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Old 07-08-2019, 01:11 PM
Ozzy the dog Ozzy the dog is offline
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Default Why do people do this?

We went to see the Eagles last week in Leeds, UK. They were first class as usual. However, the three seats immediately in front of us were empty and remained so until one hour 20 minutes into the concert when three men came in to take these seats. Each had a pint of beer in their hands and about another eight pints in their bellies. They sat down and were constantly shouting a conversation with each other at a level to drown out the sound from the band - they never stopped!

This was an extremely annoying interruption to a thoroughly engrossing show and the lady in front of them turned to ask them to be quiet. They ignored her and carried on with their conversation. Then Joe Walsh started to introduce Life’s Been Good which is one of my favourites so I leaned over, tapped them on the shoulder and asked them (in my strongest ‘Don’t MESS with me’ voice) to either please be quiet so we could listen to the band or leave.

They shut up and 2 minutes later they got up, apologised, and left.

They had paid hundreds of pounds for the seats, queued to get through airport style security, missed the first half of the concert getting drunk on Arena priced alcohol and occupied their seats for less than ten minutes.

Why would anyone do this?
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Old 07-08-2019, 01:17 PM
robj144 robj144 is offline
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I teach at a university. There are always a few students, who never show up to class, never do anything, and fail. Why would they (or their parents) pay thousands of dollars for a class and not do anything?

Who knows?
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Old 07-08-2019, 01:21 PM
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Interestingly, this same thing happened when we went to see Joe Walsh solo at the Wolf Trap Performance Park near Washington, D.C. in 2012. We got a couple of guys next to us who just wouldn't stop yelling to each other over their suds. We'd traveled all day to get to the venue and didn't appreciate it.

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Old 07-08-2019, 01:35 PM
beatcomber beatcomber is offline
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Free tickets, perhaps, provided to them by a vendor?
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Old 07-08-2019, 01:55 PM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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I'm so sorry you had a very special night spoilt, and I'm glad that you had the courage to challenge them, without further "difficulties."

I think that there are people who go to large concerts to listen t the music, but far more who go to "an event".

It is my pet theory that as big as the music business is , there are relatively few people who can actually appreciate music.

September 4th 1974. I went to the Wembley Stadium to see Joni Miytchell, CSNY, and the Band! I was with muso pals and somehow we contrived to get close enough to the stage to see clearly what was happening.
All was fine - me and 70,000 others.

Sometime in, probably the early eighties, good friends of mine got tix to see Fleetwood Mac at the same venue. We were way up in the gods and the stage was so distant that the band loooked like ants, but we could see stuff on rather poor quality giant screens either side of the stage. Sound quality was questionable and suffered from echos.
My lovely (non muso) friends enjoyed the event but talked (shouted) through much of it. I hated it.

I used to go to the Cambridge Folk Festival from the sixties until I realised that it was no longer for me (and my best pal died).

Scenario 1. In the main tent to see Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Every body crowded in, and Nanny Jane and I had been keeping our spot for two or three preceding 40 minute acts.

The band's gear was grought on, mics and stuff set up, then the MC walked on and said :

"Alison and the band are ready, but they won't come on until you all sit down so everyone can see and hear the show!" Everyone snuggled down obediently, and everyone enjoyed a superb set.

A year or so later :

Sitting determinedly to see James Taylor and his (wondrous) band. people crowd around us, standing and drinking (OK everybody consumes vast quantities of Guinness or whatever but it rarely seemed to encourage drunkenness).

We find our selves behind three or four very large (drunken) Dutchmen (I have nothing against the Dutch) but they were big, and noisy.

JT's gear is set up, and the MC walks on and says (James and the band are ready, but they can't start until everybody STANDS" so we can squeeze more into the tent.

So we have been waiting for maybe three hours to get our place, but, we didn't see or hear much of the 40/50 minutes that we'd really travelled, camped and waited for.

It was then that I realised that big gigs were no longer for me. I'd rather buy the CD/DVD or whatever.

People go to music gigs as a party, less so for musical appreciation.
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:21 PM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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When alcohol and/or drugs are involved, all bets are off.

