Concert Cell Phone Ban

[dish rag]

We used to be able to go years without phones. Are you willing to give up your cell phone for a year?

I can't wait for the day I can get rid of it for good.

 

[Imzadi]

Do you think people should be able to use their phones during a broadway show?

I cannot imagine doing that during the opera or a performance. Phone stays off in my bag.

Not when Broadway tickets are $150 & up. Hamilton tickets were being scalped for $1000+ after POTUS, the VP and other officials went. Can you imagine paying $1000 and only seeing someone else's tablet in front of you?

But do people really go to actually SEE Beyonce or Jay-Z or do they go to SAY and post they were there? I've been to events where the performer was actually standing right in front of people. But, people were so busy taking a video of them and looking at the performer through their cellphone screen instead of actually taking a moment to see, first hand, the person directly 5 ft in front of them.

Then it's all about posting it to social media. It seems it's all about that person wanting people's attention, instead of the performer. "Come look at where I was tonight. See my video - even if it's a badly shot video, with the bad sound. But I was there. I need to share this with you." Even though several other people may have actually gotten a better video.

 

[sam_gordon]

I can't wait for the day I can get rid of it for good.

I take that to mean you can't get rid of it now.

 

[mom2rtk]

Good for you. I'm glad you have no potential emergency outside the event that would force you to leave early.

No need to get defensive about it. Rest assured they aren't consulting with me before setting policy.

 

[DopeyDame]

For people saying that cellphones are relatively new, don't you remember old sitcoms where the doctor would go to the front desk/hostess/usher/security guard/other official at venue and say "I'm doctor so and so, please get me at seat 13A if someone calls."?

People on call just handled it differently when they didn't have access to a cell phone. And yes, if I couldn't have my phone, I wouldn't be able to go to the concert. Which would suck if it was someone I really liked. (And I'm not even a doctor!)

 

[Imzadi]

I do not support use of technology which disables phones because that makes people unavailable in an emergency---

I think they're crossing a line when they disable the basic functionality of the phone.

I strongly suspect that Radio City Music Hall uses some type of jammer to disable cellphones inside the building. It's an old building, very art deco, I think, when they used a lot of metal in the building. So, it just may be all the metal acting as a natural jammer.

But, I've been in there several times, and in various areas, from the main lobby level, the downstairs lobby & women's room. (Didn't expect my cellphone to work down there.) To the upstairs balcony level. I first thought it was only my cheapo phone. But, I've seen & talked to many other people with the latest iPhones & Samsung phones who haven't been able to use their phones anywhere inside either. Radio City even provides a free WiFi signal - which doesn't really work. I could only get a signal when I was able to stand right near the entrances and see out to the street.

 

[Hikergirl]

.

 

[soccerdad72]

I strongly suspect that Radio City Music Hall uses some type of jammer to disable cellphones inside the building. It's an old building, very art deco, I think, when they used a lot of metal in the building. So, it just may be all the metal acting as a natural jammer.

But, I've been in there several times, and in various areas, from the main lobby level, the downstairs lobby & women's room. (Didn't expect my cellphone to work down there.) To the upstairs balcony level. I first thought it was only my cheapo phone. But, I've seen & talked to many other people with the latest iPhones & Samsung phones who haven't been able to use their phones anywhere inside either. Radio City even provides a free WiFi signal - which doesn't really work. I could only get a signal when I was able to stand right near the entrances and see out to the street.

Honestly, in most theaters and arenas I've been in, I've always had really poor cell reception - not sure if it's the building or just thousands of people in a small confined space all trying to use their phones at the same time.

 

[Hikergirl]

It isn't so much that they want people to watch them instead of texting. One can still do whatever they want during a concert or show. They don't want people RECORDING them and then posting the shows on social media so others can see their shows for FREE.

I'd believe that was the reason except for they they themselves have said things like the below quoted in the link, so I'm not buying that.
People have been recording concerts for ever and announcements have always been made about not doing it so if that was the real reason they have no reason to say this kind of stuff, they can flat out say recording is banned. They can even pay for security to enforce it too.
Even if that is the reason, how presumptuous of them to tell us we'd have a better time watching them instead of recording them. Self important celebrities at work.



