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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”

#161

What's with the incessant need to tell other people how to enjoy an experience? I'm reminded of this xkcd comic: https://xkcd.com/1314/

The main problem is that your way of "enjoying the experience" is detracting from the experience of those around you.

How is me having my phone in my pocket and in my possession at all times and leaving promptly after the event is over detracting from the experience of those around me?

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

#162
I despise the fact that people think they need to have their phones in front of them the entire time, taking shitty pics and videos that they'll never look at again.

However, I would never support an artist/performer who tries to prevent me from using my own things. It's not their right to tell me that I can't pull out my phone if I choose to do so. It belongs to me. So while I would never actually have my phone out during a show like it, I would never actually go to a show that would prevent me from doing so.

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

#163
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…

Agreed. This should be a policy and etiquette issue not a forcible restriction of human communication.

Imagine your teenage child attends a concert and needs to call you to escape a dangerous situation. There are so many situations of nuance that a blanket ban disrupts in a negative way.

This is a very shallow way to deal with a complicated issue.

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

#164
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The tablet to child thing is often done for benefit of those around - so that child is not noisy, does not atempt to run around etc. Of course you can also entertain the small child by playing with it and constantly telling it how to behave, but that tends to be even noisier that tablet. (Bigger child can have headphones and is able to sit calmly longer)

I was thinking of headphones.

They don't stick on small kids heads or in ears. With bigger kids, absolutely.

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

#165

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".

i dont know, an hour, two hours late? what do you expect, push notifications when the headlining band is tuning their instruments? show up an hour or two late and at worst see a little bit more of the opening band or a little less of the main act.

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

#166
post #84
post #16

Tool has been doing this same thing for years. The show I attended this past summer couldn't have been more immersive.

I've seen tool and apc in the past couple of years and even though it was officially no phones, there were still a lot of people with phones recording a good majority of the show. It is quite annoying standing behind someone shining a screen into your face. I can understand recording a short video, like capturing the curtain drop. I really just don't even get why you would want to pay to stand there holding your phon…

Someone at a ROCK SHOW blocking your view with a phone? just push them out of the way and stand in front of them.

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

#167
post #126

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

At shows you usually go through a metal detector, which will find the phone. The venue will "ban you from going in" if you refuse to allow them to deface the phone.

Source: Me. (I'm not going to accept the whole phone defacement ordeal)

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

#168
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…

Father John Misty performs some songs in a giant iPhone looking picture frame. The meta-irony is pretty delicious.

http://futureisfiction.com/blog/father-john-misty-at-hardly-...

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

#169

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…

I remember maybe 20 or so years ago, reading about how Japanese tourists visiting America would tend to look at landmarks through their camera lens rather than looking at it for real. It was considered a bizarre phenomenon at the time and the theory was that they found it more 'real' to look at through their technology than seeing it with their own eyes.

I remember finding it really fascinating and strange, and now such a thing is so normal. I completely agree that no one ever watches those videos, but it appears that capturing the experience has become in many cases more important than the experience itself.

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

#170

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…

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