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I've just read an interesting article about the rise of cameraphone filming at gigs and concerts. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have instituted a ban on this as a 'courtesy' to the band and other concert goers. Other musicians such as Jarvis Cocker are not happy about it either. Full article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/shortcu ... hones-gigs

I confess I have been known to do it at Leonard's gigs and others, and part of me has noticed the 'remove' from the experience caused by it. The other half of me wants to record the experience for ever. I've tried to be sensible about it and hope I have never impinged on anyone's enjoyment by doing so.

What do other people think? Is it disrespectful, a waste of time, or a way of preserving valuable memories? Is it 'better' if you do it on a proper video camera? I sometimes wish I had never started, and should just experience the gig 'in the moment'. I am going to try not to do it at the O2 in June.

somewhat_nifty wrote:I confess I have been known to do it at Leonard's gigs and others, and part of me has noticed the 'remove' from the experience caused by it. ....I sometimes wish I had never started, and should just experience the gig 'in the moment'.

Your quoted comments summarises why I find the experience of watching other people in the audience videoing gigs I attend with camcorders and mobiles a bit sad.

As I see it, you're there to experience live music. If you're so busy capturing your experience for posterity that all you are doing whilst there is staring down a camera and effectively experiencing the gig like it was on TV the whole time then you don't get to properly experience and enjoy it as it happens in the first place so what's the point exactly?

When you watch your recording later, you're effectively just re-living a gig you didn't attend....

You're right. And, to be honest, do I watch them much after? No, not really. I'm going to go cold turkey at my next gig!

I never take photos or videos at concerts because I'm terrible at it. i have to admit I do enjoy watching the videos that others take, especially the LC ones because the sound tends to be so wonderful. Maybe there's some room for compromise: if the artist hasn't come out against the practice, and you can be unobtrusive and not mess up the view of the people behind you, take video of one or maybe two songs, then camera down and enjoy the live experience.

I agree with HelenOE.

I don't record at concerts but do take lots of photos. However I tend to take a few at the start of each song and then put the camera down leaving it on if I want to capture a moment (screen is always off though). I use the viewfinder and have all the sounds off so I don't interfere with my neighbours or people behind. I've no issues with recordings and I do watch loads of them especially Albert's. However whatever about people using cameras and phones this new trend of ipads is annoying. I saw people with them at the RCMH at the weekend. They weren't near me but I would not have been amused had someone blocked my view with one.

And now I agree with musicmania ...

God yes, iPads really would be a step too far!

I once attended a Rufus Wainwright concert where a "journalist" was typing a review on his laptop ..or at least that's what he said when Rufus asked him what he was doing. Fortunately, he switched it off after the incident

... just need a customized trilby fedora ...

Hi,
I have to tell you that I agree with musicmania, it's good to have a picture of the moment.
I also think that a lot of person are not able to enjoy the moment, that moment of the life, most of the person I know sometime say to me "I spent lot of money for that concert, at least I have a souvenir" or something like that.
For me concerts are matter of emotion, moment, when I attend a concert I often make my mind fly away to some past event or dreams that the music give me. After the concert I often try to review them, have the same emotion, and most of the time I don't need any pictures or video.
So, my point is, if you make few pictures, without disturbing your thought or other person, ok, if you are going to a gig only to make pictures, it's better you buy a cheaper and best quality DVD of that!!!
About the memory, and people that now live only to SHOW to the other person that do every second of the life, I saw a great episode of a TV series “Black mirror” the episode is called “The Entire History of You” really interesting!!!

cheers
Piero

When I first started going to the concerts at the beginning of this tour, I did surreptitiously take some photos. I was so involved with trying to get good ones, that I was missing out on the 'live moment'. Anyway, after downloading my pics and then seeing the fantastic photos taken by members like Gwen, and the perfection of the videos taken by members like Albert, I figured, "Why am I wasting my time - just enjoy the beauty before me "

I do still want people like Gwen and Albert (and others who know how take wonderful photos and videos without disturbing concert goers around them) to continue to do so, so that we may have all this as a record of those precious moments.

MaryB wrote:When I first started going to the concerts at the beginning of this tour, I did surreptitiously take some photos. I was so involved with trying to get good ones, that I was missing out on the 'live moment'. Anyway, after downloading my pics and then seeing the fantastic photos taken by members like Gwen, and the perfection of the videos taken by members like Albert, I figured, "Why am I wasting my time - just enjoy the beauty before me "

I do still want people like Gwen and Albert (and others who know how take wonderful photos and videos without disturbing concert goers around them) to continue to do so, so that we may have all this as a record of those precious moments.

Ah thanks Mary

I am guilty. I can't help it. I love photography and video to begin with. I have journalistic blood in me. I always have a camera with me wherever I go. Unfortunately for me or probably fortunately for most... you can't bring a decent DSLR camera or tripod into a concert, so most videos of the concerts aren't of the highest quality. Although some aren't too bad. And when I take videos I don't not look at them again. I continually look at them. First for all my mistakes in filming and secondly for all the little nuances I missed while watching the concert live. Every time I look at them I see something new. 5-10 years from now they will even be more important to me. I also try to be discreet in doing this so as not to ruin anyone's view who may be behind me. I keep my camera in front of me, not over my head . I agree that sitting behind someone who blocks your view with their camera or phone is not a good thing at all. When doing video, I just record 3-4 songs. I also love seeing the everyone's videos from all the concerts around the world too. And I think people, who for whatever reason, can't attend one the concerts love to see the videos too.

Something else that occurred to me... when I went to the NYC MSG concert...we bought the most expensive seats and got stuck in the 9th row and the floor was not elevated as in a regular theater, it was flat and I couldn't see the stage most of the time so when I got home and looked at my videos it was like actually seeing what I missed.

These are little bits of history that will never be repeated again. For instance... yesterday I came across videos on YouTube of the song Born in Chains, which is a magnificent song that most of the world has never heard and I was grateful that the videos existed.

But there is an important issue that no one has yet mentioned and it is that it just may be a copyright issue to film concerts. This I think is the most important issue.

There are ways of filming which doesn't disturb others , ,,,indeed it is best when nobody knows you are doing it !