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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”

#221
post #95

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.

> Shows never start at posted times.

From my observations (lived 100m from a stage bar for a few years), 90% of the shows don't. But then an odd artist shows up and they're too cool to have an opening act and they actually start on time and boom you've missed half the show. :(

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

#222
post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the viscerality of this response is fascinating. Putting your phone in a case is a "prison", and you must check it every time you go to the toilet, and you're concerned about a terrorist attack -- enough to want your phone, but not enough to stay home, as if your apps could somehow save you. > Treat people like adults. If they break the rules, ask them to leave. Isn't that what we've been trying for the past…

It worked at a Nine Inch Nails concert. I saw a couple people get escorted out for refusing to put their phones away, and that pretty much sent the message that they were not fucking around about it.

If you don't mind my asking, which Nine Inch Nails concert?

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

#223
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…

LOL using the Manchester bombing as reason. First terrorist incidents are so rare you might as well argue that you need your phone in case of a plane crash.

Secondly, these events have security, crowd control, management, etc, all with their own phones. Emergency services doesn't need a thousand simultaneous calls. In a genuine mass emergency there is a lot more important needs for network access than providing people the opportunity Instagram/Facebook about their experience.

If friends and family have to wait a little while longer to hear from you in an extremely rare emergency, that's a small price to pay for the large benefit. You can't fully experience a concert or show when you are distracted by your or someone else phones.

This technology makes the "no phones" policy work. I don't have to be made to feel like an a-hole calling for an usher to deal with phone users, or worry about them or their friends harassing or assaulting me for doing it. It makes the experience better for everyone.

A few weeks ago Joe Rogan spoke about how he's now using Yondr at all of his shows, because despite how expensive it is for him, it has significantly improved the show dynamics for his entire audience.

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

#224
post #194
post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There have been a number of times when I’ve been split up from friends at large venues - not being able to text each other to meet up is inconvenient. "Hey guys, let's stick together, if we get separated meet at the bar. Cool? cool" And an interesting one you can't easily do anymore without a cell phone (because people don't wear wrist watches): "Hey, i'm going to checkout X. Meet at the bar in 30 minutes?"

When it’s a venue you don’t know too well and there are 8 bars on each floor, that completely breaks down. Sticking together doesn’t always work, especially when queues are split between men and women for pat downs (as is usually the case in the type of venue that would force you to put your phone in a locked pouch). Of course we got by OK before mobile phones, but to suggest we give up the considerable benefits beca…

Your selfish benefit hurts everyones experience. So they aren't "considerable", and you have a choice not to go to events with Yondr. People at events without Yondr have to deal with mobile phones making everyones experience worse, and there is little they can do about it.

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

#225
I recently saw a preview of a Pixar movie before the public release, and their solution was to make us put our phones in an extremely crinkly bag that would make noise if we tried to open it to surreptitiously video the screen. But we could still access them in an emergency. It wouldn't work at a loud concert, of course.

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

#227
post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn’t say that I must check my phone every time I go to the toilet. Only that being able to check my phone (for example, to check if I have any messages from people I care for at home) is a useful thing. And I never said that I was worried about terrorism. Only that having ready access to my phone in any emergency situation (again, I pointed out it would be more likely a fire alarm than a terrorists) is helpful. I…

i think the whole point is not being able to check your phone adds to the human experience

What is the "human experience"?

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

#228
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

That has got to be a solvable problem. EDIT: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-Headband-Headphone-Comfort...

I have no words ... But thanks for the tip!

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

#229
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…

Just make the whole theater a Faraday cage.

FCC does not allow this, I think.

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

#230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

Why does it have to be either/or? Why not ask people not to talk disruptively and disallow people from sitting on someone's shoulders in addition to the phone ban?

Problem is you have to find an usher.

Then the usher has to be willing to do something.

Then the person and their friends have to be adult enough not to start harassing you for it.

And if they try to assault you, you need to be able to defend yourself and your date/friends.

That's why most people do nothing and concerts get worse.

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