Years ago, going to a concert was somewhat of a dream. Taking the time to get ready, listening to the artist’s music on the way to the venue then being in a room full of people who loved that artist as much as you did felt like heaven on earth. That heaven has become a new type of hell.
In the past few years, more specifically after the COVID pandemic, a live show feels more like a battle than a safe space. The culture of going to shows has been ruined by more than just the lack of respect for one another. It spans far beyond entertainment.
Since live shows have come back, more people have taken the excitement from a concert by camping out for hours before, having no regard for the people around them and even taking it to the next level and living on their phones for the entire show.
Waiting in long lines, queueing up for a couple hours before a show even was somewhat normal before the pandemic but fans have taken this too far. People are now waiting in line outside of a venue for days to hopefully secure the best spot in the venue to see their favorite artist. Don’t get me wrong, being close to musicians is amazing yet the new fad of waiting for days, not showering and sleeping on the concrete has taken away the magic of these shows.
Venues have opening times for a reason. They don’t start letting people in for a concert until they are fully ready for fans to enter. They have guidelines and times for fans to follow. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be waiting for days on the street, not showering and sleeping in tents to be in the very front of a show.
Yet, camping out is only one part of the problem. There have been many times at concerts where you will be looking around and wondering if the people around you have ever interacted with another human. The lack of respect for the people around them is astonishing. After the couple years where live shows weren’t happening, it seems like those that attend concerts have started to lack the ability to be a decent person to strangers who are all gathered together for the same reason.
The purpose of live music is to appreciate an artist and experience their talent live while in a room with people who have at least one thing in common with one another. Music has been a way for people to be brought together from all walks of life. It is one of those things that can bridge gaps between people and has for years been a way that friends are made through a mutual connection.
Recently, people have lost the respect that once made concerts so much more enjoyable. Instead of connecting with those in the crowd, people have reduced it to making snide comments to strangers in the crowd and threatening to ruin the experience that so many people find the most joy in. Kindness goes a long way when you are all stuffed in a room for the same reason. While it gets hot and cramped, the reason for live music and concerts is for people to admire an artist that they have all been waiting months or even years to see in concert.
There is no harm in being in a room full of strangers and having a sliver of respect for those around you at a bare minimum.
Enjoy the show, buy the merch, even go as far as making a friend but don’t bring any hostility into a place that should be a happy place for yourself and others.
