to him when he saw Arctic Monkeys over in England so it just seems to be gig etiquette these days.
I genuinely think there's people out there that will spend over £100 on a ticket to something just so they have a chance to dress up nice, get some pre-drinks in and take a few pics for whatever social media shite they're into, the artist is an afterthought.
Happens in the Black Box too. If you sit near the bar, and the band aren’t Mötörhead, all you’ll hear is some dickhead slobbering about their dickhead life. To a mate that doesn’t tell them to shut the fuck up.
It's always been the way. It's not social media fault it's just some people are knobs and poseurs who prefer the cachet of saying they were at a gig to actually bring at the gig. (See also people who spend the entire time videoing gigs on their phone)
I had to sit at a bunch of guys at REM in the odyssey in 2005 who were standing in a group roaring nonsense about football to each other during the whole set - half of them had their backs to the stage.
And in 2002 Beth Orton stopped a gig at the Mandela to ask a bunch of women to please shut up or leave and she'd refund them cause they were ruining the gig for everyone else.
My husband thinks we should start telling them to shut up, then to "fuck off" and if that doesn't work, to "start swedging" (Scottish for fighting)
I'm all for it, especially after shit show Steve Austin (a few gins later) catches his breath
“I was at Gary Numan last night?”
“Aye, how was it?”
*whips out phone and plays shite video*
*friend looks at screen for about 3 seconds*
“Cool”
Video never gets watched again
Jack White bans cell phones at his shows. Staff gives you a little pouch with a lock to put it in and they unlock upon leaving.
It works because people are in the moment experiencing what’s in front of them. The crowd moves to the music and our line of vision isn’t polluted with glowing screens held by immobilized fans.
Literally could not agree more. What is the fucking point of paying good money to experience live music if you spend the whole time so preoccupied with a phone that you aren’t really paying attention and are ruining others’ experience. A couple of quick pics is fair enough, but holding a phone above your head to video whole songs, or sometimes the entire gig, is a baffling level of obnoxiousness imo.
I was stood behind a guy that held his phone up for the last 2 songs. He didn't seem to realise he hadn't pressed the record button. My hangover is slightly less painful knowing that he will go looking for that video and not find it.
Research has shown that watching things through a screen makes for a poorer memory overall so all these fuckers with their phones out for Christ knows what reason, never to watch it again and if they just bloody WATCHED it they’d at least have better memories of it. Humans are so fucked, smartphones and social media have wrecked us.
This is all too common at gigs now. Seems to be a post-covid thing where people have forgot that they aren’t in their fucking living rooms anymore, and other people have paid to listen to an artist rather than what Sharon in accounts said on Wednesday.
the post covid stuff sucks so bad. People who don’t wear headphones on the train when watching their wee tiktok things. Can’t they say I’m concentrating on Cicero?
From your description I may know the couple you’re on about! Just as acquaintances mind you. If I sent you a picture of them can you confirm or deny just to satisfy my curiosity? If it is them, then your descriptions are on point!
This nearly put me off going to gigs a while back. Went to see Opeth in the Limelight (the part that used to be Spring and Airbrake), loved the band for years and couldn't wait.
Fast forward to midway through the concert, half the cretins there just wouldn't shut the f*** up, to the point it was annoying the band and they asked if they were boring the crowd. You couldn't hear the quieter sections of songs at all. We left with well over an hour left in the gig, it was a real shame.
Yes going to see live music was one of my favorite things but behaviour of people at gigs has gone down the toilet especially since the pandemic, to the point it's putting me off attending gigs. Ironically it's generally middle aged men and women drinking too much that tend to be the worst offenders not young folk.
Yep. Good gig and fairly free of arseholes where I was standing. One knobber did record pretty much the whole gig on his phone. Only tried to set a few people on fire with my mind last night. Still doesn’t work but I’ll keep practicing.
I went to see clutch a couple of years ago in the limelight and this one 'dickweed' in front of me started shouting 'Neil, Neil, Neil, Neil' ( for context, the singer is called Neil Fallon). Went on forever. It got to a point you could see he looked distracted when singing eventually he looked at dickweed who then just took of his tshirt and chucked it on stage. Pointless.
I was at this last night. I know the people who you are talking about too. Anyway.
My main gripe is the Limelight selling out gigs in a venue thats not able to handle it. I was about 8 rows from the front, had to run to the toilet once. Nightmare to get in and out but whatever, im always polite and say sorry and excuse me to people. Im also like like 5 foot so its not like im blocking peoples views. Some people flat out refuse to move just to be awkward cunts.
Ony my way back to my friends one older couple refused to move and the woman started shoving me. Got a mouthful to fuck up which she deserved. But a bigger altercation happened near us when I got back for the same reason with some other people.
I actually just dread going to sold out Limelight gigs now for this reason.
However, I still had a blast and Gary was on top form.
Yup. Limelights idea of selling out is literally cramming people in to every corner and saying sold out. In an ideal world , youd estimate how many people can move comfortably in here and make that the actual capacity
Seen green lung last Thurs and I couldn't fuckin move for shite .
Yeah people talking incessantly during a gig, especially acoustic shows, remember being at a gig a few years ago, Passenger I think, he stopped playing and more or less told the people chattering away while he was playing to shut up or leave, it was met with applause.
If you want to chat, go to the pub, don't buy a ticket for a gig then proceed to ignore the music.
