By Mere Strickland
I went to a concert the other day, and while attending I realized that people DON’T understand concert etiquette? This isn’t supposed to be a kind of gatekeep-y esc article, and I understand that with different genres of music, different rules should be followed, but there are still certain “rules” that can be universally understood. And in all honesty, these are technically just things that should be done out of the kindness of your heart.
Try not to block people’s view (hats, hair, signs)
If you’re tall while this doesn’t fully apply to you, (you can’t control your height) don’t show up to a concert late and then block a short person who got there for a good spot. Anyways, if you are going to a concert and know that your hair/hat/sign will cover people’s views that isn’t cool. Don’t get me wrong I think it’s okay to bring signs to concerts to show your support for your favorite artists but if you are blocking people behind you that is RUDE!! I mean it’s not like you should be holding those signs up the whole time anyway so just put them down, please…Also, it’s not even THAT worth it :(.
Sometimes it’s okay to be a little quiet
We ALL know of the Beyoncé drama, and honestly, that is only just one example of when it’s okay to NOT scream the entire concert! Of course, this can vairy on what concert you are going to but in most cases, there are always moments where the noise dies down as you just appreciate the artist and their music. You don’t have to be completely silent, just be considerate of the people who are going to the concert to HEAR the artist.
If you show up late it’s your fault if you can’t get good seats
Technically this is something that really only applies to general admission but it is still a MAJOR ick. I went to the Hozier concert at the Mann in September and the amount of people who had lawn seats but didn’t show up until after the opener was wild! And the fact they were trying to squish themselves into an already limited space was even crazier. As a concertgoer, it’s your responsibility to get there on time and find good spaces, don’t try to steal spaces from others.
If there are assigned seats, stay in your seat (ALSO RESPECT PPLS SPACES!)
Sometimes this issue is just because packing concert venues is a really big problem, other times it’s because people have NO respect for other people’s spaces/ the seats that they paid for. If you have a seat and are purposely taking up another person’s space that is just outright rude. It’s also something that notoriously turns people away from artists and concerts.
PICK UP YOUR TRASH!!!
Not only are some stadiums OUTSIDE but a lot of stadiums are huge! Trash should not be everywhere and it isn’t even that hard to pick up after yourself. The people who work in these stadiums already have to do so much and it’s an incredibly hard job, there is no need to add to their work. It’s disappointing that (usually) older people are the ones who do this. It’s like walking into someone’s home, having an enjoyable time, then throwing overpriced chips on the ground and leaving. No one wants that so why would you do that at a concert?
Don’t throw drinks around the crowd
This ties back into the “throw away your trash” point but is arguably more messy. While this doesn’t apply to every concert, those concerts that sell drinks that can’t be easily closed honestly don’t want you to have a good time. I remember going to an outdoor concert with open drinks and getting DRENCHED. Everyone around me was covered in whatever weird liquids people had bought and started throwing around and it was terrible! It’s just so rude to think it’s okay to throw drinks at people who are just trying to enjoy the concert.
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