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

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

#71

Post by harlanji » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:10 PM UTC

Good. I do this at my personal parties, I have a phone bowl by the door. Few arguments are solved by Google, and creative things happen.

Social Media is definitely at the point where TV was in around 2012. There were the early 'adopters' who cast out their sets and proclaimed the virtues, but they weren't shunned and understanding was attempted... what's a DVR? what's streaming? Silly questions a few years later, right.

Cell phones are wonderful, apps are useful, don't get me wrong. So is self awareness and presence. It's a huge waste of effort to go to a party/concert just to use a device for non-urgent activity. I used to be on PagerDuty for 7on/7off and I forewent my normal life during those days to ensure I could respond. Sometimes I'd go to a bar with my backpack and sip with coworkers/acquaintances, but it obviously disturbed the vibe not keeping up so eventually I stopped.

I wouldn't go to a concert if I had urgent stuff that could happen. Family emergency? Shit, we'll we've managed until now, life happens. The external cost to social skills and ambiance are so great, as we can all observe, that that one act of nature edge case isn't worth the external costs (we can agree to disagree).

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

#72

Post by CaptainZapp » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:10 PM UTC

tuxracer wrote: post #61

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…

If you have the context of having been there then those ultra-shitty videos are more like a trigger for your own memory of that moment to help you relive a really good time. It's a phenomenon similar to how certain smells bring people right back to some moment. It might not be for you but I wouldn't get too indignant about it if others indulge.

Ok, I can appreciate that, but, from the article:

"For those looking to do some social media postings, let us help you with that. Our official tour photographer will be posting photos and videos after the show at jackwhiteiii.com and the new Jack White Live Instagram account @officialjackwhitelive. Repost our photos & videos as much as you want and enjoy a phone-free, 100% human experience.”

So you won't only get your memento, you'll get it professionally produced and in much better quality, without being a pain to all those who really hate that.

That the media is freely distributable is a nice touch too.

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

#73

Post by jonknee » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:10 PM UTC

Posibyte wrote: post #21

k1ns wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would this not be a massive security concern? No calls in or out in the case of an emergency seems pretty frightening to me.

While I wholeheartedly agree, the devil's advocate within me likes to remind that we had been mobile phone-less for years with no major concern.

Though there is a difference between intentionally blocking something and never having it at all. Airbags didn't exist for most of the time we've been driving cars, but it would be unsafe if you got a modern car and removed the airbag.

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

#74

Post by CaptainZapp » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:11 PM UTC

Kiro wrote: post #37

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…

> that nobody ever looks at While I agree with your comment I do watch a lot of these. In electronic music "IDs" are a big thing and it's a big culture around identifying new tracks DJs play, which you mostly get from these kind of clips.

Thanks, I didn't know that.

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

#75

Post by jonknee » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:12 PM UTC

elsurudo wrote: post #4

IntronExon wrote: post #3

Sounds good in theory, but is this really jut about stopping bootlegs?

Knowing Jack White, not necessarily. He's all about authenticity, and being in the moment. Mobiles (for me) tend to ruin this at a live show.

Though technically the authentic experience is to be around phones as that's what is naturally happening. He just doesn't want that experience so is changing it.

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

#76

Post by mseebach » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:12 PM UTC

Perhaps an outright ban is a bit heavy-handed, but we do need to come to terms with what the appropriate etiquette for the usage of personal electronics is. I guess I could care less is someone wants to spend a show checking Facebook, but it's rude to other guests if their screen grabs your attention or it blocks your view. This ties into general camera usage -- wanting to take a picture (or 50) does not entitle you to squeeze in front, or otherwise monopolise the path/area in front of the painting/sculpture/view, nor does it excuse bumping into people while you scuttle around for the right angle.

A particular thing I find very unnerving, is the playing of media on a phone or tablet with the audio on in a crowded public space, typically, but far from exclusively, for the benefit of a child. A close runner up is people keeping audible notifications on their phones or laptops while using it - the sound grabs everybody else's attention, too.

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

#77

Post by owenversteeg » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

For those that are curious, he's going to be using Yondr pouches, which are thick cloth pouches with a lock on them that can only be removed by the venue employees.

I did a bit of Googling and apparently they cost about $10 each, so fairly cheap too.

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

#78

Post by beat » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

k1ns wrote: post #17

beat wrote: post #10

Personally, I'd kinda like to see venues Faraday-cage the concert areas, so people can't get online from them. That way, people could still take photos and video, but wouldn't spend the entire concert on Facebook. (Thinking of this due to a favorite venue of mine, the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, that has basically zero cell phone reception from the floor.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would this not be a massive security concern? No calls in or out in the case of an emergency seems pretty frightening to me.

When was the last time someone contacted you by phone or text for an actual emergency? The stuff that comes via our cell phones is mostly urgent, rather than important... a zillion versions of "Someone is wrong on the internet!" that "need" a response, texts of cat videos, etc.

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

#79

Post by criddell » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:15 PM UTC

comice wrote: post #63

So is clapping part of the agreement when I go to a gig? Why is it wasting time playing to people who don't clap. Is he doing it for the claps? Why do I have to pay then? Can I pay extra to get a ticket which allows me not to clap? You can't clap with just a drink in your hand either, will he be banning drinking at his gigs? Is he using amplifiers or are they banned as part of this "human experience" too? I hate phon…

You're trying too hard to find problems. I'm guessing White would be okay if you stayed home.

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

#80

Post by Paul-ish » Thu, Jan 25, 2018, 4:18 PM UTC

hellbanTHIS wrote: post #51

Great to tell people to put away their phones and not record because that really is obnoxious, but to actually confiscate phones is fascistic and shouldn’t be tolerated IMO. I mean who does he think he is?

They don't confiscate the phones. They put them in a locked bag and hand the bag back to you. There are places throughout the venue that you can get the back unlocked to use your phone.