This summer, I have been absolutely blessed to have experienced a concert series which i consider to be absolutely next level. A set of dates consisting of combinations of artists and performers who have the ability to get people from 0 to hype in no time flat. Boston, being the kind of city it is, makes it hard for performers to really put on a show that most people would consider to be "dense" enough compared to other cities like LA or New York, where there are no time restrictions on how long a club can stay open, or more importantly, how long people can stay out (public transport ends at 12:35am). However, that means that the people attending shows need to really put their best foot forward in making sure they enjoy themselves once they've arrived.  
 
Being 28 years old, I've come to the decision that, If I'm at a concert, I want to be at the front row. I'm tired of being in the back or off to the sides, even though there may be a better, more tranquil vantage point. For me, up front is where I want to be, mostly because If i'm going to be spending the money to attend a show, I'm probably gonna get a little wild. But lately at a lot of these concerts, I've been seeing a lot of nonsense going on at stage level. Couples having arguments about attending the show in the first place, people who are "drunk" sloshing their way around in attempts to get closer than the need to be, people wanting to become the sole center of attention behest of whoever may be playing; essentially a whole lot of people doing it wrong. So I though I'd create a quick FAQ on how to act when you're front row at a concert.  
 
Because apparently, amazingly, dishearteningly, people need to be told.  
 
Step 1: Get into position.  
 
When you arrive at a concert, you're always going to have enough time to move yourself into position. I used to get to local concerts about half an hour before doors so I'd be ensured a good spot, but most of the time that's simply a waste. Doors at 7 means nothing starts until 8, and everyone's going to be social butterflies while they want for the opening act. I've learned that this is the ideal time to eat dinner, have a few drinks, get limber and loose, use the bathroom, chat people up; get all the things that I like to do, what has nothing to do with enjoying the entertainment, out of the way.  
 
When the opening band comes on, you don't immediately have to go to the front and start staking your claim. Everyone will move up, but you still have, at the very least, two set changes before the main act comes on. Look at this video here.  
 
  

I will probably never attend a concert like this but I appreciate the insight into this subculture.

Hm. These are good lessons. I'm branding this with my seal of approval.

*tssss*

That was the sound of the iron burning the seal into the blog.

I've never been to a concert but it's always annoyed me to see videos of them where the crowd sings OVER the band that is playing. If I'm going to a band's concert, why would I want to hear your sucky singing?

I've never been to a concert but it's always annoyed me to see videos of them where the crowd sings OVER the band that is playing. If I'm going to a band's concert, why would I want to hear your sucky singing?

FUCK THAT, MOSH THE SQUARES!

I feel so glad I'll never have to personally experience this type of social calamity.

FUCK THAT, MOSH THE SQUARES!

I'm good. Keep your stupid indie concerts to yourself.

@Mesoian said:

@LiquidSwords said:

FUCK THAT, MOSH THE SQUARES!

Moshing is okay because if you're in the pit, you know how you got there and what you are there for. You will never accidently be in the pit. The pit will never suddenly surprise you. That being said, try to make sure people don't get trampled...And give security a break. Security at places that allow moshing seems like the worst job.

From what I hear about moshing, most people in a mosh try to look out for each other. Was going to make the suggestion to maybe reword the "Nobody Cares About You" section to something more like they don't care about your antics or attention whoring, I would like to think people try to be careful so nobody gets seriously injured at concerts. Mind you, I haven't been to an actual concert (only things I've been to are bands that occasionally play at my college's small stage in our student center) so I don't really have the experience that you do.

Nothing about crowd surfing? I haven't been to a concert in ages but that must still happen, it was practically my favorite part of most shows.

Eh. Concerts are not for me. I dont like large groups of people.

Nothing about crowd surfing? I haven't been to a concert in ages but that must still happen, it was practically my favorite part of most shows.

So... DON'T hop on stage, grab the mic, say "Hold up. Everybody, hold the hell up. I got this", then riverdance so goddamn hard that the band implodes and everybody in the crowd trips over their own faces?

@Mesoian said:

@LiquidSwords said:

FUCK THAT, MOSH THE SQUARES!

Moshing is okay because if you're in the pit, you know how you got there and what you are there for. You will never accidently be in the pit. The pit will never suddenly surprise you. That being said, try to make sure people don't get trampled...And give security a break. Security at places that allow moshing seems like the worst job.

From what I hear about moshing, most people in a mosh try to look out for each other. Was going to make the suggestion to maybe reword the "Nobody Cares About You" section to something more like they don't care about your antics or attention whoring, I would like to think people try to be careful so nobody gets seriously injured at concerts. Mind you, I haven't been to an actual concert (only things I've been to are bands that occasionally play at my college's small stage in our student center) so I don't really have the experience that you do.

