When you go to a concert, having as good a time as possible is obviously important. Equally important, though, is doing everything you can to ensure that others have a good time as well. Concert tickets have become extremely expensive over the past several years, and going to a show is a huge financial sacrifice for many people. You definitely don’t want to be the person who ruins the experience for someone else.
Also, it’s important to remember that following the rules of concert etiquette isn’t just a matter of being a good person – it’s also a matter of not getting kicked out of the venue. Many concert halls and arenas have very strict rules, and breaking a rule could result in removal from the venue without the possibility of a refund.
To ensure that your next concert will be an amazing experience – both for you and for the others attending the show – these are the 5 concert etiquette tips that you should never ignore.
Silence Your Phone
This is perhaps concert etiquette rule number one – especially if you’re attending a performance at a traditional concert hall. There’s a good chance that you’ll want to ping your friends during the show and let them know what a great time you’re having, but no one wants to hear your phone chiming every time you receive a message. Silence your phone or risk feeling the wrath of your fellow concertgoers.
Enjoy Your Herbal Refreshment Before Entering the Venue
Without a doubt, there’s something about concerts and certain smokable forms of herbal refreshment that go together absolutely perfectly. This isn’t the ‘70s, though – or even the ‘90s – and the smoking rules at most concert venues these days are stricter than ever. Smoking and vaping within the audience seating area are prohibited now at virtually every indoor concert venue that exists. A few venues may have smoking areas set aside where you can go to have a quick puff during the show, but that’s rare. In most cases, you’ll need to enjoy your herbal refreshment before going inside.
It’s also a very good idea to read the venue’s list of prohibited items before going to any arena because some venues will actually have security personnel confiscate items like lighters and vapes at the entrance. You may have to leave your smoking or vaping gear in your car.
In 1984, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull once threatened to cancel an entire show because a few people were smoking in the front row at an indoor venue. You definitely don’t want to be the person who disrupts a show that way.
With outdoor concerts, on the other hand, it’s sometimes a completely different story. You can often find an area at an outdoor concert venue where smoking is allowed – and if you vape, it might be even easier. If you’re using a discreet vape pen by a brand like Rokin Vapes and hold the vapor long enough before exhaling it, you won’t blow a visible cloud. That way, there won’t be any chance of bothering someone near you.
Know the Artist’s Rules for Audience Recordings
The taping of concerts has always been a touchy subject for bands. Historically, many performers have allowed and actively encouraged fans to make and distribute tapes of performances as long as they made no money from it. After all, tape trading can bring a band a lot of free publicity.
On the other hand, some bands have strongly discouraged taping and have even removed people from shows for breaking that rule. Led Zeppelin, for example, has never needed free publicity – and guitarist Jimmy Page has bemoaned the fact that professional-looking bootlegs in record stores may look great but probably won’t have the sound quality fans expect.
If you want to record a show, it’s very important to learn the band’s stance on audience recordings before you attend. Also, for bands that have been around a while, it’s important to know their current stance because concert recordings aren’t what they used to be. There’s a big difference between trading tapes among friends and having the ability to put an entire show on YouTube as soon as it’s over.
Lin-Manuel Miranda once changed the lyrics of Hamilton mid-show to ask an audience member to stop recording the performance. You definitely don’t want to be embarrassed in that way.
Don’t Be “That Guy” with the Song Request
If you’ve ever been to a concert with a relentless fan that refused to stop hollering a request after every song, you know exactly what we’re about to say here. You know the guy – the guy whose favorite song is a deep cut from some rare EP. The band has never played it live, hasn’t rehearsed it and won’t honor the request. Don’t be that guy.
If you want to get a callout from your favorite band, that’s cool. Yell out the name of the song you love and hope for an acknowledgement. Once you’ve done it, though, stop. The other fans at the show don’t want to hear you – they want to hear the stage banter between songs.
Classical Performance? Know When to Clap
Everyone ought to attend a performance of classical music at least once. Even if you don’t think that you like classical music, it takes on an entirely new dimension when you hear it performed live in a great venue. The best part is that even if you live in a relatively small city, you probably have a number of very good college or semi-professional concert bands or orchestras that you can see cheaply or for free.
When you attend a classical performance for the first time, though, it’s really important to know when to clap. Many longer musical pieces have multiple sections called movements. A symphony, for example, typically consists of three or four movements that present different musical ideas. There will be silence after each movement, but you’re not supposed to applaud until the entire piece is finished. Generally, the conductor will keep his or her baton in the air between movements. When the piece is over, the conductor will lower the baton and turn around; that’s when you should applaud.
