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Post by Dylan on Sept 17, 2014 1:33:19 GMT -5
So, I've been working myself up to start this thread; and frankly, I simply haven't had time to write the lengthy post that I would like to. I've got a lot of things I want to say, and I know there are at least a few people who have similar thoughts, so I'm just going to put this out there and comment as I can:
That was the worst festival crowd I've ever been a part of.
I hate to say that because I know that almost everyone who reads this was a member of that crowd; and, by and large, my comments should probably be directed at people who aren't actually on this board. I had a wonderful, wonderful time at Lockn'. I met some really awesome people and there were moments where the vibe and atmosphere were great.
However, I had more than a few encounters with some truly awful concertgoers.
My foremost complaint surrounds peopletalking shouting entire conversations at each other during musical performances.
It was absolutely out of control. I had to move and/or ask people to be quiet at numerous shows. Had I spoke my mind, I probably would have yelled at a lot more people. I don't like to pick arguments in a festival atmosphere, so I actually restrained myself from telling people to shut up all weekend. I shushed a few people, I gave a lot of glares, and finally during Allman's I actually had a minor outburst. I hollered "HOW ABOUT WE ALL JUST SHOUT AT EACH OTHER DURING THE SHOW!" In that instance, the guy was actually cool about it; he conceded that I had a point and he and his buddy quieted down and decided to take their conversation elsewhere.
One of the worst crowd experiences came (somewhat surprisingly) during Tedeschi Trucks acoustic set. I was in front of the soundboard and there were still people ignorant enough to carry on full conversations loud enough for other people to hear every word. At one point, while Susan Tedeschi is literally alone on stage with an acoustic guitar, a group of 50-somethings behind me were just chatting away, laughing, and exchanging phone numbers. After they ignored my first few glances/glares back at them, I finally gave them a "ssshhhhhhhh." I wasn't super obnoxious or loud about it, but they obviously heard me, as one of the women exclaimed, "Is he serious? What a loser!" I'm talking about a grown woman - certainly old enough to be my mother - and she's calling me a loser for expecting basic concert etiquette at an acoustic performance.
There were plenty of other examples, I won't detail them all, as I'm sure others will have their own encounters to share. Needless to say, I've never had that many problems with people talking in a festival setting. It's like, if you aren't invested in what's happening on stage, go fucking do one of the ten million other things there are to do at a festival!
I'm not demanding silence during all performances. I do, however, think it is basic concert etiquette that you don't conduct actual conversations at a volume that impacts the people standing around you.
Two key phrases there:
1. Actual Conversations
I'm not talking about people shouting, "I'm going to grab a beer" or "What time does Phil start?" I mean people who are just shooting the shit: talking about what happened last night, telling stories about their kids, and otherwise engaging in a discourse that is in no way relevant to what is going on around them.
2. A Volume That Impacts People Standing Around You
I am baffled as to why two people will stand in a field, both facing a stage blaring music, and actually shout back and forth at each other to communicate. Some of ya'll must come home incredibly hoarse from all of that hollering. Here's a protip:
If you want to talk to someone at a concert, lean in close to them and speak directly into their ear.
You might have to raise your voice slightly, but you won't have to shout. This preserves your vocal cords as well as the auditory experience of the people around you, who also paid their hard earned money for that same irreplaceable moment in time.
Prior to the festival, I made a joke or two about "Bros" being at certain shows, and I can honestly say that I had minimal problems with guys in the "bro" category. I had more problems with yuppies and people who were obviously daywalkers. The daywalkers were ridiculous on Saturday and Sunday; they were a strong presence in the back half of field and things definitely got crowded (especially with all of those chairs [I've got more to say about those, but I think I'm starting a separate thread for that]).
I had an interesting encounter with three yuppie women after Saturday's rain delay. When I got to the stage (about 15 minutes into Panic's set), I found them sitting in soccer-mom chairs on Petty's side of the stage. We were well in front of the soundboard, and they had no business setting-up chairs where they were, but the full crowd had yet to return from the delay. As the crowd grew around them, I could see their frustration mounting. They spent basically all of Panic's set just sitting around looking grumpy. One woman spent most of her time staring at other patrons with a look of judgement on her face. Another, who never stood up, didn't even have her chair facing the stage. When Petty came on, judgement lady got up for a bit, but she was obviously forcing it and eventually sat back down. The grumpiest looking of the three stood up and sang for exactly one song: "Yer So Bad". The irony was not lost on me.
Maybe halfway through the set, they finally admitted to each other that they had all managed to get sand in their vaginas. The three of them all got up and left in the middle of Petty's show, leaving their fucking chairs in the middle of the crowd! They didn't even both to collapse them to save space.