So... DON'T hop on stage, grab the mic, say "Hold up. Everybody, hold the hell up. I got this", then riverdance so goddamn hard that the band implodes and everybody in the crowd trips over their own faces?

@SMTDante89 said:

@Mesoian said:

@LiquidSwords said:

FUCK THAT, MOSH THE SQUARES!

Moshing is okay because if you're in the pit, you know how you got there and what you are there for. You will never accidently be in the pit. The pit will never suddenly surprise you. That being said, try to make sure people don't get trampled...And give security a break. Security at places that allow moshing seems like the worst job.

From what I hear about moshing, most people in a mosh try to look out for each other. Was going to make the suggestion to maybe reword the "Nobody Cares About You" section to something more like they don't care about your antics or attention whoring, I would like to think people try to be careful so nobody gets seriously injured at concerts. Mind you, I haven't been to an actual concert (only things I've been to are bands that occasionally play at my college's small stage in our student center) so I don't really have the experience that you do.

Not into bro moshing (Push Mosh) that's the worst! Usually found in bigger concerts. When I go to shows it can seem like chaos, but it's controlled, plus no security at most of them! Glad it's not like what older friends saw in the old days, in the pit swinging chains or people almost getting stabbed.

In any concert or show, staying in the front is not easy, especially if people are stage diving.

@Mesoian said:

@ShaggE said:

So... DON'T hop on stage, grab the mic, say "Hold up. Everybody, hold the hell up. I got this", then riverdance so goddamn hard that the band implodes and everybody in the crowd trips over their own faces?

You'd be shocked by how often things like this actually happen.

Not too shocked. Everybody's gotta try to outdo the act.

That said, if my scenario were to happen and somebody interrupts a concert for a riverdance session, I would be very happy.

I can get behind each of those except number 3. If I want to be in the front but don't feel like wild'n out, if someone came up to me and told me to get to the back they'll get a nice and calm "go fuck yourself boy-o".

I'm there to have a good time, and if I want to be up close with all the excitement but don't want to flail about (not to suggest flailing about is the only/correct way to wild out) then I won't. I agree if you're pissy at the front, you're probably better off elsewhere, but just as they're wrong, you telling people how they should be enjoying themselves is wrong.

What they should do is understand how things are at the different sections of the venue and decide on the spot they'll find most enjoyable, whether that means going to the front where it might be a bit noisy and cramped but bloody exciting, or a bit farther back where it'll be a bit calmer, or in a seat, or on a balcony, etc.

Can't you just attend and enjoy the show? You seem to have so many issues that are totally out of your control anyway. So just.. Get to the front and do whatever you want. That's what I do most of the time.

You don't have a position, you can go to the front any time you like, it's just more work for some (The Prodigy) than others (Cut Copy). Sometimes no work at all (Camera Obscura). It depends on the gig but clinging to a rail having your guts pushed out gets old very fast, and when you're over it you'll let go of the rail and actually start having a better time.

@TheHT said:

I agree if you're pissy at the front, you're probably better off elsewhere, but just as they're wrong, you telling people how they should be enjoying themselves is wrong.

This

I dunno. I saw Pallbearer, Taurus, and Agalloch last night and it was mostly just a bunch of stoned/drunk/alloftheabove metalheads standing around swaying and nodding their heads slowly. My kind of metal show. LOL. I hate moshing and I've outgrown headbanging.

@Demoskinos said:

Eh. Concerts are not for me. I dont like large groups of people.

Co-Signed, neither do I.

I can get behind each of those except number 3. If I want to be in the front but don't feel like wild'n out, if someone came up to me and told me to get to the back they'll get a nice and calm "go fuck yourself boy-o".

I'm there to have a good time, and if I want to be up close with all the excitement but don't want to flail about (not to suggest flailing about is the only/correct way to wild out) then I won't. I agree if you're pissy at the front, you're probably better off elsewhere, but just as they're wrong, you telling people how they should be enjoying themselves is wrong.

What they should do is understand how things are at the different sections of the venue and decide on the spot they'll find most enjoyable, whether that means going to the front where it might be a bit noisy and cramped but bloody exciting, or a bit farther back where it'll be a bit calmer, or in a seat, or on a balcony, etc.

You don't have a position, you can go to the front any time you like, it's just more work for some (The Prodigy) than others (Cut Copy). Sometimes no work at all (Camera Obscura). It depends on the gig but clinging to a rail having your guts pushed out gets old very fast, and when you're over it you'll let go of the rail and actually start having a better time.

I don't know how i feel about something as organic as a concert being so clinically Analzyed.

It's like doing Math to analyze the percent chance of fun you might have doing something. Or something.

Also to the rest of you, stop perpetuating the stereotype that people who enjoy video games are antisocial squares who hate physical contact, alcohol and loud music. It's makes video games an embarrassing hobby via association.

