When Chatter Disturbs Live Performances

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Imagine purchasing pricey tickets for a live show. You prepare to have a great time. Suddenly, you hear annoying noises coming from the crowd while you’re enjoying yourself. Ruins the show, right?

Many people have recently become more vocal in various online communities. They are talking about the noisy people who ruin live experiences for others.

 

1. Live Music Isn’t the Same Anymore

Musician Performing Live Music According to countless people, seeing live music doesn’t carry the same gravitas as it did in the ’60s and ’70s. Thanks to social media, concerts are more about saying you were there than actually enjoying witnessing your favorite bands perform your favorite songs. Many music fans think it will only get worse, as apps like TikTok will only shorten people’s attention spans!

2. Ungrateful Music Fans

Fans Taking Photo
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A group of selfish people talking through a set of one of your favorite live bands is considered unacceptable to hardcore music fans. One person describes a recent experience. “I saw Cold War Kids, and this group of five 30-somethings was talking and taking selfies the whole time in front of us,” one man laments. “It annoyed the heck out of me. The only song they shut up through was their current radio hit. I had to tap one of the ladies on the shoulder during ‘We Used to Vacation’ because it’s my favorite song of theirs, and if they had talked through it, I would have lost it.”

3. Willie Nelson Disrespect

Willie Nelson
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There are many bands and artists you should never disrespect, and Willie Nelson belongs at the top of anyone’s list! The outlaw country singer/songwriter is a darling of the music industry; Willie is well-loved by all. Unfortunately, many people report that his latest tour was marred by ungrateful “fans” who paid no attention to the magic happening on stage. Talk about a blatant show of disrespect; let’s hope people at least paid attention during “Always On My Mind.”

4. Opening Band Blues

Man And Woman Talking In Show
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It shouldn’t be surprising that people tend to talk over the opening band more than the headliner, but that doesn’t make it any less appalling. Opening bands deserve respect, too! “It really bugs me when people talk loudly during opening acts,” laments one woman. “Because, especially if they’re just starting out, they know you’re not there to see them, but they’re doing their best to get your attention. It’s gotta be super disheartening when people aren’t even paying attention.”

5. Concerts Are Not Bars

Friends Drinking At Music Festival
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I will make this as straightforward as possible: Concerts are not bars. Concerts are not Sunday brunches. Concerts are not family picnics. Countless people have witnessed people using live music performances as an excuse to socialize, catch up with friends, and meet new people. There’s a time and place for everything, but one would think that attending a concert should entail some actual listening to live music, shouldn’t it?

6. Why Buy Tickets in the First Place?

Man Having Ticket In Pocket
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I’ve been to many shows where I can’t rationalize why certain people attended because they had no interest in actually listening to bands play! As it turns out, I’m not alone in my assessment. “Some people drive me nuts,” explains one man. “If I’m at a concert and you’re singing along, cool, I am too. But there’s almost always someone near us who acts like they’re at the dinner table and goes on talking about their day. They don’t even get into the performance for the big hits. They just talk louder so they can hear each other. Why do you buy tickets, just to say you were there?”

7. The Pandemic Ruined Live Music

People Wearing Mask
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Many music fans blame the recent global pandemic for ruining live music, and for good reason: People were stuck inside for so long that they forgot how to act appropriately in public! Regardless of your thoughts on the pandemic in general (and the government’s response to it), even the most cynical person has to agree that people developed many toxic habits during lockdown.

8. Drunk People Are the Problem

Man Drinking
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Like in many social situations, men and women who have had too much to drink are to blame for any awfulness that transpires. “The problem is drunk people,” declares one woman. “They lose all sense of self-awareness. I recently went to a concert for a piano player where all the sober people around me were silently listening. Of course, the drunk group of FIVE in front of us had no volume control, talked over every non-mainstream song, and sang loudly during the songs they did know.” Nothing’s worse than loud, drunk people anywhere, especially at concerts.

9. A Peter Gabriel Discourse

NOVEMBER 30, 2005 - BERLIN: British musician Peter Gabriel (formerly singer of the band Genesis) at the presentation of the cultural program for the upcoming soccer world championship in Germany.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

For the life of me, I can’t explain why people would pay a premium for good tickets to see a world-class musician and not pay attention to the live show whatsoever. What kind of sense does that make? “I went to see Peter Gabriel in Buffalo last Friday, and the talking was brutal,” confesses one woman. “Granted, a good portion of the show is slower songs, but tickets weren’t cheap. You would think people would want to actually watch the show. A guy a few seats down from me turned around at two different times and told the people behind him if they were going to talk the whole show, please go do it in the concourse.”

10. Don’t Be Afraid To Speak Up

Annoyed Angry ManAnnoyed angry man
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If you encounter disrespectful people talking during live performances, feel free to fight fire with fire: Tell them to shut up! There are a million places in the venue where people can talk to each other, from the bar to the concourse to even the restrooms. We all need to do our part in keeping live music unique, which means calling out people who ruin concerts for the true fans. Don’t be afraid to speak up! Source: Reddit.

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