Anyway, I've got a few more comments/stories, but it's getting late, so I'll save them for another post.
Your thoughts, experiences, and opinions are welcomed.
That was the worst festival crowd I've ever been a part of.
I hate to say that because I know that almost everyone who reads this was a member of that crowd; and, by and large, my comments should probably be directed at people who aren't actually on this board. I had a wonderful, wonderful time at Lockn'. I met some really awesome people and there were moments where the vibe and atmosphere were great.
However, I had more than a few encounters with some truly awful concertgoers.
My foremost complaint surrounds people
It was absolutely out of control. I had to move and/or ask people to be quiet at numerous shows. Had I spoke my mind, I probably would have yelled at a lot more people. I don't like to pick arguments in a festival atmosphere, so I actually restrained myself from telling people to shut up all weekend. I shushed a few people, I gave a lot of glares, and finally during Allman's I actually had a minor outburst. I hollered "HOW ABOUT WE ALL JUST SHOUT AT EACH OTHER DURING THE SHOW!" In that instance, the guy was actually cool about it; he conceded that I had a point and he and his buddy quieted down and decided to take their conversation elsewhere.
One of the worst crowd experiences came (somewhat surprisingly) during Tedeschi Trucks acoustic set. I was in front of the soundboard and there were still people ignorant enough to carry on full conversations loud enough for other people to hear every word. At one point, while Susan Tedeschi is literally alone on stage with an acoustic guitar, a group of 50-somethings behind me were just chatting away, laughing, and exchanging phone numbers. After they ignored my first few glances/glares back at them, I finally gave them a "ssshhhhhhhh." I wasn't super obnoxious or loud about it, but they obviously heard me, as one of the women exclaimed, "Is he serious? What a loser!" I'm talking about a grown woman - certainly old enough to be my mother - and she's calling me a loser for expecting basic concert etiquette at an acoustic performance.
There were plenty of other examples, I won't detail them all, as I'm sure others will have their own encounters to share. Needless to say, I've never had that many problems with people talking in a festival setting. It's like, if you aren't invested in what's happening on stage, go fucking do one of the ten million other things there are to do at a festival!
I'm not demanding silence during all performances. I do, however, think it is basic concert etiquette that you don't conduct actual conversations at a volume that impacts the people standing around you.
Two key phrases there:
1. Actual Conversations
I'm not talking about people shouting, "I'm going to grab a beer" or "What time does Phil start?" I mean people who are just shooting the shit: talking about what happened last night, telling stories about their kids, and otherwise engaging in a discourse that is in no way relevant to what is going on around them.
2. A Volume That Impacts People Standing Around You
I am baffled as to why two people will stand in a field, both facing a stage blaring music, and actually shout back and forth at each other to communicate. Some of ya'll must come home incredibly hoarse from all of that hollering. Here's a protip:
If you want to talk to someone at a concert, lean in close to them and speak directly into their ear.
You might have to raise your voice slightly, but you won't have to shout. This preserves your vocal cords as well as the auditory experience of the people around you, who also paid their hard earned money for that same irreplaceable moment in time.
Prior to the festival, I made a joke or two about "Bros" being at certain shows, and I can honestly say that I had minimal problems with guys in the "bro" category. I had more problems with yuppies and people who were obviously daywalkers. The daywalkers were ridiculous on Saturday and Sunday; they were a strong presence in the back half of field and things definitely got crowded (especially with all of those chairs [I've got more to say about those, but I think I'm starting a separate thread for that]).
I had an interesting encounter with three yuppie women after Saturday's rain delay. When I got to the stage (about 15 minutes into Panic's set), I found them sitting in soccer-mom chairs on Petty's side of the stage. We were well in front of the soundboard, and they had no business setting-up chairs where they were, but the full crowd had yet to return from the delay. As the crowd grew around them, I could see their frustration mounting. They spent basically all of Panic's set just sitting around looking grumpy. One woman spent most of her time staring at other patrons with a look of judgement on her face. Another, who never stood up, didn't even have her chair facing the stage. When Petty came on, judgement lady got up for a bit, but she was obviously forcing it and eventually sat back down. The grumpiest looking of the three stood up and sang for exactly one song: "Yer So Bad". The irony was not lost on me.
Maybe halfway through the set, they finally admitted to each other that they had all managed to get sand in their vaginas. The three of them all got up and left in the middle of Petty's show, leaving their fucking chairs in the middle of the crowd! They didn't even both to collapse them to save space.
Anyway, I've got a few more comments/stories, but it's getting late, so I'll save them for another post.
Your thoughts, experiences, and opinions are welcomed.
