I would like to do a 'Standing at Concerts' poll with you.

[mad1]

(can't do an official poll!)

Been to a few concerts and a couple I have stood at, but if ever I had or was to stand at a concert I would get my ass down early enough to be CLOSE to the stage!

Now one gig went really well, almost perfect.
But this other gig was a bit of a bummer because of people making their way through everyone near the front.

Now, many people around us were p*ssed off and ‘moving’ him/her/them on, there was muffled talk of ‘have you been waiting as long as us?’ etc. We see it fair for us.
But yet someone we know apparantly always arrives late for standing and ALWAYS bumps to the front and never gets questioned! This person sees this as fair, because the ticket says ‘Standing’ but does not tell you where exactly, so debates it’s a free for all.



So, I ask you:

If you have stood (or would stand), have you/would you ALWAYS made sure you were down in time, maybe you queued like 10 hours, to get near front?
OR are you someone, you don’t care, you arrive, you are 900 rows back, you just DON’T care, you are still able to jump/dance. ??
Or are you someone, you do move through to get to the front, anyone questions you, you bite them.


And also:

If you are near the stage, do you think it’s perfectly okay for any people or person who came in late/was in the foyer drinkin etc, they can just move through from maybe 50 lines back and squeeze to the front? Does it bother you if they do? Or does it not?


Trying to see here who finds it fair or unfair.
That’s it!

Thanks, if you answer






And I realize I didn’t have to talk so MUCH to get to my point, but Im a detailed-type girl, so, f*k it!

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I usually push and shove my way to the front. My friends and I have gotten pretty good at it over the years. Only the strong survive.

 

[corianderstem]

Only the strong rude survive.

Fixed that for you, sweetie.

I'm short, so if I'm standing, I need to be relatively close to the front for it to be remotely worthwhile.

If I can't get near the front in GA (say, for instance, when it's 30 degrees and sleeting in Portland and there's no way in hell I'm sitting in line all day), hanging out in the back works pretty well, although it's usually not as fun.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I usually push and shove my way to the front. My friends and I have gotten pretty good at it over the years. Only the strong survive.

I fucking hate people like you and your friends...

 

[lazarus]

I usually push and shove my way to the front. My friends and I have gotten pretty good at it over the years. Only the strong survive.

Shocker of the year.

I used to get to concerts VERY early, especially all the Pavement shows, and I would fiercely protect my spot. Definitely a lot of elbows and glares to keep people like GAF from weaseling in.

 

[LemonMelon]

I just go as early as I possibly can. I've never been able to get a space in the very front, but I had the opportunity at a Flaming Lips gig. Now I regret it.

 

[toscano]

I agree with both Lazarus and GAF

in my youth, I did both

I'm too old to put up with that shit now, and a lot more civilized so if I don't get a good spot at the front I just eat it

The exception was a show when me and another Dad took a bunch of kids, we got there late so had a crappy spot in the balcony at the house of Blues in Anaheim, the kids (14-15 year olds) wanted to go see if they could get a better spot so we told them to "go for it", about 5 mins later we looked down and they were right upfront, so we went down too, and politely pushed our way to the front telling everyone (truthfully) we needed to be by our kids as our excuse !

Way to go kids !

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I agree with both Lazarus and GAF

in my youth, I did both

I'm too old to put up with that shit now, and a lot more civilized so if I don't get a good spot at the front I just eat it

The exception was a show when me and another Dad took a bunch of kids, we got there late so had a crappy spot in the balcony at the house of Blues in Anaheim, the kids (14-15 year olds) wanted to go see if they could get a better spot so we told them to "go for it", about 5 mins later we looked down and they were right upfront, so we went down too, and politely pushed our way to the front telling everyone (truthfully) we needed to be by our kids as our excuse !

Way to go kids !

how were the Jonas Brothers anyhow?

 

[toscano]

how were the Jonas Brothers anyhow?

?????

It was actually at The Adicts........

Are you really so stupid as to assume because the kids are 14-15 they would like the Jonas Brothers ?

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I fucking hate people like you and your friends...

me too! and if I evah see any of yas I will beat u down!

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

?????

It was actually at The Adicts........

Are you really so stupid as to assume because the kids are 14-15 they would like the Jonas Brothers ?

I know several who are so, yes, I guess I am that stupid... either that or I was joking, whatever works for you I guess

 

[toscano]

I know several who are so, yes, I guess I am that stupid... either that or I was joking, whatever works for you I guess

I know several U2 fans who are Republicans, that must mean they're ALL idiots......

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I know several U2 fans who are Republicans, that must mean they're ALL idiots......

works for me

 

[u2popmofo]

I know several U2 fans who are Republicans, that must mean they're ALL idiots......

