Stop It: Filming Concerts on Your Phone

Last summer I went to an outdoor concert in Central Park, She&Him with Camera Obscura.  I had never been to a show in Central Park before, I remember being surprised by how intimate it was, how smart I felt for being one of the only people to bring an umbrella when it poured, and how you weren't allowed to take pictures or video with your phone.

The ban on photography did not only extend to capturing a vine vid of Zoe Deschanel, but literally taking a picture of anything with your phone at any moment.  One overzealous security guard threatened to throw me out of the venue for taking a picture of my friend between acts.

No photos allowed

That security guard and that concert was off the mark, but the spirit behind the rule is right at the center of an issue that is ruining concert experiences:  People filming shows on their phone.

First, lets just get this out there in the open to avoid an ambiguity (or, just in case you missed the title of this post):  Filming performances at concerts on your phone needs to stop.  If you've done it in the past, don't do it again.  If you're thinking about doing it, don't.

The fact of the matter is, you rarely can even see what your filming and even if the video quality comes out okay (which it won't) the sound is likely to be crap.

It blocks the view of people behind you and it distracts and annoys the performer.  It's not exactly the greatest inspiration to be on stage and see people attempting to shoot video of you like some paparazzo.

It's also contagious.  One person pulls out their phone and tries to get a vid and suddenly three people next to him/her want to capture that same moment for all eternity.

This is been a growing epidemic for years that reached a fever pitch last week when Iggy Azelea performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live and this happened:

Everyone in the audience trying to film a performance on their phone when it was already being professionally filmed for television.  Dear Lord.

Now granted there are a few factors that make this situation worse.  One, it is in LA, where the monkey see, monkey do factor is higher than normal.  Two, it is in LA, where most of the people anywhere are only there to network and try and get a few more followers on Twitter or Instagram.

This truly is a terrifying new trend that not only makes going to concerts that much worse but also is leading to a blanket ban that prevents you from even taking pictures at concerts.

C'mon people, put down the phone, real life is happening all around you.