Brilliant Corners

While I kind of agree with a few of Garrett Murray’s criticisms of music concerts, most of them leave me scratching my head.

His first couple of points on Ticketmaster (#1) and exorbitant fees on tickets (#2) is pretty spot on. Unless another big ticket vendor comes into the action, there’s not much we'll be able to do about the ridiculous fees that Ticketmaster (and sometimes even smaller ticket vendors) charge. Luckily, in many cases there are alternatives. Unless you're going to a show at a large arena, you may be able to buy your tickets at the venue in advance without having to pay fees. Some venues will have deals with local record shops where tickets can be purchased, but then you will likely pay a fee, but a fee much smaller than Ticketmaster charges.

He does have a bit of a point about credit cards (#3), but maybe from going to so many shows before debit cards were so common, I think it’s a habit to stop at an ATM before a show to make sure I have pocket money for drinks or the occasional tour t-shirt. And unless it says it’s an “All Ages Show” then I think it’s pretty safe to ignore the suggested show times on tickets (#4). Ticketmaster is more interested in making sure their fees are collected, than getting all the information on the ticket correct. If you really need to make sure, call the venue ahead of time and they will probably be able to tell you the correct time the bands start.

That’s about where he loses me with his arguments. I can’t imagine having every concert having assigned seating (#5). It’s certainly not essential, and depending on the band playing, almost inappropriate. In 21 years and over 125 concerts, there have been maybe a handful of exceptions where I wish I was sitting instead of standing. I can’t imagine a better way to see a show than standing among the other fans, being able to shift position around the floor while trying to find the best sound in the venue. You have the freedom to get close enough to have your ears sting or far enough away that you can still enjoy the music without it pounding your ears. Not having that freedom would drive me crazy if every venue and every concert had seating.

To add another point to the seating issue, if you've ever been on the other side (on stage, that is) having an audience that’s seated is a whole different ballgame than having a moving (even if they're just swaying) mass of people. In one case, you have to provide all the energy in the place, while with an active audience you can definitely feed off of their energy and emotions. It can really be a night and day difference when you're performing on stage. Having a standing and engaged audience right in front of you can turn a good show into a fantastic one.

And while I'm not much of a fan of the overeager concert-goer singing at the top of their lungs (#6), with a standing room only show, you can easily move somewhere else on the floor, not to be bothered. Same with the dancing (or moshing or whatever). If it bothers you that much, you can move back or to the side or wherever. More than likely, the sound in the club is loud enough, that no matter where you're standing, you'll be able to hear just fine. Now, if every single show had assigned seating—like Garrett proposes—what would you do then? You'd be stuck next to the super fan. ;–)

I don’t think that “we as concert goers have let it get this out of hand.” I'm pretty sure that shows have been going on like this since before the both of us were even born.