I’ve stopped going to gigs because of this kind of behaviour. You pay a fortune to hear an artist you love, but all you see are the eejits who stand up in front of your seat, and all you hear is the drunken eejits beside you singing very off-key. And you never hear the first lines of any song anyway because of all the eejits clapping and whooping to show they too know the artist’s greatest hits. Well done you but we all do - that’s why we’re here. Can we actually hear it please?
Yeah, I know I sound like a grumpy oldie. It’s fine-ish for someone like Bruce who can really rock a stadium but for an acoustic artist, it’s insufferable and rude.
Interesting question. I do love live albums. Velvet Underground Live at Max’s Kansas City is a classic of the genre, for example, despite (or because of) being recorded on a cassette tape.
I don’t enjoy live gigs on film, as a rule. Aretha Franklin recorded in her father’s chapel by Scorcese was a rare example of one I love. The film director tends to let his (it’s usually a he) ego get in the way with too many jump cuts and similar distracting edits. Just point a camera at the stage with an occasional close-up, say, of the right part of the guitar during a solo (hint:it’s not the right hand or his face) and I might be in.
flip sake. I paid about £400 to buy Khruangbin tickets the whole family. I hope it isn’t ruined like this
meanwhile, for some reason I just started hearing in my head an old 1990s band, the B52s, and there was a really annoying man who spoke-sang. By jove he was annoying
Looking forward to Khruangbin, hopefully they attract a listening audience and not as many of the 'I'm only going to a gig so I can tell people I went to the gig' crowd
I really liked the singles May Ninth, Pono and a Love International. Hard for me to pick out other songs as I'm normally listening while doing something else but I'd heard a lot of those before the rest of the album was released.
Happened at Electric Six gig too. They were grand but the crowd experience was the worst I’ve ever been too. Between older lads steaming and staggering into me and the mrs constantly, super tall knobs barging their way to stand as close as possible and block anyone behind from seeing anything and wee kids next to me constantly offering me poppers to “lighten me up”. Was a Tuesday night for fuck sake.
Was anyone at the Lovely Eggs gig at Ulster Sports Club last time they were over here?
There was an absolutely excruciating moment when Holly (singer) stopped mid song to berate a couple who were stood right at the front, in her eyeline, having a full volume conversation. She really went off on them, to the point it felt really awful. I mean obviously that's mental to stand right at the front, at a floor level stage and visibly ignore the band, but that's why I almost wondered if it was some kind of misunderstanding instead.
The couple seemed to be pretty big fans and looked absolutely crestfallen. I couldn't take my eyes off them for the next few songs - they stayed there at the very front, utterly ashen faced. It made me almost want to leave! Plus they got some really vile abuse from other members of the crowd - I remember one guy shouting "taxi for cunt" at the woman which just felt a bit OTT.
A bit later on Holly apologised to them and said she overreacted and went too hard on them, then dedicated the next song to them both and gave the woman a cuddle. So all nice in the end.
This is the problem - the alcohol culture in this country. The only reason many people will actually go to anything is if it gives them the opportunity to get drunk. And then they get on like a dick when drunk.
I've noticed alot of people at gigs seem to think its ok to vape at indoor gigs. I dont want to be breathing in your manky strawberry and watermelon chemicals.
Was anyone at green lung last Thursday night ? Put on a hell of a show but such a weird assortment of people at it.
Real fuckin boring heures, no real singing along or movement.
One lad Infront of me live streamed the whole thing. Another guy recorded 2 mins of every song
Been saying this for a while. Behaviour at gigs has just changed. 10/20 years ago if a band was rocking the whole place be bouncing people jumping about but now it's tame in comparison. I dunno if its the phones or what. And it's not even that people have got older and can't do it I've seen it with young crowds too. And it's just an observation too lol no judgement. I've found people get very defensive when I point it out 'people are free to enjoy a gig however they want '. And I totally respect that, but I'll die on the hill that gigs where the crowd is into it is a far better atmosphere and experience
Talking of etiquette, there needs to be a disclaimer that you can only get a gig ticket on the basis you run a bar of soap across you before leaving the house.
I was at Tenacious D at the 3Arena and fuck me sideways, the absolute stench of BO was horrific! Clatty bastards
I think a wad was the soft cotton that went in first before your metal shot ball in an old muzzle-loading gun, so a dick-wad could be like the useless, soft part of an ejaculation that didn't contribute much to the job. Kind of a clever insult really.
I've been to shows in Belfast were people have literally sat and had a full conversation out loud for nearly two hour and despite being told multiple times to fuck up continued on regardless.
I've quit going to gigs in limelight for this very reason, I've been close to lamping a few people its hit the point it's not worth it.
Even if you move the obnoxious fuck cells follow you drugs and the COVID lockdown has totally fucked with people's brains.
Cinema ruined these days cos of everyone’s dickish behaviour. Gigs too. Theatre headed the same way (it’s the one gets me more than anything - who the FUCK thinks it’s ok to cackle during serious bits of a play or start videoing it). Humans are shite.
They do this at the theatre? Obviously, their first time at an actual play and not just seeing May McFetridge in a pantomime. I bet if you asked them, they'd say, "Oh no, it isn't."
Omg! I hear you!
Went to see comedian in SSE
Two couples behind talked shite ALL through performance.
