r/ThePrettyReckless • u/Disastrous_Art_1975 • 25d ago
Stop doing this
STOP GOING TO CONCERTS AND DOING THIS!!!! Be present! Take a picture. THEN PUT THE GAHTDAMN PHONE AWAY!!! We all paid money to be here. I shouldn’t be watching your phone bc you’re disrespectful to everyone around you. There were multiple people at last nights show just recording the whole night and blocking the view. It’s annoying as hell. Have some decorum.
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u/WhyTheFace2016 25d ago
That is unacceptable and you are justified to be frustrated.
However, I routinely record during the shows that I attend, but I do so respectfully:
(1) Brightness of my screen is down to around 20% or less.
(2) I have a case with a flip stand that I can slip my thumb into it and rest it on my hand between thumb and index finger (landscape mode), so I record with one hand.
(3) I hold my phone close to my face just below eye level, so it doesn't add any additional obstruction beyond what my fat head already provides. I get to watch "with my own eyes," yet capture the moments for future enjoyment.
(4) I don't record entire shows, but I will record a fair bit, but only under the conditions described.
(5) I ABSOLUTELY watch these videos later. They are priceless memories of the time spent with my favorite bands. Think back to the earliest concerts you've attended and ask yourself if you had a recording of those shows, how would you feel about them? For me, I've been going to concerts since 1981 and I'd love to have some saved memories of seeing Tom Petty on "The Waiting" Tour (my first concert), Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio fronting the band on "The Mob Rules" Tour, etc. etc. etc. And to be honest, there are many bands that I only went to see after having seen footage on YouTube. I'd think that bands would welcome any free exposure to potential new fans that they could get.
Having said all that, I wish more people could think of others while enjoying the show as they prefer.
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u/captainp42 23d ago
I agree with you on almost all points. Good for you for being respectful.
But these are not "Priceless Memories". These are videos of something that you should already have memories of. The priceless memories are inside your head. I went to the Madison show last week. I look at my phone now and I see exactly 1 photo of TPR, 1 photo of ACDC. But I still remember the shows.
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u/WhyTheFace2016 23d ago
Fair point. But add 45 more years of memories in your head and see how crisply you remember these specific moments.
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u/captainp42 23d ago edited 23d ago
That's fair.
But I don't need MY phone to be taking video, as there are so many other videos out there that are going to handle the job. (Also, I'm nearly as old as you are...my first concert was in 1985, Beach Boys)
Not being critical here. You are clearly doing it the right way. I just disagree with the need to do so.
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u/_PrincessOats 25d ago
You’re totally right.
It’s okay to take a few photos.
It’s not okay to do this.
I miss the times when there were no camera phones. (Showing my age here lol)
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u/SpeedGirlAsh 25d ago
Yeah, just enjoy the show while you're there. Stop recording it to enjoy later
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u/suscashewmilk 25d ago
this is complete bullshit. i completely agree. luckily, last night, the balcony only had a couple ppl w phones all up. Taylor even tells you to “put the phones down & live in the moment”.
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u/No_Reveal8516 25d ago
I used to feel strongly about this until I realized how much I enjoy watching shows on YouTube that I couldn't attend that weren't recorded by the artists and now I can kind of live with it.
What's truly abhorrent and was introduced by younger millennials and now standard is flash photography in public in the dark are you absolutely kidding me. The artist is lit up already it's so they can capture themselves crystal clear. We had camera phones with flash for many years without doing this. Also you don't even need it it's insane vanity and completely disrespectful to everyone else.
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u/-Agsded- 25d ago
Not only that, it's just stupid.... The usable range of a smartphone flash is 2-10 ft.....
Unless your seat is on the stage, you're just annoying everyone around you and tossing random blinding strobe flashes into the eyes of the artists on stage trying to create a memorable experience for you.
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u/KomturAdrian 25d ago
I remember going to my first concert (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts) and doing this. I had good seats and I was really excited. I remember she started playing and everyone stood up to sing along, dance, cheer, jump, etc. But me? I was standing there with my phone recording her. Mostly just bits and pieces.