Adele, most famously, scolded a woman at a concert in Italy: “Can you stop filming me with a video camera? Because I’m really here in real life.”

“We think you’ll enjoy looking up from your gadgets for a little while and experience music and our shared love of it IN PERSON,” White said.

 

[luvsJack]

I think Broadway plays and such are one thing and concerts such as Beyonce are something else entirely.


DD and I saw Adam Lambert a few years ago. The venue was mostly standing area and we were fairly close to the stage. She did video it. He noticed her and had a ball posing and singing toward her phone. She wasn't the only one he did that with.

Would she have videoed Wicked? Not in a million years. Of course not. There is just a difference.

And by the way, she never just looked at Adam through her phone. She held it up head high (not in anyone's way) and watched him without looking through the phone.

 

[disykat]

We used to be able to go years without phones. Are you willing to give up your cell phone for a year?

What on earth are you talking about? People are talking about being without their phone for a few hours.

People keeping their phones off or in their pocket on vibrate for emergencies and leaving if they needed to use them would solve this entire problem.

I grew up with a small town Dr. before beepers and cell phones. There are ways to get people during emergencies IF only real emergencies are the reason people need to communicate. If you have some need to be available, the venue can help you.

 

[disykat]

I think Broadway plays and such are one thing and concerts such as Beyonce are something else entirely.


DD and I saw Adam Lambert a few years ago. The venue was mostly standing area and we were fairly close to the stage. She did video it. He noticed her and had a ball posing and singing toward her phone. She wasn't the only one he did that with.

Would she have videoed Wicked? Not in a million years. Of course not. There is just a difference.

And by the way, she never just looked at Adam through her phone. She held it up head high (not in anyone's way) and watched him without looking through the phone.

I do agree that theater is different than concerts, but disagree that a phone held up head high is not in anyone's way. Most of the venues around here disallow cell phones, it doesn't matter if the artist cheeses towards the phone or not, it's still against the venue rules.

 

[Imzadi]

For people saying that cellphones are relatively new, don't you remember old sitcoms where the doctor would go to the front desk/hostess/usher/security guard/other official at venue and say "I'm doctor so and so, please get me at seat 13A if someone calls."?

People on call just handled it differently when they didn't have access to a cell phone. And yes, if I couldn't have my phone, I wouldn't be able to go to the concert. Which would suck if it was someone I really liked. (And I'm not even a doctor!)

To me, this is a positive and good thing. Making people think inventively on how people can reach them when they don't have their phone. Kind of ironic that people may have to think this way again.

 

[robinb]

Do you think people should be able to use their phones during a broadway show?

I cannot imagine doing that during the opera or a performance. Phone stays off in my bag.

There is a vast difference between a Broadway show or an opera and a concert. The expectation is that you sit down and are quiet in the former and cell phones impede with that. Like a movie theater. A concert, OTOH, is loud and fun and you get up and dance and sing and have fun. I would want to take photos and snippets of videos to remember a concert. I'm not at all on board with this kind of ban.

 

[design_mom]

I grew up with a small town Dr. before beepers and cell phones. There are ways to get people during emergencies IF only real emergencies are the reason people need to communicate. If you have some need to be available, the venue can help you.

But would they? I'm not so sure.

A couple of years ago, I was running errands and left my phone at home. I needed to call my husband about something (I don't remember what about, but it was important and couldn't wait.) I could NOT find a pay phone. I asked at 2 different places if I could use their phone and both told me it was against their policy. (Editing -- I first said it was a stranger who let me use theirs but now that I remember it, it was the clerk at the second store who pulled out his personal cell phone after I said "I just don't know what I'm going to do -- I can't find a pay phone and nobody will let me use a phone." He said, "I can't let you use the store phone, but here... you can use my cell.") The culture has changed. People EXPECT you to be available by cell phone now. It's kind of a blessing and a curse.

