There were concerts before mobile phones and the wide majority of people survived them.
Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
141–150 of 545 posts
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#142That's great for them. But I won't be buying a ticket for any of his shows. After seeing what happened at the bataclan that makes this a stupid and dangerous idea.
I guess you don't use planes either? After 9/11 it's a stupid and dangerous idea.
Is there a greater cost in utility to not flying in planes vs not attending Jack White concerts? If so this may be a false equivalence.
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#143Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fair point. I believe it was actually after the fact, and the fans approached Radiohead for the soundboard recording, but I Might Be Wrong.
I really don't know. But in any case I really thank you for the links. It's great when shit like that gets real. And probably not only the fans that were at the gig, but a ton of other people will have a pleasurable experience with the result (and respect that band even more).
The NME article [0] referenced by Wikipedia makes it sound like the band was aware of the project before the concert:
> The group allowed a show in Prague in August last year to be filmed from a variety of angles throughout, and then provided soundboard masters for the film’s soundtrack.
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#144I think his statement "If they can’t give me that energy back? Maybe I’m wasting my time." is thoughtful. Jack is old enough to have gone to and performed shows in his youth where cells phone were rare if there were any. He performs not only for the music but for the energy of the crowd. A crowd that's now placed a screen between themselves and the performer taking away that energy or removing that sense of connectio…
> ...if you can't respect the reasonable wishes of the person who you paid to go see what are you doing there? Why the false dichotomy? A person could easily lack all respect for an entertainer and still want to go see them... Heck, I've gone to concerts before just to make fun of the band and its fans with my friends. One could be there doing a lot of things but the blindingly obvious answer in this case is that peo…
>Heck, I've gone to concerts before just to make fun of the band and its fans with my friends
What.
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#145Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
The problem with this is that many people have that thing out every other song, recording video, and blinding me.
As a tall person, I tell myself that the small person in front of me is just trying to use the camera as an improvised periscope to get a glimpse at the stage. I always thought that was just a private joke I had with myself, but now that I think of it I can't remember ever seeing a fellow tall person doing the camera thing. There might be a grain of truth to it. (Now I hope nobody starts calling out Jack White as a s…
As a short person. This is something I've done at almost every concert or show I've gone to. I'm there to enjoy the music. Usually will snap a couple pics so I can at least see the stage for a moment instead of heads and shoulders.
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#147People use their phones to have human experiences and connect to others that aren’t physically present. While I can understand certain environments should curb cell use (Where lights and flashes are distracting to performers and the audience), or the desire to maintain mystery or quality by controlling bootlegs... a rock concert has distractions-a-plenty, between flying beer cups, weed smoke, people gabbing loudly ab…
About these people who "use their phones to have human experiences and connect to others that aren’t physically present". How is the sender anything more than a human tripod for a webcam that happens to be in a concert? Nothing is being shared because nothing is being experienced in the first place. If anything, the camera is doing the experiencing.
By bypassing our minds and instead offloading experiences directly to the digital middleman we reduce our powers of memory and lose respect for ourselves as witnesses; we begin to feel that only what is digital is real.
Can you not see that we become less human by separating ourselves from the intimacy of experience? We demote ourselves to mediators evaporating reality to the cloud.
What musician wants to perform to a crowd of cloud-zombies? That's equivalent to a crowd of no one. And they really don't care about the experiences of those who "aren't physically present"; that's what recorded albums are for.
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#148Man, I can stand behind this. You have no idea how distracting it is to the musicians on stage when they look at the crowd and see a bunch of cell phones facing them. I'd rather see everyone bored and talking. At least that's a genuine response. I feel it's quite disrespectful to be looking at your cellphone and recording while a performer is on stage. The performer is there for you, and you presumably went there to…
We need a new etiquette and I'm not sure our culture can support one right now. Video: A few seconds, once or twice, is ok. Photos: No flash photography Audio: Record the whole show if you want. Isn't that how most Phish music is distributed? I am fine with artists putting hard limits on their audience. If they believe it will improve their art, let's give them the benefit of the doubt. It might help or hurt them fin…
I find it really depends on the venue and the audience. If you are playing to an audience of mostly musicians and music appreciation types, the cell phones are hardly seen.
It's the general crowd who isn't really there for the music that are the types to record an entire show. I veer towards snobbery saying it like that, obviously, but it's like seeing two people at an art gallery. The one snapping pics of everything and running to the next piece isn't really there for the art.
It's a tough balance since they are paying for whatever experience defines the experience for them.
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really don't know. But in any case I really thank you for the links. It's great when shit like that gets real. And probably not only the fans that were at the gig, but a ton of other people will have a pleasurable experience with the result (and respect that band even more).
The NME article [0] referenced by Wikipedia makes it sound like the band was aware of the project before the concert: > The group allowed a show in Prague in August last year to be filmed from a variety of angles throughout, and then provided soundboard masters for the film’s soundtrack. [0] http://www.nme.com/news/music/radiohead-317-1302641
But then this [1] from the organiser of it all suggests otherwise to me:
> And for a final and unhoped-for touch, Radiohead themselves accept to join this project by providing their audio mixes.
Re: Jack White bans phones at gigs for “100% human experience”
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
Playing with your cell phone is a lot less easily justified than singing bladly or dancing too wildly. If someone is talking over the concert or spilling beer on me I'm going to ask them to stop, too.
> Playing with your cell phone is a lot less easily justified than singing bladly or dancing too wildly Taking a photo to commemorate a once-in-a-lifetime experience, recording video to show friends, checking the time because you can't stay until the very end, checking the babysitter hasn't called to say the kids are in hospital, ... there are many reasons I can think of that, whilst they may be annoying, and may to…
>Taking a photo to commemorate a once-in-a-lifetime experience, recording video to show friends
Not okay at the expense of others. Professional photographers and videographers are likely recording the event for you.
>checking the time because you can't stay until the very end
Plan better or buy a watch
>checking the babysitter hasn't called to say the kids are in hospital
What are you going to do other than worry if you go to the hospital? What do you think people did before cell phones? It's OKAY to disconnect for a bit.