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

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

#151

Post by doughj3 »

TillE wrote: post #128
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.

For anyone unaware, Phish allows fans to record their live shows. Consequently, you can find nearly recordings of most of their live shows at http://phish.in going all the way back to the early 80s. It's not uncommon to see an array of high fidelity audio recorders in the front row at Phish concerts.

More info: http://phish.com/faq/#taping-guidelines

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

#152

Post by otempomores »

To be honest i can understand that someone wishes back to a time when people could let go without the world watching. When you could say 'Fuck humanity!' with a few friends in a closed circle without humanity facebombing you back. When excess was possible and it didnt mattered how it would look on Instagram because it was a muddy tangled mess.

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

#153

Post by otempomores »

slantyyz wrote: post #117
hashkb wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because they will break any rule you set. People at concerts are inebriated and uninhibited. That's the point. So you do actually have to physically enforce any rules you want to exist at a rock show.

Well it's a chicken and egg thing. If rules are never enforced at concerts, people will continue to break the rules thinking nothing will happen to them. If rules tend to be consistently enforced and people know they run the risk of being ejected from a concert, people might be more likely to behave a little more.

Dear god how i long for a well behaved rock concert

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

#154

Post by jlg23 »

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…

In case of an emergency people should follow staff's directions; preferably without being glued to their phones and without disrupting any ongoing rescue attempts by trying to take a good video...

The only relevant exception are professionals on call (i.e. doctors, police etc) - and they'll make the conscious decision to not attend such a concert unless explicitly exempted from the phone ban.

Everybody else may vote with their wallet. Personally, I'd pay a premium for concerts that enforce a no-phone policy.

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

#155

Post by jonnycomputer »

maxehmookau wrote: post #108
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…

I agree, the safety aspects of this are shocking and the 'be free of phones' puritanism is a bit dull. A _very_ strict code of conduct for attendees is something that can (and does) work. Jazz pianist, Keith Jarrett has been known to stop his 4-hour long improvisation sessions in some of the world's most prestigous venues mid-flow to dress down an attendee trying to film him. People don't make that mistake twice. htt…

My goodness, all those people who went to concerts before cell phones must have been so hardcore, taking risks like that.

My guess is that if you put your phone away you're less likely to hurt from, you know, other people doing the stupid stuff they do at concerts.

I understand that people want video, so they can post it, and get their dopa-soc on Facebook, or wherever, but seriously, musical artists (especially the ones who don't lipsync their concerts) feed off the audience's vibe. Its a two-way, not a one-way. Jack White isn't feeling the energy and is doing something about it.

I say, Jack should just take out his phone and sit there recording the audience, until the get the hint.

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

#156

Post by bonesss »

donretag wrote: post #82
illegalsmile wrote: post #46

I 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…

Many of us old enough remember that cameras were often banned from venues, even non professional ones. It wasn't until camera enabled phones became popular that this rule was dropped. I have no idea why someone would want to watch a performance from behind a screen.

Why do people drop buttloads of money getting to the Grand Canyon and then spend their time behind a viewfinder taking landscape pictures that are infinitely worse than you'll find online or purchased from pros, ensuring they spend less (and sometimes no), time enjoying the scenery and environment?

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

#157

Post by jonnycomputer »

zimpenfish wrote: post #32
CaptainZapp wrote: post #9

FAN! FUCKING! TASTIC! Sorry, I'm aware that yelling is not appreciated, but this is a really cool idea. There's hardly anything more annoying at gigs than those dunces in front of you recording some ultra-shitty video that nobody ever looks at. Those small screens are a real distraction and phones also don't really serve as substitutes for lighters used, when Led Zeppelin started with Stairway to Heaven. A rant about…

> There's hardly anything more annoying at gigs than those dunces in front of you recording some ultra-shitty video that nobody ever looks at. Au contraire. The people on either side having a conversation about their weekend dinner party whilst Lisa Gerrard does a quiet solo piece are infinitely more annoying than any camera phone. Or a lady with big hair in the first 3 rows sitting on someone's shoulders and blockin…

plus 1 for mentioning Lisa Gerrard.

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

#158

Post by jonnycomputer »

ChrisRR wrote: post #92
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.

He's talking about people recording the gig on their phone, not playing angry birds.

personally i don't think Jack cares that its being recorded. he wants an audience.

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

#159

Post by monksy »

Nullabillity wrote: post #121
disantlor wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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".

Or that the opening act starts at 22:40.

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

#160

Post by bonesss »

triangleman wrote: post #140
dizzystar wrote: post #85

Man, 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…

> We need a new etiquette and I'm not sure our culture can support one right now.

Given the improbability of anyone learning etiquette for anything, maybe what we need is something like the Total Perspective Vortex from HHGTTG: show these people their place in the crow, the impact on their fellow man, topped with a hefty dash of reality on how 'aint nobody got time' for your blurry concert photos.

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