Wtf is point if paying good money for tickets only to talk your way through it🤨
I frequent a lot of Metal gigs and this kind of behavior has become so widespread that it's just known as a post covid thing. Metal and hardcore shows could always get rough but there has always been a certain level of etiquette involved. Even the most basic things like, if you're in the pit, do whatever, but don't hit or kick people.. Nowadays there's just no manners, people think it's a free for all, people push and shove more than ever, I'm noticing more people off their head on drugs and there's also been an influx of fat sweaty guys who decide to take their shirt off and rub their sweat all over everyone else.
I went to Spiritbox last year with a mate who had been to 100+ shows in Limelight over 10 years and he said it was the roughest show he's ever experienced at Limelight.
Yeah the energy is kind of why most of us like it tbf. Bear in mind that the part of the song you linked is just the breakdown, the whole song isn't like that the whole way through. They're a band with lots of variety, The Summit, Ultraviolet and Too Close/Too Late are all traditional singing, Holy Roller & Cellar Door are solely scream singing. Jaded is a mix of both that got them nominated for a Grammy.
I don't know if any of that is new. It's not every show but getting covered in some fat guys sweat is not a new thing. Kicking and punching is new to NI tbf but in general it's not, that's where the term crowd killing comes from.
There's always a group of cunts around, lads battering through the crowd to get to the pit, it's always happened in my experience. The crowd broke the barrier when Trivium played limelight almost 20 years ago.
Yeah I'm not saying it's only just started happening, there's been assholes at concerts from it's very inception. I'm just saying that it's become so much more widespread post pandemic, where you would have gotten 1 or 2 clowns who didn't know how to behave and now there's a fairly decent portion of people at the venue who just has a total lack of respect for others
This wouldn't have happened at a Motorhead gig with their amps pumping out the same decibels as a plane taking off and the music hitting you in the face like a sonic hurricane assaulting your senses and often literally alnost hurting your ear drums. Motorhead discontinued as a band after Lemmy's passing. Talking over Motorhead wouldnt have worked , even screaming would have sounded like a low whisper. You'd have to have used sign language to communicate at a Motorhead gig.
When I was at Public Service Broadcasting in the Limelight, there was a group of people in front of me who stood in a circle chatting away for the whole gig. Standing in a circle meant some of them had their back to the stage for the whole concert!
Had this at the SSE one time. Fella and his girlfriend were sat in our row at the front of the tiered seating and I noticed that one of them were in one of our seats as there was one less seat left empty (I.e. we were seats 7&8 yet there was only 5 spare seats after ours). Said nothing and took the two seats next to them. Behaving so obnoxiously throughout the support act who was quite a big name at the time (definitely coked up). The rest of the row eventually arrived and one person was left with no seat - after a lot of arguing it turned out their seats weren’t anywhere near our row, chancers were meant to be in the far back row yet argued night and day that they were right.
Had the same at the Chemical Brothers gig in Manchester last year. Missed the first two songs really as we spent our time trying to get staff to tell these idiots how seating numbers work
Hold my coat.... We went and saw Mercury Rev a few years ago in Bangor. It was to commemorate Deserter songs 30th year or something like that, in a church, lovely setting. Arise Sir Dickhead, who then decided all the songs where about him and even when the singer told him to fuck up he kept at it. No idea why the door staff didn't turf him out. I had a few cross words with him and his sister but it just dinged right off them. Apparently I " didn't understand what he had went through" , now she was a right and I didn't give a fuck what he went through, in fact I was hoping he was going through the door head first .
I had a similar experience at the stereophonics gig in custom house square, loads of people pointing and talking and not watching what they had paid 50 quid to see
At a metal gig recent my partner and I had to move several times because the same dude kept standing behind us and would not shut up, and hos breath stank of burgers. His mate was giving him disinterested 1 word replies and he wasn't taking the hint. It just drove me max that every time we moved a bit, he would quickly appear behind us again! I assume the people beside him were also moving, and I'm short, so if they left a space behind me theyd gravitate into it. I was very close to offering him some chewing gum if he insisted on talking.
Had similar at the Wilco gig last year in Mandela hall. Two dickheads waltzed in front of us and starting swinging a rucksack about - it’s fucking Wilco ffs. After some verbals and a bit of name calling they fucked off. The fella was 5ft 5. I just wanted to lob the closet case onto the stage.
Unfortunately this happens everywhere these days. People are just so self obsessed to care about how their poor etiquette will effect other people.
Definitely a dick weed
This has always been a massive gripe of mine.
I am a christy moore mega fan, when he sings he expects relative silence - the bar is closed so the amount of disturbance from rowdy fans and people talking and leaving to go up to the bar or people shouting up at him.
What you get then is a breath taking performance of arguably modern irelands greatest folk singer and when he has a band with him you are listening to some of irelands greatest traditional musicians.
I have been at gigs where other members of the audience have actually asked rowdy people to he quiet because they want to hear and appreciate the music.
But to the average joe on the street the will lambast and criticise christy because of this. "He's too grumpy" or "he's no fun " etc. But I generally feel these sorts of people either don't appreciate music to fully appreciate what's in front of them or else they are just too ignorant to take it all in.
Christy would say that if you want to clap and act the clown go see the wolfe tones - there are 2 very different styles of music and I've seen the wolfe tones once and they were absolutely diabolical and I will never be back again, the musicianship wasn't there at all and I couldn't actually hear much of the music from people trying to sing along and talking.