Occasionally jump in a Metal mosh pit, elbow someone in the fucking face and fall and break your wrist. FUCKING LIVE LIFE WE DON'T HAVE THAT LONG HERE.

I disagree with everything about 3. You seem to be equating quiet, reserved people at the front with people who can't handle the front. From the nigh-on 50 gigs I've been to, I can't recall a single time where I wasn't at the front, and not once have I ever not enjoyed myself, yet usually the most I'll ever do is tap my toes. If you get upset over that then you should leave and find somewhere else to enjoy the gig.

Fuck the front row. Being a musician myself, I go to hear other musicians play. All you get up front is distortion and bass. If you really want to HEAR a band, find the sound board, and camp out in front, or behind it. Thats the point of reference that the entire venue is being mixed from. You hear what the sound man hears, which is what you want. Unless the soundmans shitty. Then you're kinda boned.

@Mesoian: Right. Manage expectations, know what you're getting into, and plan accordingly. If you want to be in the front, expect people to behave a certain way, like you said, according to artist, song etc.

And definitely don't let someone tell you to go elsewhere just because you aren't acting like they want you to even if you're enjoying yourself.

So get wild if you want, or stand and take it all in if you want. Everyone's there for the show, for the music, and to have a good time.

@Samael2138 said:

Fuck the front row. Being a musician myself, I go to hear other musicians play. All you get up front is distortion and bass. If you really want to HEAR a band, find the sound board, and camp out in front, or behind it. Thats the point of reference that the entire venue is being mixed from. You hear what the sound man hears, which is what you want. Unless the soundmans shitty. Then you're kinda boned.

This can be true too. Unfortunately, at most clubs in Boston, the soundmen are pretty awful. For being such a musically focused town, there are very few places that actually know how to properly manage a house system.

@TheHT said:

@Mesoian: Right. Manage expectations, know what you're getting into, and plan accordingly. If you want to be in the front, expect people to behave a certain way, like you said, according to artist, song etc.

And definitely don't let someone tell you to go elsewhere just because you aren't acting like they want you to even if you're enjoying yourself.

So get wild if you want, or stand and take it all in if you want. Everyone's there for the show, for the music, and to have a good time.

Right. Believe me, I'm not saying walking up to someone who's not moving a lot, tap them on the shoulder and tell them to take a hike so you can grab their spot. But don't expect everyone to placate to you either.

I have learned a lot about concert etiquette and etiquette in general. I won't use it, but thank you.

I fucking love concerts and generally always end up in front. I'm all for having a good time but crowd surfers can seriously fucking die. What a stupid, selfish act and I always give a crowd surfer a good punch in the ribs.

@Napalm said:

I'm good. Keep your stupid indie concerts to yourself.

Well, someone's being a cranky troll.

i dont like going to concerts. well i like going to mellow concerts. the ones where everyones jumping around and screaming and shit. thats annoying as fuck, i'd rather not go to those.

@Mesoian: A fellow Boston concert junkie, eh? You've earned yourself a follow my friend. Who have you checked out this season? Chances are we've been to the same show at least once.

Your list is 100% dead on. I'm too drunk to elaborate but I'm just glad there's someone else who shares my code of ethics when it comes to shows. I'm 20 so I can't legally buy drinks at the show (but fuck that anyway because they always charge too much) but I definitely indulge in alternative choices before, during, and after the main act leaves the stage. Drunk fucks at concerts are the worst, I'd rather deal with a million people rolling their balls off on ecstasy than any of the people I've dealt with at Dropkick Murphys shows in the past.

@Everyones_A_Critic said:

@Mesoian: A fellow Boston concert junkie, eh? You've earned yourself a follow my friend. Who have you checked out this season? Chances are we've been to the same show at least once.

Your list is 100% dead on. I'm too drunk to elaborate but I'm just glad there's someone else who shares my code of ethics when it comes to shows. I'm 20 so I can't legally buy drinks at the show (but fuck that anyway because they always charge too much) but I definitely indulge in alternative choices before, during, and after the main act leaves the stage. Drunk fucks at concerts are the worst, I'd rather deal with a million people rolling their balls off on ecstasy than any of the people I've dealt with at Dropkick Murphys shows in the past.

Let's see, this season I've seen

El-P

Powerglove

MC Chris

Fiona Apple

Ana Tijoux

Balkan Beat Box

Aesop Rock

and I'm going to see Amon Tobin next month.

Aloe Blacc is playing next week, i'm thinking about going if I'm not too busy.

