Going to concerts has long since lost its innocence. Tickets are only available cheaply for small artists, larger bags may only be taken into the hall in exceptional cases, security checks are part of the daily routine and a beer costs so much that the second question raises the question of whether it’s worth it. And now cell phones are supposed to disappear as well?
Bob Dylan isn’t the first musician to want to protect himself from the distraction machines. Jack White also made listeners forget their smartphones for an evening. Analog purists from another world, in which the word event doesn’t matter, among themselves? That misses the point. Of course, this is a restriction of freedom. I would like to decide for myself whether I want to write a message during a show or whether I want to use the lengthy time between admission and the beginning productively. And you don’t really hear anyone on the phone during a concert. That would also mean little.
There are no more concerts without mobile phones
But it’s not just about the tinkling and ramblings. Smartphones are omnipresent at music performances, as photo and video cameras, digital lighters and sound recorders. You are a disruptive factor. For musicians on stage, because concentration and intimacy go away (of course, that hits a folk bard more than a metal band). For the audience, because someone is always holding a device up, because spontaneous encounters during concerts are fewer when everyone is just busy with themselves and their cell phones in moments of boredom. But also for every listener, because the magical experience of a concert, in which a connection is made between stage and hall, is lost.
You know it from the series experience when streaming: As soon as concentration drops, the cell phone is pulled out to protect yourself from boredom, the fun is only half the fun – and concentration doesn’t come back so easily. No goosebumps! Of course one could now say that it would be sufficient if there was simply an acoustic request before each show to turn off cell phones. Just like it is done in the cinema. That would initially be a good solution. But it’s not that easy at concerts. And it’s not so much about the reason of an audience that heeds the well-intentioned advice to be less distracted in order to finally be able to enjoy music with all their senses again.
We’re killing the concert magic
One of the most important reasons why mobile phones should no longer have a place in the concert hall is a completely different one: musicians and bands are no longer interested in experiments because they are being recorded around the clock. Failure is a necessary part of experimentation. Who wants to try something when it’s being mercilessly taken apart in front of the world. Because almost everything that happens during a concert, especially when it differs from the norm, ends up on the internet.
As a result, concerts are becoming more streamlined and there are fewer surprises. Setlists are less varied. Stage announcements seem more rehearsed or harmless (who wants to say something provocative when it will be everywhere tomorrow, taken out of context). And: New songs only experience their premiere on their own Instagram channel, but not during a show.
That’s a shame, because live music is so powerful because there’s a spontaneous moment that can’t be compared to anything else. The inflationary use of cell phones cripples such moments and takes away the aura of the moment. Putting them in a bag for an evening, turning them off or even leaving them at home is a win for everyone.