 

[luvsJack]

I do agree that theater is different than concerts, but disagree that a phone held up head high is not in anyone's way. Most of the venues around here disallow cell phones, it doesn't matter if the artist cheeses towards the phone or not, it's still against the venue rules.

She is 5 ft. tall so her head is a bit under everyone else's. She knows how to tell if the phone could possibly be blocking anyone. Everyone was standing anyway.How on earth can you disagree if you weren't there? You have no idea if the pone was in anyone's way.


There was no venue rule about cell phones.

 

[sam_gordon]

What on earth are you talking about? People are talking about being without their phone for a few hours.

The argument was "You didn't used to be able to use a cell phone before, so why do you need one now."

People keeping their phones off or in their pocket on vibrate for emergencies and leaving if they needed to use them would solve this entire problem.

Yup. Agreed. And that's what I do. If I take a call, I step out of the venue. However, if the venue or artist takes steps so that I can't use the phone for emergencies, I think that's crossing a line.

I grew up with a small town Dr. before beepers and cell phones. There are ways to get people during emergencies IF only real emergencies are the reason people need to communicate. If you have some need to be available, the venue can help you.

So you think a venue is going to keep track of 100 people (assuming a concert with over 10K people) and know if someone calls the venue for disykat, they're going to find you in row 12, seat 7? What about 500 people?

 

[mom2rtk]

But would they? I'm not so sure.

A couple of years ago, I was running errands and left my phone at home. I needed to call my husband about something (I don't remember what about, but it was important and couldn't wait.) I could NOT find a pay phone. I asked at 2 different places if I could use their phone and both told me it was against their policy. (Editing -- I first said it was a stranger who let me use theirs but now that I remember it, it was the clerk at the second store who pulled out his personal cell phone after I said "I just don't know what I'm going to do -- I can't find a pay phone and nobody will let me use a phone." He said, "I can't let you use the store phone, but here... you can use my cell.") The culture has changed. People EXPECT you to be available by cell phone now. It's kind of a blessing and a curse.

If it was the venue policy that kept you from having your phone turned on, then yes, I would expect them to help you in the event of an emergency.

I do suspect that their definition of "emergency" might be different from the public at large though.

 

[Imzadi]

I'd believe that was the reason except for they they themselves have said things like the below quoted in the link, so I'm not buying that.
People have been recording concerts for ever and announcements have always been made about not doing it so if that was the real reason they have no reason to say this kind of stuff, they can flat out say recording is banned. They can even pay for security to enforce it too.

I think it's the sheer number of people doing it now that is also a problem. Before, it was a handful of them, scattered throughout the auditorium. (I've never seen Adele perform, even on TV, so I can't use her as my example.) But, say, if Alicia Keys, who writes her own songs, plays the piano and sings, looks up from the piano, and instead of seeing a crowd of faces looking directly at her, whom she can connect to, see their reactions & responses, instead sees a bunch of cellphone cameras held in front of their faces or in front of the people's faces in the row behind, she'd have a different reaction and connection to that audience.

Adele, most famously, scolded a woman at a concert in Italy: “Can you stop filming me with a video camera? Because I’m really here in real life.”

“We think you’ll enjoy looking up from your gadgets for a little while and experience music and our shared love of it IN PERSON,” White said.

This makes my point. Is one there to be a videographer of the event, to see it again later, or actually experience the event live, participating in person, in the present, being fully present, not one eye and attention on a cellphone camera? Why go just to film a performer? There is plenty of video footage of that performer performing - and usually shot better.

 

[disykat]

So you think a venue is going to keep track of 100 people (assuming a concert with over 10K people) and know if someone calls the venue for disykat, they're going to find you in row 12, seat 7? What about 500 people?

If I was someone that had such a possibility of emergency need that I could not be out of touch for that period of time and knew my cell phone would not be available, I would not be sitting in row 12, seat 7, nor would I be in a crowd of 10K. I would be in a controlled environment near an exit where an usher could reach me. People lived under these constraints for years and managed it. If you need to be available, you do things in a way that you can be available.

Every venue does not have to make itself available to you.