It certainly hasn't enhanced it...
I attended the Warren Haynes show in Chicago last week. It was in a small theater, and to make even more intimate the balcony was closed. So, anywhere in the place was a great "seat" and the crowd was 300-400 people tops. A great opportunity to see one of the best guitar players on the planet in a setting that only makes it even more amazing.
As the show got started, I started to notice the amount of cameras, iPhones, BlackBerrys, and smart phones glowing in the crowd all recording poor quality (for the most part) cell phone video. I also couldn't ignore the flash photography that would occur from time to time. As the band Dada asked in their song Information Undertow "Do people still hold lighters in the crowd?" This wasn't a case of the cell phone being the new lighter, it was people trying to "capture" their experience. I found it incredibly distracting, and disrespectful to the fans and the artist.
What happended to just watching the show? Engaging in the artist and the performance that you paid good money to see? Not to watch it through an LCD screen from several hundred feet away. I've been guilty of it as well, and don't view the pictures that often. Now, I understand people with prime seats, capturing a moment that may or may not ever happen again. It's the people half way back with their cell phones recording video. What exactly are they going to do with the content? Spend the effort and time to post Blackberry video footage on YouTube? Show all their friends who weren't fortunate to go? "gather around my Blackberry everybody!" Post it on social media sites and share with the masses? Perhaps...
Roger Waters made comment of this from his Wall tour this past fall. I think WE all want to see this show on Blu-Ray at some point. A professionally shot and mixed Hi-Def version. He hesitated to film it due to the fact that were so many phones and cameras in the crowd. The 2 shows that have been recorded had extremely strict policies. So, hopefully we'll see it in our living rooms the way HE intended to be. Not the douchebag with the iPhone. I have seen Russ' AMAZING pictures he took at this show! Front row, with a high-zoom camera is a little different. Those are considered art in my book.
I remember an episode of What's Happening!! From 1976 or 1977. The guys had the Doobie Brothers perform at that old High School. Rerun got involved with some criminals, and had to "bootleg" the concert. He had a cassette recorder in his jacket, and it fell out while he was dancing. A cassette recorder. Now not only we can audio record (with some bands blessings no less) we can video record it too. They were in the front row, so prime location to "bootleg". Bootlegging was something of myth when I was growing up. You paid big money for bootlegs.
I am also guilty of this. I've taken my fair share of pictures at concerts thanks primarily to the fact they let you bring cameras in. Good for the artists and the venues to acknowledge the fact that cameras have got smaller and phones can take pretty good pictures. I guess the one thing I have to say if that I'm aware it might distracting. In smaller venues especially... it adds up considering the smaller venues allow for the better photos and video. I've never been in video recording much of anything... ever. So, maybe I don't get that aspect of it.
My point to my rants are just be aware. Be conscious of your surroundings, and those around you. LCD screens are bright in dark theaters and arenas, so it can distract from the concert experience. Maybe not yours, but the guy behind you who paid the money NOT to see your LCD screen all night.
Most importantly... Put down the cell phone, or the camera. Put your hands in the air and enjoy the fucking moment! Bring home the memories, not the footage. Raise your lighter in the air! Nothing makes the concert experience more meaningful than what's in your ears and your heart!
-Mike
I agree with a lot of this. The Waters' thing for me was a very planned affair. I asked Stacey to take as many pictures as possible but I asked that she hold the camera very low and ALWAYS keep the flash off. I wanted her to keep it as low as possible seeing as we were in front row. I figured the people behind us paid to see Roger Waters as well, not watch us take pictures of Roger Waters.
ReplyDeleteA week or so ago I snapped a few cell phone pictures during the Rich Robinson show as well. Same thing there; I'd made my way to the front so I kept my phone low so as not to block the view of those behind me. I actually thought ahead and turned my screen brightness down as well to keep detraction to a minimum.
But I take issue with the idiots you're mostly describing. Holding a cell phone up as far as you can reach to capture extremely low quality video and even lower quality audio adds value to nothing and takes away quite a bit.
I honestly can't remember myself ever trying to record an entire song with my cell phone, or taking any video footage for that matter.
I am completely guilty of using social media during shows however. I've tweeted, texted and updated fb before during and after shows. I'm obviously on the fence about that as I'm still doing it myself. But again, I do things like turn my brightness down, check surroundings, etc prior to considering it.
I gotta say that I don't have a huge issue with this. Some of my favorite CDs from the past are bootlegs that have a one time performance, usually of a song that was never released or a one time cover & without these devices some of these never would have existed (though a true soundboard recording is much more desirable).
ReplyDeleteI do understand the annoyance of a bright cell phone being used to text, tweet or take pics & video & I've never really done it much myself (no moral reason why, just haven't been in the mood)and blocking someone's vision just for your own selfish reasons is kind of prickish... But is it that much different then being the guy sitting during a show and being mad that everyone else is standing? I'm kind of on the fence on that one.
Like I said... I'm just glad I had the chance to hear some great songs that would have been lost to history without some of these devices
The main part I agree with, is the distraction of LCD backlighting, and I think that's really what you're upset with here. I honestly could care less if people are video taping, or taking pictures. I do find it funny/annoying when idiots use a flash, because a flash only works for the first 10ft, so all you're doing is strobing the audience. I don't think video taping, with a cell phone, is EVER going to outperform a blu-ray release. It may be 'HD', but only by the overall dimensions. The image quality is still not there. Not to mention, the audio is terrible.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, I've tried sneaking in a micro cassette recorder, to tape a show. I felt proud of myself, for sneaking it past security, and having it ready to record Aerosmith, and was excited to hear it once we got home. The end result? A tape full of a muffled Aerosmith, oversaturated with screaming fans. The clearest thing? Me and Greg yelling back and forth about the show.
My point is, the only way you'll get anything decent, is if you're wired into the sound board. Cell phones/cameras usually have one monotone mic, and it can't handle the db of a concert. As Greg stated, we bought many bootlegs that sounded great, and at the time, no artist wanted to release live shows like that. So if it wasn't for people recording during the shows, we would never had received those recordings.
The solution, would be for people to dim (or shut off) their displays. Because it goes beyond recording the show. I've been annoyed by people texting/FBing during the show. "OMG, I'm SO at the show right now!" Really? You aren't watching it.