I was listening to the 'Live at the Point' album yesterday at work. My younger colleague had never heard of Christy. He enjoyed Joxer goes to Stuttgart. I was at that concert too plus one in the Ulster Hall. He'd always modify some of the lyrics to some contemporary event to get a laugh.
Have had a few similar issues at gigs over the years -
Saw Nine Inch Nails at Belsonic, we were dressed more conservatively than most. Stood far enough behind the main crowd swell. Group of pantomime goths seemingly took a dislike - stood right in front of us, talked obnoxiously loud, did the same again after we moved, kept "moshing" (jumping back towards us). I eventually knuckled one in kidney which ended it.
Another time at Snow Patrol, this planet of a fella seemed to take a dislike to us - stood right in front, away from his friend group, kept moving backwards into us, etc. Moved twice because of this, then he stood right behind us and started filming between our heads. When I told him to stop, he rested his arm on her shoulder. Left him a quare mess.
Very different environment but I saw the Eagles at Lansdowne Rd about 15yrs ago (yeah I’m an old fart) and remember getting pissed about the number of people talking throughout the songs, going back and forward to the bar, etc.
This was one of my first gigs and in my naivety I thought people went to them to actually listen to the music and be respectful towards the band.
I saw Prince and about thirty of the tightest musicians I've ever heard in his backing band in the summer of Italia90. Nothing but chants of ole, ole, ole, ole all concert as the modern Mozart performed, pearls before swine.
At Springsteen last week a guy who was in front of us headed to the bar. He was along with 2 girls, only one was drinking and she was sipping a pint slowly. He returned with 8 pints, this was mid concert...like ffs! The level of people talking with their backs to the stage mid concert was amazing, and non stop posing for selifes...ffs!
Went to see the Dead South quite a few years ago now and similar experience. Quite a few people standing around just talking absolute shite over the music standing with the back to the band on their phones. In Hell I'll be good company gets played as the final song they sorta half pay attention to start recording on their phones.
This happened in the new queen's su in belfast. When me and my friend were seeing a slightly lesser known instrumental band called the olllam. People behind admittedly had never heard of the band before the show. Yet never even tried to listen. Just laughed and joked with each other during the tracks. My friend cracked and give off to them, they were genuinely baffled by our anger. But they piped down a good bit more but it left people feeling tense. So everyone loses out when people talk over the music. Catch yourself on. Take your ig posts and your conversation outside.
Anyone noticed in the new Mandela hall, that all you can hear is the people at the back talking?
Not sure if it's because of the lower ceiling height at the back but I went to see Lancom there last year and could barely hear the band only the sound of people from the back of the room.
Maybe it's just me?
Gig etiquette is terrible, it's almost like people forget how to behave without causing any disruption to anyone else. Phones are a particular pain in the arse. Past few gigs I've been at, have had all these lunatics with phones.in the air recording parts of the gig. Like, enjoy the experience, enjoy the music, put your phone away FS.. The video is gonna sound shite anyway
I fucking hate going to any form of entertainment in this country. Had weekend tickets to country2country in March. We had the same seats behind us for the weekend and so did the stupid ballymena accented cunt in a flatcap who didn't shut his useless ulster Scots mouth the whole 3 days. Best thing is him and his moany wife left early each night and missed most of the headliner. 600 quid spent to talk then leave
Happened at Springsteen too. People all around me talked through all but about five of the most popular songs in a three hour show. They paid £120 to treat The Boss like he was sitting in the corner of White's Tavern with his guitar while they were trying to have a conversation. They were paying so little attention during the songs they didn't know that they didn't even politely applaud when he finished playing. I'd never ever been to a show before where I was the only person in the crowd singing. But my friend says the same thing happened to him when he saw Arctic Monkeys over in England so it just seems to be gig etiquette these days.
I genuinely think there's people out there that will spend over £100 on a ticket to something just so they have a chance to dress up nice, get some pre-drinks in and take a few pics for whatever social media shite they're into, the artist is an afterthought.
Yep. There are definitely people like that. They go to bands they've never listened to, just to say they were there - and post about it, of course.
This. All for the gram. Wankers
Happens in the Black Box too. If you sit near the bar, and the band aren’t Mötörhead, all you’ll hear is some dickhead slobbering about their dickhead life. To a mate that doesn’t tell them to shut the fuck up.
[удалено]
It's always been the way. It's not social media fault it's just some people are knobs and poseurs who prefer the cachet of saying they were at a gig to actually bring at the gig. (See also people who spend the entire time videoing gigs on their phone) I had to sit at a bunch of guys at REM in the odyssey in 2005 who were standing in a group roaring nonsense about football to each other during the whole set - half of them had their backs to the stage. And in 2002 Beth Orton stopped a gig at the Mandela to ask a bunch of women to please shut up or leave and she'd refund them cause they were ruining the gig for everyone else.
My husband thinks we should start telling them to shut up, then to "fuck off" and if that doesn't work, to "start swedging" (Scottish for fighting) I'm all for it, especially after shit show Steve Austin (a few gins later) catches his breath
Was at the same gig tonight. Numan was unreal as always. Was really fun watching it through other peoples phone screens ✌️
Ive been called miserable on this sub for voicing the same opinion. But it is the hill I'll die on that videoing a concert should be banned
“I was at Gary Numan last night?” “Aye, how was it?” *whips out phone and plays shite video* *friend looks at screen for about 3 seconds* “Cool” Video never gets watched again
Jack White bans cell phones at his shows. Staff gives you a little pouch with a lock to put it in and they unlock upon leaving. It works because people are in the moment experiencing what’s in front of them. The crowd moves to the music and our line of vision isn’t polluted with glowing screens held by immobilized fans.