Well, to be honest, if they're Republicans OR Democrats, they most certainly are idiots.

Not a joke.

 

[Irishteen]

If I'm standing at a concert; I generally arrive early and get as close as possible without having to push people out of the way, if there's a gap in front of people and a space to it I'll take it but if I find I can't get any closer without having to resort to pushing people I'll settle for where I am.

last concert I was at; these guys came in half way through the show pushed there way across to the middle and stood right in front of me...I was so annoyed

 

[Saracene]

I prefer being close to the front at GA concerts, so usually I'd arrive at the time the doors open. It's fairly easy to find a good spot during the support act when not many people are on the floor yet, unless I'm going to see a band whose fans are a bit more rabid/obsessive than average and queue early. If I see an empty space in front of me I'll take it, but I'd never push and shove my way through. Luckily enough I'm tall for a woman and not easily budged from my spot, but most of concerts I go to are pretty civilised anyway.

 

[Earl-Of-IMDb]

Shocker of the year.

I used to get to concerts VERY early, especially all the Pavement shows, and I would fiercely protect my spot. QUOTE]

I agree, this is what i would do. pavement or whatever it is.

 

[Carek1230]

If I'm standing at a concert; I generally arrive early and get as close as possible without having to push people out of the way, if there's a gap in front of people and a space to it I'll take it but if I find I can't get any closer without having to resort to pushing people I'll settle for where I am.

last concert I was at; these guys came in half way through the show pushed there way across to the middle and stood right in front of me...I was so annoyed

I've done my time in line too at concerts to get a good spot in front and have endured those who push and shove and who arrive late thinking they can take whatever space they like. I don't want to go thru the annoyance anymore so I am buying seats from now on.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i line up and then get a spot wherever i can. since i usually reserve ga for smaller concerts (which are by default ga), for those i usually always get front row center because i get there early enough. if i were to ever do ga for a bigger band, i'd just stand as close as possible without butting in front of anyone. if i'm pretty far back, oh well. shoving your way to the front will be met with me not moving for you at all and blocking you (as best as i can anyway) from moving closer. gfy, shovers.

 

[dazzlingamy]

Depends on who it is. I love front row, but am not obsessive to get there like others. I also will have knock em down drag em out fights with people who are arseholes in the crowd, I cannot understand the bullshit that people do at concerts, why get up the front so you can chat to your friends and call out stupid shit things to the performer? Once at a hard fi gig some dude was calling out stupid shit to the band and I got so pissed off (as it was right in my ear as well) i turned around and said some very disgustingly dirty expletives followed by my water bottle. The lead singer said he was turned on by my actions. SCORE!

but then seats are also really good if there is a cool show and you want to see the full effects. Both work!

Seats:

Front Row:

both rocked!

 

[IWasBored]

i don't like how this "poll" implies that sitting at a concert is an option.


i've always been of the opinion that if you can't stand the heat, you need to stay the fuck out of the kitchen--meaning if you cry that all the mean old meatheads pushed you out of the way even though you lined up 329808973578 hours before doors, and they arrived 10 minutes before the headliner took the stage, then you belong in the back. one of the reasons i'm done seeing the dropkick murphys live is because i'm sick of getting designer boot prints on my face because some pathetic little fuck had to be extracted from the crowd because "ow, they're pushing me! it's too hot in this crowd!" it's rock n roll. don't like it? sit down and shut up. or push back. no biting, choking, or scratching, though. not cool at all. physically not up to it? sit down, face reality, and shut up. the end.

for me, the show depends on my location in the crowd. do i know all the words? then i'm going to be front and center. how tall is the stage/barricade? is it something i'm going to want be pressed against for the duration (and possibly have to scale at the end if it's a band where everyone customarily piles aboard for the last song), or is it low enough that i'm not going to want to be the one bent over/lying on top of a monitor for support. how early do i get to the show? years ago i had a dream i missed the warped tour because there was a volcano on the side of the mass pike that was firing out cows. one of these flying cows landed in front of the truck in front of my car, and when it swerved to miss it, we rear-ended them. there was only a ding to the bumper, but we missed the show because we got bogged down in paperwork at the insurance office. the crazy inventions of my subconscious aside, i still enjoy standing outside (three hours in the snow? no problem!) in line for a little while over walking in during the opening act's set. it's just part of getting into the proper mindset. i used to have an even stricter code for which i lived by that involved staying til the headliner played their last song, and not going outside the club during even the crappiest band's set. i've seen enough crappy opening bands, and gone to enough crappy headliner's shows in order to see the opening bands that i had to amend my rules. but i still need to show up at the beginning. and getting their early is part of that. at the same time, if i want to be up front for one band, not the next, but back for the third, i'll leave and then push my way back.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Once at a hard fi gig some dude was calling out stupid shit to the band and I got so pissed off (as it was right in my ear as well) i turned around and said some very disgustingly dirty expletives followed by my water bottle. The lead singer said he was turned on by my actions. SCORE!

hell, i'm turned on by your actions!