Tony
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:46 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tbeltrans View Post
When alcohol and/or drugs are involved, all bets are off.

Tony
Unfortunately so true....
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Old 07-08-2019, 03:31 PM
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Last year I saw the Brian Setzer orchestra in Phoenix, Az. About a 600 mile trip. Intimate setting, with a merry-go-round type stage. So whenever Brian centered in front of us, a drunk woman and her equally drunk friend would stand and take videos, (and for what?). So we asked the 500 lb. security guard to stop her, he wouldn't. So, I asked her 3x to sit down, she wouldn't. I grabbed her phone. She turned and apologized and acted appropriately the rest of the show. People didn't act this selfishly and stupidly in the '60's and 70's, for sure.
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Old 07-08-2019, 03:47 PM
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This is one of many reasons I'll only go to concerts for classical music.
Even there we get bozos who text during the music.

Sometimes phones ring.
If that's not bad enough some even answer the calls and have a leisurely conversation on their phone.

I give up.

Last edited by Tico; 07-08-2019 at 08:21 PM.
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Old 07-08-2019, 03:52 PM
upsidedown upsidedown is offline
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Default Watch a baseball game..

Ever tune into a major league baseball game and count the number of people with seats behind home plate who are staring at their phone?
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Old 07-08-2019, 04:04 PM
Paddy1951 Paddy1951 is offline
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People... Some don't really appreciate the entertainment they come to see/hear.
Some have too much money. They can do whatever they want, whenever they want. There is no joy because it all comes too easily.

I saw the Eagles when they got back together-Hell Freezes Over. It was PERFECT. It cost some serious money. It sticks in my mind because it was Soooo good!

Addictions. Sad to say but for some, they cannot enjoy the music just by itself. Alcohol is legal and available.

I once went to see Don Henley at a great outdoor theater near Chicago. There was a guy behind me who immediately started fast consumption of beer. He did not even make the opening act. By the time Henley came on he was in a heavy sleep brought on by the effects of lots of beer. He saw nothing of the concert.

A waste of his time and money.

The notion that for some, it's the whole event mentality is spot on.

Major concerts are very expensive today. The kind of folks that raise cain and heavily drink, ruining it for others, are selfish idiots.

Because of such behavior, I am very selective about the concerts I attend. I actually prefer small venues and not quite as big a name.

For instance, I saw Shawn Colvin last fall in a small venue. Up close, good sound. People who WANTED to see and hear her.

To the OP... I am sorry your concert was disrupted for you. There is no good, absolute answer to your question.

Last edited by Paddy1951; 07-08-2019 at 07:22 PM.
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Old 07-08-2019, 04:12 PM
Ozzy the dog Ozzy the dog is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
People go to music gigs as a party, less so for musical appreciation.
This is so true these days. A few years ago when we were having a big problem in UK with tickets for big shows selling out in minutes only to appear on 'Returned' sites at 3 or 4 times the face value just an hour later.

I remember watching a debate on TV regarding resale of tickets for someone like Elton John. Taking part in the debate was a very 'privileged' young man who said it was perfectly acceptable to pay £500 for a £100 ticket to see 'Elton' because it was the thing to do. The presenter asked if he liked Elton John and he replied 'Not particularly'.
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Old 07-08-2019, 04:33 PM
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Ozzy,

I’ve wondered the same of late. I went to lots of big concerts in the 70s, and aside from a few jostles over general admission seating, I recall little rudeness. Folks were there to see and hear the shows.

But that’s not how it is now. I was at a large outdoor festival with pricey tickets this spring, and quite a few of the folks near me were carrying forth loud conversations. All while Brandi Carlisle and her band played a brilliant set.

Perhaps attention spans are short? This was a well-monitored alcohol-free setting, so I can’t blame the behavior on booze.
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Old 07-08-2019, 05:31 PM
Borderdon Borderdon is offline
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Had the same thing happen at a King Crimson concert.
The people involved were clearly there for reasons other than the music.
It was clear they hadn’t a clue about the performance.
Luckily they left early too.
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Old 07-08-2019, 07:07 PM
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I guess rock concerts aren't what they used to be.
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