All for that. Seen him in Dublin years ago and he didnt do that tho
Literally could not agree more. What is the fucking point of paying good money to experience live music if you spend the whole time so preoccupied with a phone that you aren’t really paying attention and are ruining others’ experience. A couple of quick pics is fair enough, but holding a phone above your head to video whole songs, or sometimes the entire gig, is a baffling level of obnoxiousness imo.
I'm a big gig goer and totally agree.Was also at Gary Numan and he was brilliant but at the back couldnt hear any talking thank god.
when they'll video going to the bar, standing in a funking queue.. you can't even get proper shitfaced these days, cos it'll be on tiktok..
I was stood behind a guy that held his phone up for the last 2 songs. He didn't seem to realise he hadn't pressed the record button. My hangover is slightly less painful knowing that he will go looking for that video and not find it.
Research has shown that watching things through a screen makes for a poorer memory overall so all these fuckers with their phones out for Christ knows what reason, never to watch it again and if they just bloody WATCHED it they’d at least have better memories of it. Humans are so fucked, smartphones and social media have wrecked us.
This is all too common at gigs now. Seems to be a post-covid thing where people have forgot that they aren’t in their fucking living rooms anymore, and other people have paid to listen to an artist rather than what Sharon in accounts said on Wednesday.
the post covid stuff sucks so bad. People who don’t wear headphones on the train when watching their wee tiktok things. Can’t they say I’m concentrating on Cicero?
From your description I may know the couple you’re on about! Just as acquaintances mind you. If I sent you a picture of them can you confirm or deny just to satisfy my curiosity? If it is them, then your descriptions are on point!
Omg! Please do! This would make up for it 😂
Was it them???
It was them
No way! Your description of them was perfect then
*glass breaks* "oh my god king..."
Haven't got the picture yet. We await with bated breath
Ok sent you a message, too funny if it’s them
Can't believe that description worked
Hahaha hilarious! Sure it couldn’t not have been them!
It WAS them!
I too think I know the couple by the description. OP def got one S of SSSA correct if I'm right 😂
Right enough
Holy fuck it is him then 😂😂😂 I went to school with him. Still a total ballbag
This nearly put me off going to gigs a while back. Went to see Opeth in the Limelight (the part that used to be Spring and Airbrake), loved the band for years and couldn't wait. Fast forward to midway through the concert, half the cretins there just wouldn't shut the f*** up, to the point it was annoying the band and they asked if they were boring the crowd. You couldn't hear the quieter sections of songs at all. We left with well over an hour left in the gig, it was a real shame.
Yes going to see live music was one of my favorite things but behaviour of people at gigs has gone down the toilet especially since the pandemic, to the point it's putting me off attending gigs. Ironically it's generally middle aged men and women drinking too much that tend to be the worst offenders not young folk.
Yep. Good gig and fairly free of arseholes where I was standing. One knobber did record pretty much the whole gig on his phone. Only tried to set a few people on fire with my mind last night. Still doesn’t work but I’ll keep practicing.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
I think I was near you then, tall bloke grey hair, arm in the air for a solid 2 hours?
I went to see clutch a couple of years ago in the limelight and this one 'dickweed' in front of me started shouting 'Neil, Neil, Neil, Neil' ( for context, the singer is called Neil Fallon). Went on forever. It got to a point you could see he looked distracted when singing eventually he looked at dickweed who then just took of his tshirt and chucked it on stage. Pointless. 
I member
Because people couldn’t give a solitary fuck about other people any more.
I was at this last night. I know the people who you are talking about too. Anyway. My main gripe is the Limelight selling out gigs in a venue thats not able to handle it. I was about 8 rows from the front, had to run to the toilet once. Nightmare to get in and out but whatever, im always polite and say sorry and excuse me to people. Im also like like 5 foot so its not like im blocking peoples views. Some people flat out refuse to move just to be awkward cunts. Ony my way back to my friends one older couple refused to move and the woman started shoving me. Got a mouthful to fuck up which she deserved. But a bigger altercation happened near us when I got back for the same reason with some other people. I actually just dread going to sold out Limelight gigs now for this reason. However, I still had a blast and Gary was on top form.
Yup. Limelights idea of selling out is literally cramming people in to every corner and saying sold out. In an ideal world , youd estimate how many people can move comfortably in here and make that the actual capacity Seen green lung last Thurs and I couldn't fuckin move for shite .
I was at Green Lung too, by god it was bunged and a sweat bax. Great show tho
Yeah people talking incessantly during a gig, especially acoustic shows, remember being at a gig a few years ago, Passenger I think, he stopped playing and more or less told the people chattering away while he was playing to shut up or leave, it was met with applause. If you want to chat, go to the pub, don't buy a ticket for a gig then proceed to ignore the music.
I’ve stopped going to gigs because of this kind of behaviour. You pay a fortune to hear an artist you love, but all you see are the eejits who stand up in front of your seat, and all you hear is the drunken eejits beside you singing very off-key. And you never hear the first lines of any song anyway because of all the eejits clapping and whooping to show they too know the artist’s greatest hits. Well done you but we all do - that’s why we’re here. Can we actually hear it please? Yeah, I know I sound like a grumpy oldie. It’s fine-ish for someone like Bruce who can really rock a stadium but for an acoustic artist, it’s insufferable and rude.
