Music is best live. So it really sucks when the couple hundred people around you act like its their first time being in public in their entire lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all had a concert experience ruined by someone (or several people) who have zero concept of basic human decency. And we\u2019re not being curmudgeonly out of love for the game of hating. Concert etiquette<\/a> is an international conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n This summer, an English TikTokker sparked public outrage<\/a> after she used a handheld ring light to film content at an Ariana Grande concert. Filming at a concert is already contentious (more on that later), but bringing your own spotlight takes it to a new level. The influencer made a response video, claiming \u201cKarens\u201d were ruining her fun. Well, change our birth year to 1972, we guess.\u00a0<\/p>\n But there are many other egregious etiquette sins happening at concerts on the daily. So here\u2019s your guide to behaving like a civilized human being<\/a> at a concert:\u00a0<\/p>\n Sign up for the Music newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox<\/p>\n THANK YOU!<\/p>\n You’re all set.<\/p>\n CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Leave your grumpy boyfriend at home\u00a0<\/p>\n Listen, we know you don\u2019t want to go to concerts alone. But sometimes, you have to sacrifice your comfort for the greater good. Do not drag your boyfriend to see the bedroom pop artist with pink hair. He would be happier at home, and we would be happier if he were there, too. Seriously, he is too tall, he is stiff and he is going out of his way to make sure everyone knows he\u2019d rather be literally anywhere else. Not to mention, he\u2019s preventing you from making new friends in the bar line, which is the birthplace of many beautiful friendships.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stream those two songs you like on YouTube instead<\/p>\n TikTok has done a lot of good, like giving small artists exposure they wouldn\u2019t have otherwise gotten, reviving the careers of musicians beyond their peak and giving us 60-second tidbits that take months to release, only to be underwhelming.\u00a0<\/p>\n But with every action comes an equal and opposite reaction, and all too often today\u2019s crowds are full of doomscrollers who know only two songs from an artist\u2019s entire discography. Don\u2019t come to record for roughly eight minutes of an hour-long set. Stay home and watch a few live performances on YouTube. Or do your research before the show. Listen to the whole album instead of 30 seconds of your favorite song from TikTok edits.\u00a0<\/p>\n Leave room for Jesus, but not his 12 apostles<\/p>\n Listen, we understand wanting to be close to your favorite artist. But pushing firmly against the people in front of you is not the way to do it. Not only are tightly packed crowds a safety risk, but truthfully, not enough people have learned about the benefits of regular deodorant use.<\/p>\n That said, there\u2019s a balance. While large shows for major artists pack \u2018em in like sardines, smaller shows for rising stars leave a painful no man\u2019s land right in front of the stage. That\u2019s no fun for the artists on stage, and we know it\u2019s particularly awkward for the rest of us. So leave a little room if you must, but don\u2019t overdo it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hydrate, keep a soft bend in the knees and pack some snacks<\/p>\n Listen, we\u2019re glad artists have taken it upon themselves to assist audience members who are struggling or have lost consciousness. That is important, a good refecltion of situational awareness and arguably part of their jobs. However, we as audience members also play a role in keeping shows safe. Drink water, don\u2019t overdo the vodka sodas, and if you feel a little faint, find your quickest escape route before things get worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning on lining up outside the venue before the show, pack yourself a little lunch. And by the time you score your deserved barricade spot, try to keep blood circulation good to avoid passing out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Oh, and because artists have been paying much closer attention in recent years, some concertgoers have reportedly adopted a tactic to feign distress in hopes of being noticed directly by their faves. Don\u2019t do that. It\u2019s a waste of the medical team\u2019s resources, and highly unlikely to land you anywhere but the backseat of an early Uber ride home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Travel in packs or not at all<\/p>\n There is nothing, and we mean absolutely nothing, worse than someone rudely pushing their way through a packed crowd because they have a supposed friend close to the stage. Respectfully, nobody cares if you\u2019re separated from your friend for the show\u2019s hour-long duration. And if you planned poorly and took a last-minute bathroom break, or re-upped on beer too close to the start time, then I hope you enjoy the view from the back of the crowd.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t force the people behind you to watch through your tiny screen<\/p>\n Perhaps the most universally agreed-upon concert gripe is the overuse of phones. First, you\u2019re ruining the view for everyone behind you. Second, you\u2019re never rewatching any of those videos. Third, nobody watching your Instagram story cares that you went to a concert, and they\u2019re skipping all those videos. Plus, a picture of the bill outside is much cooler than a poorly captured, shaky video.\u00a0<\/p>\n But we understand that it\u2019s the digital age, and asking someone to keep their phone away for an entire show (though many artists are starting to do it) is like asking for it to rain in July. So we propose a new rule: You can film at a concert for a total of 4 minutes. This can comprise one entire song, 30 seconds of eight songs, or however else you see fit.\u00a0<\/p>\n The mosh pit isn\u2019t your boxing ring<\/p>\n Moshing is fun. And it can be respectful, too. There\u2019s nothing wrong with a controlled, contained mosh pit. But a mosh pit is not the place to gain real-life experience for your novice bare-knuckle boxing career. As punk music returns to the mainstream, mosh pits are opening at larger shows, and it\u2019s important to remember that the best pits are the safest.\u00a0<\/p>\n As a few ground rules: don\u2019t push anyone into the middle of the pit, stop the chaos if anyone has fallen and keep your fists to yourself. In 2024 Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, a punk music haven in Denton, changed its moshing policy<\/a> because of one guy who couldn\u2019t follow the rules. Don\u2019t be the one guy who ruins a good thing for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t honor convicted felons on stage\u00a0<\/p>\n We didn\u2019t think we had to include this one, but here we are. If you happen to be a member of Congress, maybe don\u2019t honor an artist convicted of felony assault. In case you missed it, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. Venton Jones appeared on stage at the most recent Chris Brown concert in Arlington to honor the artist with a Congressional Record for his contributions to music.\u00a0<\/p>\n Predictably, people didn\u2019t take it well. Jones soon appeared on \u201cThe Don Lemon Show\u201d to publicly apologize to domestic abuse survivors. Crockett has not offered a formal public comment on the embroglio so far. In retaliation, Brown went on a rant on Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFunny thing is\u2026 Y\u2019ALL CAME TO ME WITH THIS! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI was minding my damn business. My shows in Dallas were already sold out. I ain\u2019t [want] to be honored because I knew some s[hi]t like this would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n So in the future, maybe don\u2019t award highly controversial figures with a history of violence.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t