Standing at a seated concert
Standing at a seated concert
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Tiggsy

Original Poster:

10,261 posts

281 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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Saw Scouting for Girls last night in Oxford (dont ask, wife and kids choice!)

It was all seated and everyone stayed sat for the warm up act (Lovable Rouges....some Britans Got Talent rejects who were actually very good) But as soon as the main act came on a couple stood in the front and slowly the whole place had to stand to see over the person in front.

Why??? You're in a seated venue so theres no room to dance....looking around people were, at best, giving it a little thigh tapping...in fact, most people had been more energetic when sat at the start!

One of my kids had to stand on a chair to see over the bloke in front....I'm 6ft6 so probably ruined the night for the 3 rows behind me!

Now, I'm no regular gig goer, but WTF.....sit your arse down! Also, there were plenty of older folk there (50+) so it wasnt like it was a bloody Beiber gig!

Oh....and a review - Lovable Rouges...very good, odd that they were dumped by their label last month!

Scouting For Girls...every song sounded the same, lyrics by a 12 year old that loves to rhyme and if you need to ask the crowd to sing along EVERY song it gets a little much. 5/10 - catchy, but so is aids.

Lemmonie

6,314 posts

284 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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I think if you want to sit at a concert simply don't go, wait till out comes on a DVD and watch from the sofa.


You gotta stand up at a gig and have a little jig!

singlecoil

35,826 posts

275 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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I agree with the OP, and it's one of the reasons why I won't go to such concerts.

lockhart flawse

2,101 posts

264 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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OP - you're getting old man.

You might prefer brass band concerts.

Miguel Alvarez

5,176 posts

199 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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I agree but for the opposite reason. I've always avoided concerts that are sit down I want to stand and enjoy myself not to have to suck in my belly everytime someone scoots past.

killingjoker

950 posts

222 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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We always go see Doctor Feelgood. Last gig in Ipswich the whole place was like a dancefloor - probably one of the best gigs i've been too of theirs as the atmosphere was amazing. It was like a huge party.
However, The Stables (near Milton Keynes) was not a good gig. The reason? Seating. I felt sorry for them (all our party did and quite a few others as well i bet). I am sure people went who had no real idea who Doctor Feelgood are. They sat there like it was a jazz club, i am pretty sure some of them were actually dead.

marcosgt

11,496 posts

205 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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I suppose if you go to Mahler or Brahms you might not want to stand, but any kind of popular music, sitting down seems a total waste of time.

I'll never willfully go to an all seated gig (or one with just seats left), even at my advanced age smile

M

GAjon

4,076 posts

242 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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I went to watch Bryan Ferry a couple of weeks ago as it happens I could only get standing tickets.
During the first half the audience were quite restrained, however when the second half started and they did some old early Roxy Music stuff virtually all the seated section was on thier feet.

You could almost taste the Voltarol and Algepan!

Tiggsy

Original Poster:

10,261 posts

281 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
quotequote all
I agree standing is best - but not somewhere not built to stand up!

Standing in the aisle of a seated theater is daft....you cant dance, you cant move around if someone is blocking your view. Useless!

And saying seated is like watching it on TV.... do what? I sat for the warm up act and had a great time, I stood for the main act and they sucked! I dont need to stand to enjoy something!

DocJH

153 posts

202 months

Wednesday 13th November 2013
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Pop/rock concerts-stand up and enjoy, classical, sit down and pay attention.You pretty much have to accept that, no matter how tall you are, you will be behind someone taller but that's the way it is.

The live experience is surely all about getting involved in the energy and emotion of the music and it's pretty hard to do this sitting down. The band will also feed off the audience reaction and the whole thing will be flat if the audience just sits through the whole gig

Mojooo

13,291 posts

209 months

Saturday 16th November 2013
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I have mixed feelings on it - depends on the band

Generally you should stay sat down - after all there may be people who have paid for a seated ticket for a reason.

I think if there is a particularly lively song or the encore then ti is OK to stand.

But it is annoying you you have a couple of people who stand for the entire gig and the majority want to stay seated.

PurpleTurtle

8,855 posts

173 months

Monday 18th November 2013
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I'm what you might call rather obsessed with live music, regularly going to 40+ gigs a year, so see this all the time. Whenever I can I stand to avoid it.

There's been a couple of times where I've been sat and it has properly kicked off. One was an old Mod in the expensive seats for The Who at Wembley Arena, asked very politely to sit down by a city gent next to me, he turned round in an all-day-on-the-piss rage, giving it "YOU FACKING WANT SOME THEN!?" in his best Jimmy from Quadrophenia way. All very embarrassing from a fat bloke in his late forties. Security promptly called and ejected the tosser. Similar for Foo Fighters at The O2 where the bloke next to me asked these two lads to sit down, they told him to "fk Off", I expected him to call security, but he just put his pint down and leathered the two of them there and then. Cue massive commotion and all three ejected!

It is disrespectful to those around you, probably tells you a lot about their approach to life in general.


Tiggsy

Original Poster:

10,261 posts

281 months

Monday 18th November 2013
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Interestingly - back at the same venue last night for Texas....sat in the balcony and everyone stayed sat (as it was bloody steep and scary!)

Again, would have preferred to stand...but not where someone has paid for a seat behind me (and it was a sunday night so nice to sit and chill!)


Oh...and Texas - 9/10. Wow can she belt out a tune!

Nom de ploom

4,890 posts

203 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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sitting down at a gig should be banned full stop.

moshing room only please!


bass2rez

560 posts

221 months

Thursday 21st November 2013
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I'm with the O/P on this, generally speaking. I was at a Peter Gabriel concert recently, all seated. Generally, everyone stayed seated, so you could see what was happening on the stage. The audience stood for some of the more up-tempo tracks, such as Sledgehammer, which is understandable, fun song, you want to dance. Me too.

However, for a reason that escapes me, they all stood up for a slow moody track that I expected to be able to enjoy sat down and able to see everything. It seemed completely inappropriate and frustrating because I could see nothing except people's bottoms or backs. It spoilt what I was expecting to be the highlight of the concert for me.

In the end I decided that against all better judgement, and because I could see nothing, I also stood, probably forcing all those behind me to also stand. Chain reaction.

People will probably start standing up when watching a film in the cinema next.


bass2rez

560 posts

221 months

Friday 22nd November 2013
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Nom de ploom said:
sitting down at a gig should be banned full stop.

moshing room only please!
It depends on the musician and the music being played. It sounds as if you have never heard of slow or moody music. You don't "mosh" to that. Well, not usually anyway.

I enjoy a decent techno gig, dancing until my feet fall off, and I wouldn't expect an all-seater rave or dubstep gig, that would be inappropriate.

But some music, especially where the promoter deems it a "seating" type concert, should be sat down for.

craigjm

21,381 posts

229 months

Friday 22nd November 2013
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Depends on who it is but in general i notice everyone in a flat seated area will stand up and on banked seating won't. The seating in the flat section then just provides a barrier to prevent the pushing and shoving you get in just open space standing.

goldblum

10,272 posts

196 months

Friday 22nd November 2013
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People have paid for seats to watch a show. You want to dance? Either do it where you don't ruin someone else's view or fk off. Same goes for people who always take advantage of the bar at rock concerts then, emboldened, start shouting requests at the band. Bar abuse bad at two recent concerts I've been to in Liverpool. One drunk on the front row was told to shut up by his female companion, whom he punched in the face. The band stopped playing while security dealt with it.