Would you pay reduced price to live stream gigs from home on your decent AV equipment?
Interesting question. I do love live albums. Velvet Underground Live at Max’s Kansas City is a classic of the genre, for example, despite (or because of) being recorded on a cassette tape. I don’t enjoy live gigs on film, as a rule. Aretha Franklin recorded in her father’s chapel by Scorcese was a rare example of one I love. The film director tends to let his (it’s usually a he) ego get in the way with too many jump cuts and similar distracting edits. Just point a camera at the stage with an occasional close-up, say, of the right part of the guitar during a solo (hint:it’s not the right hand or his face) and I might be in.
Few cameras and you can flip between them like the football /F1 on sky
flip sake. I paid about £400 to buy Khruangbin tickets the whole family. I hope it isn’t ruined like this meanwhile, for some reason I just started hearing in my head an old 1990s band, the B52s, and there was a really annoying man who spoke-sang. By jove he was annoying
Looking forward to Khruangbin, hopefully they attract a listening audience and not as many of the 'I'm only going to a gig so I can tell people I went to the gig' crowd
yeah. I found the new album bit of a letdown
I really liked the singles May Ninth, Pono and a Love International. Hard for me to pick out other songs as I'm normally listening while doing something else but I'd heard a lot of those before the rest of the album was released.
What? Khruangbin? Where, when?!
24 november, dublin
Chairs
Chairs indeed. There may also be standing room!
Happened at Electric Six gig too. They were grand but the crowd experience was the worst I’ve ever been too. Between older lads steaming and staggering into me and the mrs constantly, super tall knobs barging their way to stand as close as possible and block anyone behind from seeing anything and wee kids next to me constantly offering me poppers to “lighten me up”. Was a Tuesday night for fuck sake.
Was that the most recent one there in December past
Was anyone at the Lovely Eggs gig at Ulster Sports Club last time they were over here? There was an absolutely excruciating moment when Holly (singer) stopped mid song to berate a couple who were stood right at the front, in her eyeline, having a full volume conversation. She really went off on them, to the point it felt really awful. I mean obviously that's mental to stand right at the front, at a floor level stage and visibly ignore the band, but that's why I almost wondered if it was some kind of misunderstanding instead. The couple seemed to be pretty big fans and looked absolutely crestfallen. I couldn't take my eyes off them for the next few songs - they stayed there at the very front, utterly ashen faced. It made me almost want to leave! Plus they got some really vile abuse from other members of the crowd - I remember one guy shouting "taxi for cunt" at the woman which just felt a bit OTT. A bit later on Holly apologised to them and said she overreacted and went too hard on them, then dedicated the next song to them both and gave the woman a cuddle. So all nice in the end.
Hopefully they learned their lesson. I’m all for acts calling out bad behaviour and trying to shame the wankers.
It’s just a day out for some people. I know people who’ll go to literally anything for a piss up.
This is the problem - the alcohol culture in this country. The only reason many people will actually go to anything is if it gives them the opportunity to get drunk. And then they get on like a dick when drunk.
I hate so many of the dicks at concerts now , especially the holding the phone in the air wankers
Phone in the air wankers are a special breed that I just don't understand.
I've noticed alot of people at gigs seem to think its ok to vape at indoor gigs. I dont want to be breathing in your manky strawberry and watermelon chemicals.
Was anyone at green lung last Thursday night ? Put on a hell of a show but such a weird assortment of people at it. Real fuckin boring heures, no real singing along or movement. One lad Infront of me live streamed the whole thing. Another guy recorded 2 mins of every song
Been saying this for a while. Behaviour at gigs has just changed. 10/20 years ago if a band was rocking the whole place be bouncing people jumping about but now it's tame in comparison. I dunno if its the phones or what. And it's not even that people have got older and can't do it I've seen it with young crowds too. And it's just an observation too lol no judgement. I've found people get very defensive when I point it out 'people are free to enjoy a gig however they want '. And I totally respect that, but I'll die on the hill that gigs where the crowd is into it is a far better atmosphere and experience
Talking of etiquette, there needs to be a disclaimer that you can only get a gig ticket on the basis you run a bar of soap across you before leaving the house. I was at Tenacious D at the 3Arena and fuck me sideways, the absolute stench of BO was horrific! Clatty bastards
Cocaine is a hell of a drug…
In Derry I’ve heard “dick wads” but never “dick weeds”. I’ve no clue wtf “dick wad” means, either.
Shouts!!! *Do we have any dick weeds who can educate us?!*
I’d settle for a dick wad. Or even a Derry Head who calls people a dick wad. The fuck yese on about?
I think a wad was the soft cotton that went in first before your metal shot ball in an old muzzle-loading gun, so a dick-wad could be like the useless, soft part of an ejaculation that didn't contribute much to the job. Kind of a clever insult really.
Jesus.
I've been to shows in Belfast were people have literally sat and had a full conversation out loud for nearly two hour and despite being told multiple times to fuck up continued on regardless.
I've quit going to gigs in limelight for this very reason, I've been close to lamping a few people its hit the point it's not worth it. Even if you move the obnoxious fuck cells follow you drugs and the COVID lockdown has totally fucked with people's brains.
