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bums on seats

(80 Posts)
petunia Sun 03-Mar-19 09:49:59

OH and I love to go to live music performances. Musicals, operas, varied performers, professional and amateur. We sample them all. We manage to go to a performance several times a year depending on accessibility. We try also to see the bands of our youth who still manage to stagger out on stage and belt out those tunes.

However, two disturbing things seem to be creeping into the live performance experience.

One is that big venues allow food and drink into the auditorium nowadays. This is annoying when, comfortably seated I find I have to stand up as the person in the middle of the row decides to replenish the pints of beer. And later, dispose of those pints in the middle of the performance. Looking around the venue you can see disturbed rows standing to allow a shuffling figure out then in again clutching two pints of beer in plastic glasses. But hey, venues have to make a profit.

We went to the Genting Arena on one occasion and the two women in front brought in fish and chips. One of then didn't finish hers and put the half eaten meal under her chair where it exuded the smell of chips for the rest of the performance. Not good but I can live with it.

But the thing I find most disturbing is the recent practice of as soon as the act hits the stage, the audience claps and cheers and then, stands up. And they stay standing, swaying, arms waving in time to the music for the entire performance. So where ever I sit, having paid a considerable amount of cash, I am obliged to stand also. But, being a short person, I cant see a thing.

It happened again last night. In tiered seats, chosen to hopefully avoid the standing scenario, the first row stood when the main act came on. Then like a Mexican wave, each row in turn got to their feet. I saw nothing of the performance, apart form the giant of a man in front of me having a jolly good time bobbing his head, clapping and swaying to the music.

When did it become normal for people to stand throughout a performance. In the past few years I've not seen Blondie. I couldn't see Neil Diamond. I only heard ELO. I saw slivers of The Who. I have caught glimpses of many of the old names but rarely the whole body. I've not seen the whole band at the same time, on the same stage for years.

In a dark mood after the performance last night, I vowed never to attend a live performance again. But then looking at the programme for later in the year.......

lemongrove Mon 04-Mar-19 14:42:28

I can’t imagine anything worse than a ghastly concert full of shrieking clapping whistling idiots stuffing themselves with beer, fish and chips or whatever.I would pay good money
not to have to go.
Crass behaviour continues unabated at the opera, theatre, and even cinemas ( moronic clapping and whistling at bits they like or at the end.....do they think the actors on the screen can actually hear them?)
As for the infernal incessant chomping and slurping, does nobody eat at home anymore? Can’t they go for an hour or so without sustenance?

lovebeigecardigans1955 Mon 04-Mar-19 14:24:54

The most recent concert I went to was Paul Carrack last year at the Royal Centre in Nottingham. He was great and luckily the audience remained seated - but stood up for the encores which is perfectly acceptable. A great atmosphere.

justanovice Mon 04-Mar-19 14:12:00

I don't understand why people pay a fortune for tickets and then spend the entire evening walking about instead of watching the performance they have paid for. As for the"jigging about" words fail me. I've lost count of the times I have had to stand up just to see at least part of what's going on.

notanan2 Mon 04-Mar-19 14:04:58

There are those who enjoy these musical events as much as the next and suggest you widen your horizons to the fact and take on board there are those who may have no option other than to be seated

If you bothered to read what I read, in venues that have both seated AND standing options, people don't stand near the seats, and the seats have good views.

The problem is where there are no standing options at all so people who want to move can do so.

Fully seated music venues dont serve anyone well... Because they are not music venues! They are usually theatres. The problem is the closure of proper music venues and touring bands being booked into inappropriate alternatives.

Some multi purpose venues have stalls that can fold away, leaving the tiered seats at the back with good views and plenty of standing room at the back, but they tend to be the much bigger venues for the big big names, for less big names they are playing play houses not music venues and its rubbish all round.

Its not the fault of people who stand when gigs are booked in inappropriate venues.

Gettingitrightoneday Mon 04-Mar-19 14:00:29

I hate the whooping and whistling that goes on . Whats wrong with clapping.