@Mesoian: I heard great things about El-P's show at the paradise, I regret not going. Aesop Rock is one of those artists that I want to like so bad (None Shall Pass, Getaway Car, and Daylight are great tracks) but his delivery is so mumbly and difficult to fully comprehend that it often shoots the messages of his own songs in the foot. Looking up Aesop lyrics on Rap Genius always leads me to think "Damn, this guy has a lot to say" but as soon as he starts rapping it's like being on a treadmill going at a thousand miles an hour. I had the opportunity to see Amon Tobin at Camp Bisco last month but 3lau, one of my favorite DJ's ever, was playing a set at the same time so I missed him. I was gonna go to 311/Slightly Stoopid tomorrow but I opted to go to New York next weekend to catch Infected Mushroom's show at Terminal 5. I'm a huge fan to begin with but catching their new live set-up was simply too good to pass up.

No. I play in a band, and I get enough of this shit already. When I go to a concert, I want to SEE the band. If I have space and shit I'll dance ironically, but fuck moshers and fuck annoying people. If you're an annoying hardcore mosher and by chance you hit me I will beat the shit out of you. Enjoy the fucking show and stop being annoying rats.

dude i love el-p and despot thats awesome

#3 is why I don't really go to these kinds of concerts. Live music can be amazing, but how the hell am I supposed to enjoy it with a bunch of people around me jumping, yelling and generally acting like they're fucking psychotic? In nice restaurants, in movie theaters, in art galleries, in orchestral concerts, people have the decency to be still and shut the fuck up, because it is only when you give the food, the film, the painting or the music your complete attention, without distractions, that you can fully appreciate the artistry before you. But it seems people are incapable of going to, say, a rock concert without collectively getting drunk and jumping around screaming like mentally challenged monkeys. For me that's the equivalent of all the people in a movie theater jumping up on their seats during a fight scene in a Batman movie or something and yelling: "GET HIM BATS, OH NO THERE'S A GUY BEHIND YOU WATCH OUT, YEAH YOU GOT HIM GOOD, NICE JOB, NOW THERE ARE ONLY TWO OF THEM LEFT, OH SHIT ONE OF THEM HAS A GUN ETC." 

Takes you out of the experience completely.

@LiquidSwords said:

FUCK THAT, MOSH THE SQUARES!

I've never heard of that band, but that is some INTENSE SHIT

Honestly, the Wife and I no longer attend concerts due to the jack assery that seems to stalk us. I don't drink at all so this next bit may be a bit bias, but the atmosphere that is entangled at most concerts thoroughly intimidates and discourages me. I hate it when my friends are (drunk, tipsy, whatever), thus my entire experience generally gets ruined. Personal flaw, mostly I know, but just my two cents.

@Icemael said:

#3 is why I don't really go to these kinds of concerts. Live music can be amazing, but how the hell am I supposed to enjoy it with a bunch of people around me jumping, yelling and generally acting like they're fucking psychotic? In nice restaurants, in movie theaters, in art galleries, in orchestral concerts, people have the decency to be still and shut the fuck up, because it is only when you give the food, the film, the painting or the music your complete attention, without distractions, that you can fully appreciate the artistry before you. But it seems people are incapable of going to, say, a rock concert without collectively getting drunk and jumping around screaming like mentally challenged monkeys. For me that's the equivalent of all the people in a movie theater jumping up on their seats during a fight scene in a Batman movie or something and yelling: "GET HIM BATS, OH NO THERE'S A GUY BEHIND YOU WATCH OUT, YEAH YOU GOT HIM GOOD, NICE JOB, NOW THERE ARE ONLY TWO OF THEM LEFT, OH SHIT ONE OF THEM HAS A GUN ETC." Takes you out of the experience completely.

Now I can only imagine you as Toki Wartooth during his concert going experiences. (I'd link a video to what I'm talking about, but given how morbid it can be (along with how I'd have to edit it the hell down to get to the point), I doubt I could get away with it. If you don't get the reference, trust me: it makes sense.)

Fuck your rules man.

Blog gets +5 points for Balkan Beat Box.

@Icemael said:

how the hell am I supposed to enjoy it with a bunch of people around me jumping, yelling and generally acting like they're fucking psychotic? In nice restaurants, in movie theaters, in art galleries, in orchestral concerts, people have the decency to be still and shut the fuck up, because it is only when you give the food, the film, the painting or the music your complete attention, without distractions, that you can fully appreciate the artistry before you. But it seems people are incapable of going to, say, a rock concert without collectively getting drunk and jumping around screaming like mentally challenged monkeys.

Jeez, check out old man Jenkins over hear, amiright guys?

I think the psychotic monkeys would argue that the psychotic-ness is, in fact, the experience they are there to appreciate - group dynamics plus hella music and whatnot. Whether that's true or not is up to you, I guess.

This has mostly just been interesting in seeing how you guys all react to concerts. We seem to run the gamut from crazy rockers to antisocial trolls (not surprising, considering).

@TooWalrus said:

He's like your creepy uncle...::Shudders::

I never want to attend a concert. I'm not into all that, unless it's fligh of the conchords.