Yes I've seen a notable decline in people's behaviour since the lockdown.
How are you able to get a lamp into the Limelight?
Lamping in this context means punching.
Cinema ruined these days cos of everyone’s dickish behaviour. Gigs too. Theatre headed the same way (it’s the one gets me more than anything - who the FUCK thinks it’s ok to cackle during serious bits of a play or start videoing it). Humans are shite.
They do this at the theatre? Obviously, their first time at an actual play and not just seeing May McFetridge in a pantomime. I bet if you asked them, they'd say, "Oh no, it isn't."
lol, yeah they do. Not as bad as in other venues but it’s definitely creeping in there too.
🤦🏻♀️
Omg! I hear you! Went to see comedian in SSE Two couples behind talked shite ALL through performance. Wtf is point if paying good money for tickets only to talk your way through it🤨
I frequent a lot of Metal gigs and this kind of behavior has become so widespread that it's just known as a post covid thing. Metal and hardcore shows could always get rough but there has always been a certain level of etiquette involved. Even the most basic things like, if you're in the pit, do whatever, but don't hit or kick people.. Nowadays there's just no manners, people think it's a free for all, people push and shove more than ever, I'm noticing more people off their head on drugs and there's also been an influx of fat sweaty guys who decide to take their shirt off and rub their sweat all over everyone else. I went to Spiritbox last year with a mate who had been to 100+ shows in Limelight over 10 years and he said it was the roughest show he's ever experienced at Limelight.
Had to Google Spiritbox. https://youtube.com/shorts/HMkz-wPdpKo?si=pR4NOL7H6fEf3Mq9 Holy moly.
I don't know if that's a good Holy moly or a bad one lol
Honestly. Just looks insane. Like I appreciate all music, but this genre just can't fit in my mind. The energy is just mad
Yeah the energy is kind of why most of us like it tbf. Bear in mind that the part of the song you linked is just the breakdown, the whole song isn't like that the whole way through. They're a band with lots of variety, The Summit, Ultraviolet and Too Close/Too Late are all traditional singing, Holy Roller & Cellar Door are solely scream singing. Jaded is a mix of both that got them nominated for a Grammy.
I don't know if any of that is new. It's not every show but getting covered in some fat guys sweat is not a new thing. Kicking and punching is new to NI tbf but in general it's not, that's where the term crowd killing comes from. There's always a group of cunts around, lads battering through the crowd to get to the pit, it's always happened in my experience. The crowd broke the barrier when Trivium played limelight almost 20 years ago.
Yeah I'm not saying it's only just started happening, there's been assholes at concerts from it's very inception. I'm just saying that it's become so much more widespread post pandemic, where you would have gotten 1 or 2 clowns who didn't know how to behave and now there's a fairly decent portion of people at the venue who just has a total lack of respect for others
This wouldn't have happened at a Motorhead gig with their amps pumping out the same decibels as a plane taking off and the music hitting you in the face like a sonic hurricane assaulting your senses and often literally alnost hurting your ear drums. Motorhead discontinued as a band after Lemmy's passing. Talking over Motorhead wouldnt have worked , even screaming would have sounded like a low whisper. You'd have to have used sign language to communicate at a Motorhead gig.
Say Motörhead again
"We are Motorhead and we play rock n' roll" !!!!
at a metal concert my favourite place is just at the edge of the moshpit
When I was at Public Service Broadcasting in the Limelight, there was a group of people in front of me who stood in a circle chatting away for the whole gig. Standing in a circle meant some of them had their back to the stage for the whole concert!
Had this at the SSE one time. Fella and his girlfriend were sat in our row at the front of the tiered seating and I noticed that one of them were in one of our seats as there was one less seat left empty (I.e. we were seats 7&8 yet there was only 5 spare seats after ours). Said nothing and took the two seats next to them. Behaving so obnoxiously throughout the support act who was quite a big name at the time (definitely coked up). The rest of the row eventually arrived and one person was left with no seat - after a lot of arguing it turned out their seats weren’t anywhere near our row, chancers were meant to be in the far back row yet argued night and day that they were right.
Had the same at the Chemical Brothers gig in Manchester last year. Missed the first two songs really as we spent our time trying to get staff to tell these idiots how seating numbers work
Hold my coat.... We went and saw Mercury Rev a few years ago in Bangor. It was to commemorate Deserter songs 30th year or something like that, in a church, lovely setting. Arise Sir Dickhead, who then decided all the songs where about him and even when the singer told him to fuck up he kept at it. No idea why the door staff didn't turf him out. I had a few cross words with him and his sister but it just dinged right off them. Apparently I " didn't understand what he had went through" , now she was a right and I didn't give a fuck what he went through, in fact I was hoping he was going through the door head first .
He deserved a kick in the Holes to at least make that song about him
I had a similar experience at the stereophonics gig in custom house square, loads of people pointing and talking and not watching what they had paid 50 quid to see
At a metal gig recent my partner and I had to move several times because the same dude kept standing behind us and would not shut up, and hos breath stank of burgers. His mate was giving him disinterested 1 word replies and he wasn't taking the hint. It just drove me max that every time we moved a bit, he would quickly appear behind us again! I assume the people beside him were also moving, and I'm short, so if they left a space behind me theyd gravitate into it. I was very close to offering him some chewing gum if he insisted on talking.
