When You're at a Concert, Shut the Fuck Up and Pay Attention

The headline says it all

When going to metal shows in Denmark, something I've sadly realized over and over again is how surprisingly popular it's become for people to stand around and talk during concerts.

Of all imaginable types of shows, metal shows shouldn't be a problem in this regard. Metalheads are supposed to be the most dedicated, passionate type of music fans in the world. And yet, here we fucking are.

Like with a lot of other things these days, the problem could probably very well be explained by looking at the ever-expanding communication technology. Seeing a small ocean of glowing smartphone screens in an otherwise dark concert venue is by no means a new phenomenon, either indoors or at open air shows.

We've become used to having a gadget at our fingertips that's not only enabling contact with hundreds of people any time of day, but also enabling us to document our lives and share our thoughts and feelings with the rest of the world at our convenience 24/7/365. And it all seems to still be new and exciting for people.

But that's just one factor. Another is the online possibilities for consuming entertainment, culture, and news in a selective, personified way.

We're getting more and more used to distracting ourselves, and being able to having whatever we want whenever we want it by clicking and swiping a coupla times. More and more used to being in the center of things and setting our cultural consumption by OUR premises rather than respecting the fact that certain cultural means of expression – e.g. concerts – have their own logic, and that we should adjust to THEIR premises in order to reap the full reward.

Facebook has a lot to answer for in this regard. More than any other social medium, Facebook has normalized a collective media mindset where every user is in the center of their own little corner of the world, and at any time has the possibility to add another micro-chapter to the personal everyday saga they share with their network of "friends".

Talking during a concert isn't only disrespectful towards the band; it's a complete misunderstanding of the entire concept.

Digital technology not only stimulates every single user's ego in a fine-tuned, calculated way. Digital technology is making us used to communicating all the goddamn time whether it's necessary or the exact opposite of necessary.

Certain sad existences might argue that talking during concerts wouldn't necessarily be less annoying to one's fellow attendees than jumping around and smashing into each other, or just throwing one's hair around. But there's a decisive difference in the very motivation for your behavior: Talking during a concert isn't only disrespectful towards the band; it's a complete misunderstanding of the entire concept.

Music, being an auditory medium, should be heard. But a concert, being an event, should be experienced. And when you're slamming around the pit while Machine Head rocks out on stage, you're accepting those exact aforementioned premises of the concert experience. And you're ALSO doing it simply by shutting the Hell up and digging that hella rad vocal break or that fingertip-shredding solo. You gotta be able to immerse yourself in any kind of experience.

Digital technology not only stimulates every single user's ego in a fine-tuned, calculated way. Digital technology is making us used to communicating all the goddamn time whether it's necessary or the exact opposite of necessary.

I am in no way against digital technology or anything. Digital technology has several advantages to it. Such as providing me and millions of others with steady work.

But on the flip side, the last decade or so has seen us developing a sort of digitally induced, socio-cultural ADHD. And should we ever get to the point where everyone are yapping on and on in movie theaters, I'd gladly invest in a semi-automatic and consider the legal punishment worth it.

I'm not saying that NOBODY should EVER be allowed to say ONE word during a concert. A qualified comment CAN have its merit. But if you keep on adding "speaking of which..." and "by the way..." style elaborations throughout the length of an average concert, the event in itself is obviously not interesting enough for you.

And if that's the case, shut the fuck up or go somewhere else.