This grumpy old bag is on the loose again. angry

sarahellenwhitney Mon 04-Mar-19 13:52:18

Notana2
There are those who enjoy these musical events as much as the next and suggest you widen your horizons to the fact and take on board there are those who may have no option other than to be seated .My self as someone who has friends with disabled family it is not unusual for them to get together with others in similar situations for musical events who need to be seated.As for' sitting blankly' may I suggest when you yourself attend these events you concentrate on what you are there for and not on how you believe others should conduct themselves .

marionk Mon 04-Mar-19 13:44:18

Having been to some wild gigs in my youth I was horrified some years later to see pick’n’mix sweets being sold before a Meatloaf concert ?

Hm999 Mon 04-Mar-19 13:43:54

Can you sit at the front of the area, or on the end of a row?

stella1949 Mon 04-Mar-19 13:35:29

The last concert I went to was a Rolling Stones one, in a football stadium. I paid extra for a seat on the field, about 30 rows from the front, but the "stand up and wave" immediately became "stand on your seat and wave" . I spent 3 hours standing on a flimsy plastic seat, wobbling about and feeling very unsafe. And the Stones were so far away, I was better off to watch them on the big screen. I'm happy to watch concerts on the TV now, it's a lot safer and cheaper .

PennyWhistle Mon 04-Mar-19 13:13:53

I recently went to see the four tops and accompanying bands at my local theatre. My bottle of water was found during a search of my bag. When the security person insisted on removing the lid (in case i intended to use it as a missile apparently) she refused to listen to my warning, then grumbled when she was showered in a fountain of carbonated water grin

At a recent trextasy concert I knew in advance that the audience would be up and bopping for the whole performance, so wore my comfy trainers so I could join in.

muffinthemoo Mon 04-Mar-19 13:06:51

PEOPLE WHO EAT DURING THE OPERA.

Yes, the capslock is justified. I could shoot them. A silent drink is one thing, but the crisps and the nuts and the chewing and crunching, my god.

When I am the despotic autocratic ruler of my country, eating during operatic performances will be a criminal offence.

Magicmaggie Mon 04-Mar-19 13:02:05

I went to see the wonderful Sheridan Smith in “Funny Girl” in our local cinema.
She was incredible and I couldn’t resist ? at the end of
every song, however, after awhile I realised I was the only one doing it.?
It was a soulless experience as others have said and completely lacking in atmosphere.

JanaNana Mon 04-Mar-19 12:49:45

This standing up throughout a performance isn't exactly a new thing. About 20 years ago this happened at a Gloria Estefan concert we had booked to see in Birmingham. Our seats were about 4 rows from the front and and the minute she came on stage the clapping ,cheering, and standing up began....all the way through the performance. We used to go to lots of concerts in those days, and this was not exactly the norm then, and we were quite surprised, not to mention tired after standing up throughout. We were only just about 50 then and had the stamina to do so, but wouldn't like to do it now. I would probably find the continual eating and drinking you have mentioned much more of a nuisance with the smells of the food and disruption of people constantly getting up to buy more of it. Whatever happened to waiting for the interval for food and drinks?

icanhandthemback Mon 04-Mar-19 12:21:59

I went to see Muse at the cinema. What a soulless experience that was, I walked out after the first couple of tracks. Live gigs aren't perfect but you just don't get the atmosphere any other way.

GabriellaG54 Mon 04-Mar-19 12:20:31

I don't go to venues where people don't know how to behave.

dragonfly46 Mon 04-Mar-19 12:09:15

I did actually manage to see Neil Diamond but was shocked at the number of people who got up and walked around during the performance to get drinks and food.
At a Bob Dylan concert which was extremely expensive I was amazed that the couple behind us talked the whole way through about inconsequential things. Surely they could have gone to the pub instead.
I used to go and see the stars at the Leeds Empire when I was a girl and sat in the gods for a shilling. We saw everything and had a great view.
I recently went to see Take That at Wembley and was so far away that i could not tell one from the other except on the screen and it took hours to leave the venue due to the sheer numbers attending.