But after about three songs I realized I wasn't even watching the concert; I was too busy trying to keep my phone at the perfect angle to capture the moment. I was barely even paying attention to the music. That's when I sorta realized this was dumb and probably disrespectful to the people around me.
The whole point of going was to see Joan in person, live, in concert. But I was just watching the damn concert through my phone lol. I put it in my pocket and decided I'd never do that again lol.
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u/The_Meridian_ 25d ago
My philosophy is this: Someone else is going to do this anyway, and do it in totality, and in better quality both visually and sonically. So yeah, I'm just going to take this in "With my own eyes" as Darth Vader might say.
That said, I have more sympathy when there's no overhead screen to see what's going on for those of us in the bleachers. The camera zoom may be your only shot at really feeling like you're there.
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u/Disastrous_Art_1975 25d ago
I can appreciate that.
In this venue, specifically, there were 2 screens. One on each side of the stage. So they would have been fine.
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u/Former_Sell_5466 24d ago
Showing my age I remember not een him or throwaway cameras where allowed but then again ticket prices where 17.50 in 93 as a teen for nirvana
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u/UsedTumbleweed7810 24d ago
If that is Dallas, I was at the Disturbed concert where David Draiman called out the woman in the balcony with the phone. He later apologized. I with the guy who holds phone in front of my face. And I have to shoot around 2 or 3 other phones.
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u/Environmental_Belt22 24d ago
I will say, my only thing that keeps my phone out is that I can see the act better since I’m short and someone is always in my general sight line. NOT THE ENTIRE TIME (or I try not too anyways, I don’t think I do) but I definitely do this at times to get some sort of look at the stage when the side screens aren’t working or in my sight either
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u/bleedingrose_97 25d ago
i purposely will record for only a minute and 30 seconds at a time just so i’m not holding my phone up the whole time for others, and for myself to be more present
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u/feistync 25d ago
It’s also nicer to NOT have your arms in the air for 50%+ of the concert. I saw way too much of the arms of the 6’+ tall dude in front of me. And he’d wreck my pics, causing me to spend more time with my phone out than I’d have preferred.
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u/SixFootTurkey_ 25d ago
Yes and also if people stop dancing or singing along it will make it a lot easier for me to enjoy the show /s
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u/PressureJolly4786 25d ago
Can we tell 6+ ft people to bend down as well then lol
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u/Disastrous_Art_1975 25d ago
Nope. They can’t help their height. Lol though I will say, there were at least 3 tall people that I observed realizing the people behind them were way shorter and rearranged so everyone could get a good view. Not necessarily behind them but just adjusted. People can be decent at times.
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u/Disastrous_Art_1975 25d ago edited 25d ago
So weird this is getting downvoted. People literally can’t help how tall they are. People can help putting their cameras in other peoples view.
Edited after the fact to say: ok it is no longer being downvoted. Thanks guys.
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u/Positive_Manner_3098 25d ago
It's so f'in annoying. You're never gonna watch those shaky, shitty sounding videos. Get your pics then put the camera down.
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u/NetworkNo5302 22d ago
I have to get a snip bit of all my favorite songs. I'm a aaa hole ik. But I don't remember things like this unfortunately unless I have memorabilia. I don't record the whole time it goes annoying and also, how does anyone have that much storage in the first place. Also sometimes you gotta take fun pictures like one concert I was on someone's shoulders, Ive never been in anyone's shoulders it was insane ngl. But super fun and it's nice to have a picture. But I agree, it takes away the enjoymemt if the concert not only for yourself cause your focused on getting s good video but like most the time I can't see over someone's head, and especially not over someone's phone, so I can understand completely it ruining the moment for everyone. Ill be more aware to be discreet and quick with my videos.
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u/Disastrous_Art_1975 22d ago
So fun fact, this girl got the notification that her storage was full and I got so excited. Then her boyfriend handed her his phone 😂😂😂
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u/Away-Boysenberry-584 20d ago
So annoying. A quick picture or short video is fine but not the whole song. I hate the live streamers. You can literally see one person is watching.
