Inconsiderate concert goers

Missiseff. If you read my post I was mainly complaining about the people in the row directly in front of me. Difficult to watch the act youve paid to see properly when people are holding mobile phoned up in front of you.

I go to a LOT of gigs / concerts and always try to be sympathetic to the people around me but I do like to get up and have a boogie if others are doing the same. Having said that, me and my girls nearly got chucked out of Jersey Boys in London for dancing even though we were on the back row!!! .
We went to see Elvis (virtual Elvis with Philharmonic Orchestra) and just as Priscilla started talking so did the row behind us - we were fuming and told management who told them to be quiet!!

How about just watching the act you've paid to see and not what the other audience members are doing?

That has totally put me off ever going to live shows. I hadn't realised people behaved so badly.

I don’t think singing along and participating is the problem it’s lack of consideration for other people who want to enjoy all of the show in all the forms and not have to move out f the way and listen to others conversations above the goings on of the shows they are there to enjoy that are the problem.

Sparklefizz. But everyone else is singing too. It really wasnt a serious comment.

Scottiebear ..... but whether it's bad or not, people haven't paid to hear you (even if you sound lovely )

Sparklefizz. My comment was made tongue in cheek. My singing isn't really that bad.

*Scottiebear" You say and sing along enthusiastically. In fact probably people could complain about my pretty bad, tuneless, singing! ?

....so actually you are yourself one of the people you are complaining about in your original post who, in your own words "has little consideration for others" .

Judie. Been to many different types of concerts over the years. Been to rock concerts where I've stood all night. Bruce Springsteen, where I queued from 9 am till the doors opened to get gold circle bands, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, and others. Loud, noisy, pretty much anything goes. And they were amazing. And I've been to many where theres been seating only and it's been more subdued. And I've enjoyed them all. Love listening to music at home, but live concerts are something else and I love them. Hope I can keep rocking for many years.

Just been to see rod stewart and then bon jovi,stood up when they came on stage and didn't sit back down lol. Only concert I have ever sat through was bob dylan the other year and that was so bad we asked for a refund. Also take loads of photos and videos during them ?

The last time I went to a concert we had a woman singing along tunelessly behind us. We hadn't paid to go there to hear her and I was shocked at the selfishness and lack of consideration for others.

After the interval she was drunk to add to the problem, but we noticed some empty seats further back - cheaper than ours but far enough away from her, so we moved.

Great idea at the Birmingham Arena where we saw Michael Bublé. They have a walkway from the stage right through the audience and he was walking up and down that, giving more people the chance to see him close up. I could have touched him. I restrained myself

I am with you all the way. I took my husband to see Lionel Ritchie last year (his birthday treat). Paid top price for the seats which were three rows from the stage, fantastic views. It was outdoor and unfortunately it did rain! However we went prepared. There was a woman dancing round in front of us flapping her coat in the air completely spoiling our view. To top it all she shouldn't have even been there, she had cheaper seats and kept sneaking past security, who sent her back out when they noticed her, her friends were on the row in front of us. I must admit I will never pay for the best seats again, she completely spoiled our enjoyment. So inconsiderate for everyone else who had gone to enjoy the concert. Lionel was fantastic in spite of the rainwater having to be brushed off the stage and him having to dry himself with a towel during his performance!

Some years ago my daughter and I went to see a play. A large group of teenagers were there as the play must have been what they were studying for GCSE. They were so badly behaved, jumping over the back of the seats, shouting, laughing, throwing things. My daughter turned and asked sweetly what school they were from. They told her without hesitation. The next morning my daughter rang the head teacher and told her exactly how bad they'd been. Hopefully they were suitably punished.

They do have presales Nonnie. It's still virtually impossible to get great seats though. My sisters joined Rod Stewart's fan club and were promised advance notice of sales. It didn't happen.

I once went to a concert to see an artist who was obviously a favourite of young girls. It was absolutely horrendous. The girls started shrieking from the minute he appeared on stage and never stopped for the whole concert - I never heard one single song. What was the point of that? Their parents must have paid a lot of money out for them to stand and shriek for two hours!
(I can't even remember who the artist was lol).

Another time I was sitting in front of a lady who had the most awful BO. I spent most of the concert retching every time I got a whiff of her.

I won't even go to concerts, they make me feel like I've been herded into a cattle truck. I prefer listening in the comfort of my own home. Sometimes a small jazz band or something in a pub is nice, but at least you can still go on using the pub in the normal way, you're not being watched by officials with cattle prods. I remember being at the albert hall once, middle aged adult in relatively good seat, having to justify my need to be allowed out to go to the loo during one session. If I am going to pay good money I expect to be treated like a good customer not a potentially rowdy nuisance.

quiz how do you get the front row seats? By the time we know about anything good the house is half sold out. I think there must be pre-sale tickets for those in the know.

We sat behind 2 adults with teenage daughters (about 12 -14) and asked in the interval if they would please stop bobbing about and talking throughout. The adults got very angry and even had a go at us afterwards. They said they were trying to teach the girls some culture. I think they should have taught them how to behave at a classical concert.

We have a small local theatre with great sight lines no matter where we sit and have never experienced poor behaviour there. I think it is the big shows where these things happen.

We went to see Michael Bublé in May. All 15000 odd people were up dancing. It was fabulous

Sadly it's a sign of the times, the 'me society' where a large number of people have no consideration for others. When you see youngsters with parents and the way some parents behave then it's natural that their youngsters think it's the norm to act in a completely selfish way.

There's a happy medium though, isn't there? No reasonable person would complain about a bit of audience participation but some folks don't know when to stop.
We saw Talon (an Eagles tribute band) and a couple of people chatted non-stop - they may as well have stayed at home and saved themselves the price of a ticket for all the notice they took of the band.
When we saw the proper Eagles there was a chap sitting next to my DH who sang along tunelessly to all the songs - I couldn't hear him but it spoiled DH's enjoyment. Public behaviour has deteriorated.

My husband and I went to Thriller once, the tribute, having been sent tickets by my daughter as a birthday treat, We sat in the second row. The whole audience except for us was on their feet, being unspeakably loud and disruptive. We walked out at the interval and vowed never to go to a live show again.

The moral of this story is- always try and get the front row, if you can, then you are less likely to get interrupted.

Scottiebear, I'm with you on all the points you raised. Totally agree.