Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience” • Hacker News Board

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#121

Post by Nullabillity » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:49 PM UTC

disantlor wrote: post #93

Nullabillity wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it'd be reasonable if the show actually started at the posted time, rather than first spending multiple hours on horrible-to-mediocre opening acts and breaks. If people are openly bored at your shows then it's probably time to reevaluate how you're running things, rather than getting into shouting matches on Twitter.

just show up later? the person you're trying to see was one of those opening acts once

> just show up later?

When? The tickets usually don't say "oh yeah, the show scheduled for 20:00 actually starts 22:13".

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#122

Post by CaptainZapp » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:50 PM UTC

epicide wrote: post #107

tuxracer wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have the context of having been there then those ultra-shitty videos are more like a trigger for your own memory of that moment to help you relive a really good time. It's a phenomenon similar to how certain smells bring people right back to some moment. It might not be for you but I wouldn't get too indignant about it if others indulge.

This makes sense and is an unfortunate loss for those individuals that would've gotten something out of the video. However, it seems like phone presence is still doing more harm than good. Sometimes, the best memories you have are the ones that you can't perfectly recall. You get to keep it as perfect as you'd like to remember it.

  Sometimes, the best memories you have are the ones that you can't perfectly recall. You get to keep it as perfect as you'd like to remember it.

This is completely off-topic, but:

Thank you for this comment. I can't quite explain it, but it touched something deep down inside

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#123

Post by oneeyedpigeon » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:51 PM UTC

CaptainZapp wrote: post #119

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If this policy were blanket, we wouldn't have things like this [1][2], a crowd-sourced film, pieced together from many individual audience recordings, which won a Live Production of The Year award. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_in_Praha_(Radiohead_video... [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzKHJkA8keg

Thanks for that, I didn't know that and will certainly check it out. But here's the rub (or actually a very good thing): "Radiohead contributed their own audio masters of the show." That's really amazing, but also indicates (not necessarily, I grant that. The article doesn't say) that the project was actually planned and that the band and audience were in for it from the start.

Fair point. I believe it was actually after the fact, and the fans approached Radiohead for the soundboard recording, but I Might Be Wrong.

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#124

Post by hellbanTHIS » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:51 PM UTC

geebee wrote: post #116

hellbanTHIS wrote: post #51

Great to tell people to put away their phones and not record because that really is obnoxious, but to actually confiscate phones is fascistic and shouldn’t be tolerated IMO. I mean who does he think he is?

I don't think it's fascistic at all. Think about it this way - I would like to trade my right to bring a cell phone into group event in exchange for the benefits I receive from participating in a group event without cell phones. If you don't like that trade, don't make it! But don't deny those who wish to engage in that transaction the right to do so by forcing them to have a "cell phones are welcome" policy. This is…

I suppose. Venues won’t go for this nonsense anyway, it’s a potential legal liability, they don’t care what you do with your phone and they have all the power, not the band.

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#125

Post by ghaff » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:52 PM UTC

mi100hael wrote: post #115

davb wrote: post #87

I experienced the Yondr phone prison last night for the first time (at a Chris Rock show). While I detest people being disruptive with their phones, I don’t think this is the right solution. From a practical standpoint, it took a lot longer to get into and out of the venue when phones had to be locked up. Checking your phone when you pop out to the toilet meant waiting in a queue to have your phone unlocked, and bein…

> Consequently, Apple Pay will not be available tonight. I hadn't thought of that aspect, but that presents an interesting problem. As more things get centralized on phones, this will become less & less feasible.

>As more things get centralized on phones, this will become less & less feasible.

OT, but the centralization of things on smartphones also means you're increasingly SOL if you lose your smartphone or it dies for some reason. Today, I generally still have a wallet with various things in it which likely help me to not be totally screwed without my smartphone. But as more and more of those things are replaced by the phone and what few physical artifacts there are may just be tucked into the phone it starts to become a concern.

Intel had a really funny video of someone losing their phone and what happened to them a few years back. Sadly, I think it was just internal and, when I last looked, I couldn't find it anywhere online.

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#126

Post by 15155 » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:52 PM UTC

olivierlacan wrote: post #40

The Yondr demo is quite impressive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2A38Nxz8sc It's simple (thick cloth pouch with a powerful magnet lock), allows you to remain in physical custody of your device (which wasn't clear from the article) and creates a forcing function for people who need to use their phone to simply exit the venue and get it unlocked at a kiosk.

Some possible circumvention:

- Don't disclose your phone

- Put a cheap ringer in your pocket

- Cut through the package in the parking lot and re-enter

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#127

Post by epicide » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:52 PM UTC

jasonkostempski wrote: post #25

I've heard of a few artists doing this over the past year or so. I think the banning is ultimately useless and enforcing it adds more invasiveness to the already overly invasive process of getting into a venue. A simple reminder before the concert starts that you're an asshole if hold your phone up is as far as this should go, works fine in movie theaters. Maybe phones should have a feature to take pics with the scre…

> works fine in movie theaters.

Except when it doesn't. I can't remember the last time I went to see a movie where somebody didn't light up the place with their phone at least once during the film.

> phones should have a feature to take pics with the screen off

This quickly gets into a creepy territory. I realize there are already ways to do this and there are hidden cameras, but we should probably maintain some barrier to entry.

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#128

Post by TillE » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:53 PM UTC

INTPenis wrote: post #23

A suggestion. If entertainers ban phones at events they should at least record the event themselves and publish the video for the participants or everyone. I noticed at the Mark Twain wards for David Letterman when my hero Bill fucking Murray came out a woman was literally watching him through her phone. And I was watching the whole thing on youtube at a much better angle and quality. Of course my video was probably…

I'm a little surprised that so few artists seem to obsessively record their every performance. Seems like it's just Phish and similar bands, and Pearl Jam. It's the kind of thing I would do, for posterity and for the sake of fans who are equally obsessive.

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#129

Post by king_wilson » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:54 PM UTC

While this solution is extreme, I do think we need a cultural shift that discourages filming/photos at shows. I think of the College Football Championship halftime show. 75% of the attendees were more focused on adding Kendrick Lamar to their snap story rather than actually watching him.

Personally, I'm also sick of trying to watch concerts through someone's screen in front of me.

Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”

#130

Post by monksy » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:56 PM UTC

Paul-ish wrote: post #80

hellbanTHIS wrote: post #51

Great to tell people to put away their phones and not record because that really is obnoxious, but to actually confiscate phones is fascistic and shouldn’t be tolerated IMO. I mean who does he think he is?

They don't confiscate the phones. They put them in a locked bag and hand the bag back to you. There are places throughout the venue that you can get the back unlocked to use your phone.

In other words, they don't confiscate, they deface the phones.