To Gig Or Not To Gig?

As a slightly inexperienced - yet enthusiastic - concert goer the world of gigs is still fairly new to me. A few nights ago (23/11/14) I went to The Hunting Party Tour where I saw Linkin Park and Of Mice and Men at the o2 arena London; it was undoubtedly AMAZING.
However, at this gig (and others) I've noticed the same irritating patterns occurring. Don't get me wrong, I adore live music. I found myself singing along to the lyrics and smiling more than ever as the crowd moved and the lights flashed. The atmosphere is immense and everyone seems to transform once in the arena/venue. There might be occasional fights at concerts but mostly the hordes of fans are friendly, often striking up conversations with one another in the queues. Everyone knows they are there for the same reason and that they all share a common love of the band/artist. When you're there and the music is filling the air nobody cares. Nobody. Amongst the 20,000 populating the arena all that anyone felt was the music. It's pretty easy to get caught up in the positive vibes, the heat of the crowds, and the excitement of experiencing music with the ability to get your blood racing & your heart pumping. I may or may not have begun to sound like a bit of a hippy by now but idc, a gig is one of the few places where you can walk - run/skip/shove - your way through the doors, endure the ticket and security checks, going on to forget everything. Leave all your problems or worries outside and allow yourself to become immersed in the overwhelming lyrical projections accompanied by heavy bass vibrations or mellowing acoustics. You don't know when you'll see the band again or if you ever will, for first timers the music smashing through the crowds is a very different yet lively and appealing feeling.
The following 5 minor irritations would never ruin a gig for me, personally, but can get in the way of living within the moment, along with being able to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment from the experience in order to leave with memories that will leave you smiling for weeks. 



1) Not in the arena? In the camera!

I understand you want to capture memories through photos and videos; we all want something to look back on. But what on earth is the point of being there if you're going to WATCH THE ENTIRE GIG THROUGH THE SCREEN OF YOUR PHONE!!???? I will never understand this!! At least look up from the screen? Or maybe take a few photos, go mad and take enough to fill an album. But there's only a certain amount you can take before they all begin to look the same? Right? You paid good money to watch the gig, yet you're staring at the screen of your phone - not even smiling - and adding to the huge amount of crappy quality videos that are going to appear on youtube the next day? It's also extremely inconsiderate to hold your flippin' phone/camera so high that you block the smaller peoples view of the band *ahem.*

2) Checking Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/etc every 10 minutes.
Let me get this straight, you've paid £30-70 (or more?) for this show... and you're checking social media? You're more interested in the moany 'so tired today' tweets rather than the ACTUAL BAND PLAYING LIVE in front of you?? Fair enough, have a quick look every now n then, maybe between songs or whatever, but idegi. I cannot fathom why you wouldn't want to live in the moment and get into the music?

3) Getting so drunk you act like a dick or throw up.
At most concerts you see the caretaker scurry out at some point to clean something unpleasant up. Drinking at a concert? Fab. Have fun!! But please, don't be vomit guy. That's the worst kind. If you're in the standing area its just a stupid move to drink so much you throw up, leaving everyone else awkwardly dodging the messy area and putting up with the smell for the rest of the show. Yuck.

4) PUSH, SHOVE, PUSH.
Mosh pits and standing areas involve a lot of physical contact and shoving, that is to be expected. Yet people at the front of general admissions have earned their spot. They may have tirelessly stood outside for hours, or even camped out... just for some moron to shove their way right to the front? Fighting your way through the crowds to find a great place is always fun, but surely some kind of consideration can be maintained? Especially those who are 5'9+... why do you feel the need to stand in front of those who are 5'2? WHAT ARE YOU GAINING? To add to this aggravation, if you know you're going to be in general admissions, why take a massive bag in with you? It's just going to weigh you down and whack everyone around you.

5) Groping.
Usually concerts are full of rather young girls or adolescent females. Many - not all - males take this opportunity to commit casual sexual assault. Let's sum this up in 5 simple words eh? For those males who feel entitled to take what they want? GIG. GROPING. IS. NOT. ACCEPTABLE.
It's easy to bump into or touch someone inappropriately by mistake in packed spaces, but intentional groping? Really? Many young teenage girls will just let it happen, won't say anything, and many males know this. I could write a whole post on this, - but enough have been written - it's just degrading and disgusting. You're taking the opportunity to touch women without their consent which DOES count as a form of sexual assault, but you reckon it's just having a cheeky feel or 'banter'?
Cannot emphasize enough what an issue this is.*

The next time you're at a gig, don't be one of these people, just LIVE IN THE MOMENT and be considerate!! Why walk in there and do everything possible to irritate those attempting to rock out n have a laugh around you?


No fake tickets here:
http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/

* to be clear I am not being sexist, I simply specified males as although females commit casual sexual assault too the MAJORITY of perpetrators are statistically male.