 

[djerdap]

Um, sitting at a concert is kinda for pussies, you know.

No offense.

 

[JCOSTER]

OR are you someone, you don’t care, you arrive, you are 900 rows back, you just DON’T care, you are still able to jump/dance. ??
Sometimes I'm just glad I got a ticket to get in.

Or are you someone, you do move through to get to the front, anyone questions you, you bite them.

I have in the past made it to different seats.

 

[corianderstem]

i've always been of the opinion that if you can't stand the heat, you need to stay the fuck out of the kitchen--meaning if you cry that all the mean old meatheads pushed you out of the way even though you lined up 329808973578 hours before doors, and they arrived 10 minutes before the headliner took the stage, then you belong in the back.

Nope. I'm not of the opinion that just because it's ROCK AND FUCKING ROCK AND ROLL, I have to accept the behavior of some rude assholes.

As for boots in the face, I guess if that's the kind of concert you're attending, then yes, you should know what to expect if you're up front. And fair cop if you decide that nope, it's too much, send me to the back.

For the record, I don't sit at concerts where standing up is called for due to the mighty, mighty rockness of it all. I might prefer to have an actual location I can leave and come back to, or show up 5 minutes before the show and have that spot, but I ain't sittin' unless my ankle snaps halfway through the show.

 

[powerhour24]

People that show up at the last second or spend the start of any show in the lobby drinking, do not deserve to push past people who got there first, end of story.

 

[Diemen]

I can't stand assholes pushing their way to the front. Luckily I present a big obstacle, and the only moving I do is to block their attempt at getting past me. Unless I saw you in front of me when I got there and you went to the bathroom after the opener, you're not getting by.

And there's always, always a crowd of rude bimbos, usually accompanied by their douchebag boyfriends (what, me stereotype?) who come charging in right as the music cuts off before the main act, and then throw little tantrums and act as if we're the rude assholes for not letting them waltz to the front. I'm perfectly happy having them think I'm an asshole for that.

 

[angelordevil]

Nope. I'm not of the opinion that just because it's ROCK AND FUCKING ROCK AND ROLL, I have to accept the behavior of some rude assholes.

People that show up at the last second or spend the start of any show in the lobby drinking, do not deserve to push past people who got there first, end of story.

Concerts bring out the best and worst in people, it seems. I think that's the case no matter if you're in the GA section or in the stands. There are people in both who are either there to be moved by the music or get wasted and act like an animal. I'm always amazed at just how rude and inconsiderate people can actually be...I've seen people on weed do cartwheels across the venue floor, and I've also heard people around me in the stands babble on through half a setlist.

Personally, I do think it's rude to push your way to the front...unless you've been invited up by a friend who's seated/standing there already.

 

[powerhour24]

Unfortunately it seems like at most concerts, the majority would rather be stoned or drunk than actually appreciate music.

 

[angelordevil]

I think maybe what happens is that it’s the meatheads who are always the most noticeable. I’m willing to bet that the majority in attendance are there to actually be moved by the music. It’s just that he problem people are like self-fulfilling stereotypes--people who think they have to act a certain way or smoke a certain thing because a group like the White Stripes are supposedly ‘transcendental, or Pearl Jam is a band of 'beer-guzzling stoners.'

I can't stand assholes pushing their way to the front. Luckily I present a big obstacle, and the only moving I do is to block their attempt at getting past me. Unless I saw you in front of me when I got there and you went to the bathroom after the opener, you're not getting by.

...I'm perfectly happy having them think I'm an asshole for that.

Amen. I’m normally pretty laid-back, but if I feel I’ve been wronged, I can morph pretty quickly. At my first Pearl Jam concert in Toronto, I was fortunate to get fourth-row seats with my cousin. About five songs in, this guy starts climbing over the chairs in an attempt to get closer to the stage. He was doing this with a beer in one hand, while yelling “YEAH!!! Woooooo!!” Just as he was about to make his way past me, I yanked him back by the hood on his sweater and told him to go back to his seat. He looked completely startled that I wasn’t playing along with his antics…I thought I was about to start a riot, but an incredibly beefy security guard read the situation, and in an instant the guy was forcibly removed from the show.

It was a moment he’ll probably share with his kids one day as a ‘highlight.’ Maybe that’s how the idiot cycle repeats itself…I’m open to doing research.