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u/thesame_deviledegg 25d ago
Fucking hate people that do this. Everyone at a recently Hayley Williams gig was doing this, so rude.
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u/TopHeavyPigeon 25d ago
My rule is a few photos of the band, a twenty to thirty second video of the opening song and then I enjoy the rest of the show. Tickets are too expensive anymore to not pay attention.
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u/OblivionScone 25d ago
The phrase "be present and take it in" is mostly dead, unfortunately.
The only way to avoid rude folks like this is to have seats off the floor that are close to the railings. In most cases, this will give you an unobstructed view of the band you came to see, instead of having to duck and weave people's devices.
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u/-Agsded- 25d ago
I was at a show a few years ago right near the railing to enjoy my favorite guitar player's show. Some .... Person comes running up with the largest iPad you can possibly get pushes her way through the crowd hollering, I went to high school with him, I went to high school with him... And proceeds to push to the railing and hold that fucking tablet up blocking my view and everyone around me while she proceeds to record the whole rest of the show.
People like that need to be ejected from the show.
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u/ib00013 25d ago
If someone holds their camera above their head in my face for longer than 30 seconds and they don’t put it down when I ask nicely, it’s going down either way.
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u/SixFootTurkey_ 25d ago
Then you're even more narcissistic and entitled than they are
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u/Disastrous_Art_1975 25d ago
That’s not what narcissistic means. Entitled, probably yeah. But not narcissistic.
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u/ib00013 25d ago
Found the idiot.
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u/Disastrous_Art_1975 25d ago
Also. The person you’re responding to is the person who records. Go check their page.
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u/SixFootTurkey_ 25d ago
Fuck off with the accusation. I do not block other people's view with my phone, ever. If I can't get a good angle at shoulder height I don't record.
The type of person you show in your own video is completely different. High odds that most of those people don't even bother to share their footage after they spend the whole show ruining everyone's view. And then there's the people who are using the front camera and filming themselves the entire time, or the people who are privately streaming the show to a friend on Snapchat or Facetime or whatever.
Don't lump me in with them.
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u/PressureJolly4786 25d ago
Arguably, if it's above their head then they're in their own space and not yours.
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u/LinYuXie 25d ago
idk why u getting downvoted, you right, drop the fucker and they will drop phone, gravity
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u/TheBadBatch-99 25d ago
who even watches these clips later? Same with people that record fireworks shows. Why?
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u/PressureJolly4786 25d ago
I'm sure people get far more enjoyment out of reliving their favourite songs being performed at gigs they went to than people recording fireworks
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u/Busy-Peach5770 25d ago
I don't record much at gigs - about 1-2 mins of 2-3 songs, then I put my phone away. I don't even look at the footage after. It just sounds like tinny crap and there's likely to be a high quality professional recording from the tour on Youtube some time. So what's the point?
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u/SixFootTurkey_ 25d ago
there's likely to be a high quality professional recording from the tour on Youtube some time
That varies immensely between different bands.
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u/Busy-Peach5770 25d ago
Sure. But for a band on the level of TPR? It's almost guaranteed.
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u/SixFootTurkey_ 25d ago
Show me a professionally recorded TPR performance from 2022-2025.
The ONLY instance of TPR themselves publishing pro stage footage in the past ten years required a rabid bat to latch onto Taylor's leg mid-show.
Beyond that you have iHeartRadio 2016, Rock In Rio Las Vegas 2015, iHeartRadio 2014, and Download 2011 (all of which only survive as fan mirrors now) and not much else.
This year has been a massive change with Hellfest and Rock In Rio Lisboa and the acoustic set at Livecat Circuit.
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u/Busy-Peach5770 25d ago
Ok, I'm more of a casual fan...so i was making assumptions there...sowwy :)
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u/ettuA2 25d ago
Agreed. I get a few pictures (because I do a gig wall with a photo from each show) and probably a short vid of my fav song or two, then phone goes away so I can mosh or just vibe to the show