I have accepted I am too old for concerts these days.

notanan2 Mon 04-Mar-19 11:33:01

but standing for an entire concert when having bought seated tickets I cant understand

But so many places bands end up playing nowadays don't have standing options.

I don't go see a band to sit looking stoic

I prefer standing, or mixed venues. A lot of those venues have closed down so touring bands end up in theatres without movable seats instead of fit for purpose music venues

Marilla Mon 04-Mar-19 11:31:14

I have stopped attending live events as I end up feeling so frustrated with the behaviour of many of those around me.
I understand the excitement of a rock concert with the audience on their feet and having a great experience.
But the endless drinking and eating in other types of performances is infuriating.

Parents are clutching ‘coffee to go’ at school performances. Then the mobile phone is held up throughout and spoils the view for everyone behind them. I have now started tapping them on the shoulder and telling them to put their phones away as they are spoiling it for everyone else. I can do a very good death stare!

Annaram1 Mon 04-Mar-19 11:22:21

My husband and I were given tickets to see "Thriller" in London some years ago. It was a tribute to Michael Jackson. We were in the 2nd row. As soon as the band came on the whole audience except for us rose as one and started singing in unison, swaying and applauding. All we could see was up the noses of the band and their feet thumping on the stage.
Having been deafened we left the theatre at half time and escaped into the London night. A ghastly experience.

jenni123 Mon 04-Mar-19 11:12:07

Im disabled. 2 friend gave me a ticket to see an Elvis tribute last year. They chose seats carefully with me on the end of the row. Almost as soon as it started everyone stood up. I spent the whole show looking at the backs of the people in the 5 rows in front of us.

icanhandthemback Mon 04-Mar-19 11:01:40

When I go to see a band play, I try to find out what the supporting band play. When I went to see my favourite Heavy Rock Band, they were playing with a Heavy Metal Screamer band who weren't my thing at all but in the heat of the moment I found myself standing whilst belting out the chorus which was rather rude in language. There were 2 young women sitting next to me (who was probably the oldest in the room) and I was rather amused when they changed places because I had terrified the life out of the one who was sitting next to me. I was with my Son and DIL so they still tease me about it several years on.

anitamp1 Mon 04-Mar-19 10:59:00

Petunia, I'm with you regarding people in the big stadiums getting up during performances to get drinks. Tickets for the big events cost such a lot these days and some people seem to miss half the concert. I never want to miss a minute. A couple of times I've seen people thrown out of venues right at the start of the performance because they were drunk and disruptive. Why would you pay a lot of money to just get drunk? Regarding people standing during concerts, I do have slightly mixed feelings. I'm one of these people who love to move to the music (depending on the type of performance) and can find it frustrating sitting down. But I am always respectful that not everyone wants to stand and I would never stand in front of sitting people unless it's got to the point where virtually everyone is standing. One other thing that infuriates me is that regularly at big concerts people persist in horrible shrill whistling at every possible opportunity. Or loud shrieking at the end of every song. It's awful when they are near you, and so unnecessary.

Magi Mon 04-Mar-19 10:53:24

Save your money to spend on something else

Nanny41 Mon 04-Mar-19 10:52:49

Audience participation is one thing, but standing for an entire concert when having bought seated tickets I cant understand, as for taking food into the venue I have never heard of it, and in and out of a concert to fill up with lager, whats the world coming to.What happened to having drinks during the interval!

Craftycat Mon 04-Mar-19 10:42:11

I don't think I have ever sat down at a concert- I mean rock not classical.
You surely have to stand to dance about a bit & get into the mood. I don't actually ever remember having a seat except once at a Stones concert at Wembly as my friend was short & wanted to be able to see but we still stood up when they came on & stayed standing. It would never occur to me to sit during the performance.