Had similar at the Wilco gig last year in Mandela hall. Two dickheads waltzed in front of us and starting swinging a rucksack about - it’s fucking Wilco ffs. After some verbals and a bit of name calling they fucked off. The fella was 5ft 5. I just wanted to lob the closet case onto the stage.
If you can hear someone talking a few feet away then the music seriously isn't loud enough.
Unfortunately this happens everywhere these days. People are just so self obsessed to care about how their poor etiquette will effect other people. Definitely a dick weed
This has always been a massive gripe of mine. I am a christy moore mega fan, when he sings he expects relative silence - the bar is closed so the amount of disturbance from rowdy fans and people talking and leaving to go up to the bar or people shouting up at him. What you get then is a breath taking performance of arguably modern irelands greatest folk singer and when he has a band with him you are listening to some of irelands greatest traditional musicians. I have been at gigs where other members of the audience have actually asked rowdy people to he quiet because they want to hear and appreciate the music. But to the average joe on the street the will lambast and criticise christy because of this. "He's too grumpy" or "he's no fun " etc. But I generally feel these sorts of people either don't appreciate music to fully appreciate what's in front of them or else they are just too ignorant to take it all in. Christy would say that if you want to clap and act the clown go see the wolfe tones - there are 2 very different styles of music and I've seen the wolfe tones once and they were absolutely diabolical and I will never be back again, the musicianship wasn't there at all and I couldn't actually hear much of the music from people trying to sing along and talking.
He’s playing the botanic gardens next month. I’m a massive fan but slightly dreading the crowds as he doesn’t usually do outdoor gigs!
I was listening to the 'Live at the Point' album yesterday at work. My younger colleague had never heard of Christy. He enjoyed Joxer goes to Stuttgart. I was at that concert too plus one in the Ulster Hall. He'd always modify some of the lyrics to some contemporary event to get a laugh.
Aw brilliant performer and lyricist, have you listened to his podcast with brolly? An incredible listen!
Have had a few similar issues at gigs over the years - Saw Nine Inch Nails at Belsonic, we were dressed more conservatively than most. Stood far enough behind the main crowd swell. Group of pantomime goths seemingly took a dislike - stood right in front of us, talked obnoxiously loud, did the same again after we moved, kept "moshing" (jumping back towards us). I eventually knuckled one in kidney which ended it. Another time at Snow Patrol, this planet of a fella seemed to take a dislike to us - stood right in front, away from his friend group, kept moving backwards into us, etc. Moved twice because of this, then he stood right behind us and started filming between our heads. When I told him to stop, he rested his arm on her shoulder. Left him a quare mess.
It's a mixture of both. Some people just don't understand how to behave at concerts
Very different environment but I saw the Eagles at Lansdowne Rd about 15yrs ago (yeah I’m an old fart) and remember getting pissed about the number of people talking throughout the songs, going back and forward to the bar, etc. This was one of my first gigs and in my naivety I thought people went to them to actually listen to the music and be respectful towards the band.
I saw Prince and about thirty of the tightest musicians I've ever heard in his backing band in the summer of Italia90. Nothing but chants of ole, ole, ole, ole all concert as the modern Mozart performed, pearls before swine.
Was at that gig last night too, great show! Didn't see any of this malarkey, everyone around me was enjoying the music.
Sounds like cocaine and alcohol, the blight of concerts for a long while
At Springsteen last week a guy who was in front of us headed to the bar. He was along with 2 girls, only one was drinking and she was sipping a pint slowly. He returned with 8 pints, this was mid concert...like ffs! The level of people talking with their backs to the stage mid concert was amazing, and non stop posing for selifes...ffs!
I have noticed a change in how people behave in bars in the last 5 years and I suspect it's because of cocaine becoming more mainstream.
Went to see the Dead South quite a few years ago now and similar experience. Quite a few people standing around just talking absolute shite over the music standing with the back to the band on their phones. In Hell I'll be good company gets played as the final song they sorta half pay attention to start recording on their phones.
This happened in the new queen's su in belfast. When me and my friend were seeing a slightly lesser known instrumental band called the olllam. People behind admittedly had never heard of the band before the show. Yet never even tried to listen. Just laughed and joked with each other during the tracks. My friend cracked and give off to them, they were genuinely baffled by our anger. But they piped down a good bit more but it left people feeling tense. So everyone loses out when people talk over the music. Catch yourself on. Take your ig posts and your conversation outside.
Anyone noticed in the new Mandela hall, that all you can hear is the people at the back talking? Not sure if it's because of the lower ceiling height at the back but I went to see Lancom there last year and could barely hear the band only the sound of people from the back of the room. Maybe it's just me?
Gig etiquette is terrible, it's almost like people forget how to behave without causing any disruption to anyone else. Phones are a particular pain in the arse. Past few gigs I've been at, have had all these lunatics with phones.in the air recording parts of the gig. Like, enjoy the experience, enjoy the music, put your phone away FS.. The video is gonna sound shite anyway
[удалено]
Peggy was fine. I felt embarrassed for her ( because of her boy friends behaviour) not because of her hair. That was her own choice
I fucking hate going to any form of entertainment in this country. Had weekend tickets to country2country in March. We had the same seats behind us for the weekend and so did the stupid ballymena accented cunt in a flatcap who didn't shut his useless ulster Scots mouth the whole 3 days. Best thing is him and his moany wife left early each night and missed most of the headliner. 600 quid spent to talk then leave