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

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

#171

Post by edgarvaldes » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:13 PM UTC

jonnycomputer wrote: post #155

maxehmookau wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Yep, I don't get why "the safety aspects of this are shocking". Shocking?

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

#172

Post by aplc0r » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:14 PM UTC

I recently went to see A Perfect Circle who have instituted a no phones policy. It seemed to work pretty well, even without these phone lockers. I saw a handful of people escorted out by security.

It was really great to have only the concert's lighting without the distraction of a sea of screens. Many people even pulled out their lighters for one song, when at other shows I've often seen them defaulting to waving their phones instead.

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

#173

Post by throwaway43532 » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:16 PM UTC

jonnycomputer wrote: post #155

maxehmookau wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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

I get the point you're trying to make, but to me this just reads like gatekeeping.

Cell phones are useful and they can make people safer. In a world with cell phones not having timely access to one is riskier. In a world without cell phones it's a moot point.

The more interesting issue -- which others in this thread are discussing -- is whether the benefits of having a cell phone outweigh the harms people can cause with them, and whether policy can help strike an appropriate balance.

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

#174

Post by ghostbrainalpha » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:17 PM UTC

monksy wrote: post #59

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the reasons a comic might do that is to avoid being the target of a Twitter outrage mob over a recording of them doing an insensitive joke.

Or they do it because because they don't want to be called out on a bad set. (I've heard a venue guy from Detroit pointing out Chappel for that) Found the article on the Detroit one: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/dave-chappelle-fans... I could have sworn he had issues at a PA show as well, but that was recorded. Hannibal Burress doesn't like it because he said some unverified bits about Cosby and got caugh…

'unverified bit'... is not a thing.

Comedians tell jokes, they aren't news organizations that need to do fact checking.

And even if they did hold to that standard, what a crazy bad example to pick. He was correct. So you think he got 'caught' telling a joke that had true facts that hadn't been verified yet?

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

#175

Post by jgrowl » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:18 PM UTC

gyrgtyn wrote: post #166

jgrowl wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

They were in stadiums with assigned seating. Which is also a reason why I don't go to those kinds of shows very often. They feel so sanitized.

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

#176

Post by ghaff » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:19 PM UTC

edgarvaldes wrote: post #171

jonnycomputer wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Yep, I don't get why "the safety aspects of this are shocking". Shocking?

It's one thing to say that I like to be reachable by children, babysitter, aged mother, etc. if there's an issue. And OK, I get it. Norms and expectations have shifted with respect to how contactable people should be under many circumstances.

But some of the comments here that make it sound like going out with no way for anyone to reach you was an invitation to mortal peril akin to jumping off a cliff in a wingsuit make me want to either laugh or cry.

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

#177

Post by robotresearcher » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:20 PM UTC

hashkb wrote: post #95

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.

You go in late. Shows never start at posted times. That's always how it's always worked and always will.

Because no one buys drinks after the show starts. Small venues survive on drink sales. They want you there for a couple of hours beforehand.

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

#178

Post by knodi123 » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:21 PM UTC

bonesss wrote: post #156

donretag wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

I actually tested this theory recently; when I went to Machu Picchu, I took several pictures with my wife in them, and absolutely zero pics of the scenery or the monument. When I got home, I inserted some random high-res professional pics from recognizable vantage points into an album and called it a day. I don't feel shortchanged.

Although I'm somewhat glad for the tourist "gotta take my own shitty photo" attitude, because I saw a really nifty research project once that took thousands of tourist photos (of the Trevi Fountain IIRC) and combined them to generate a high-res 3d image without any people in it. That was pretty cool.

If I could change anything about my Machu Picchu experience, though, it would have been to find some way to shut up that blathering loudmouth moron in front of me who barely paused for breath for the entire duration of the morning hike to the nearby summit. Jesus christ lady, I couldn't hear a single nature sound, and I did NOT need to know about what a slut your cousin is.

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

#179

Post by anentropic » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:21 PM UTC

jgrowl wrote: post #84

herman5 wrote: 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…

Same here re closing eyes to properly listen!

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

#180

Post by ravitation » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 6:25 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.

Really? I actually think it's incredibly unimpressive. A ridiculous physical pouch that requires security to manage? All to avoid something that is arguably not as bad as many other disruptive activities at an event?

If phone-free events are something there is demand for, Yondr feels like the terribly inelegant solution that precedes the elegant one... But, as generations grow up in a world where mobile phones are omnipresent, I have my doubts about how badly anyone will want this...