Okay, bit of a rant here but I think it's a more of a smypathetic one, and it's not about how many views or friends I don't have. See I got out of my house for the first time in God knows when to go to a concert in Philly, which I had no idea was actually so close. It's kind of becoming a yearly tradition for a birthday/Christmas present from my sister to be tickets to something somewhere elsewhere. Last year we went to New York to see the American Idiot Musical. Of course, we learned from our mistakes last year...which included going up something like eight hours before the show started and not having a plan that would take us 8 hours to finish, thus leaving us out in the blustery, chilling winds until we decided what to do next. This year there was a much-needed lack of bollocks. It was dinner, [getting a little lost], and a show. Drive up, drive back, much more simple.
My rant comes in at the show itself, since while I was certainly annoyed by the city's lack of proper navigational explanations, I wasn't actually apart of driving or navigating through them. This wasn't a huge show, either. It was at one of those medium-size places that bands play at before they make it big, and that local acts would feel really really awesome playing on. We saw Grouplove and Young the Giant, by the way, and I must admit I didn't think they attracted the kind of crowd they do. I half expected it to be a bunch of scarf-wearing bearded fellows that didn't know how to move their feet.
Actually, it's kind of a shame it wasn't. I've only been to...really...one other standing-room-only type show for a bigger act, and it really wasn't that bad, crowd-wise. Granted, The Dead Weather isn't exactly a "move your feet and make sweet lovey love to me" kind of group (they're more of a...kinky dirty leather-wait what the hell?). Maybe then I was just more immersed in the music anyway, since I really love The Dead Weather and I...knew a grand total of one-and-a-half songs by Young the Giant going into the show. For whatever reason I just seemed to notice the crowd a lot more at this one, and word of advice: never notice the crowd, because they can be a little asshole-y.
I mean, really, fridge logic: you get to a show a little bit later than some other people, you come in the door, there's a good crowd in front of the stage so, meh, you just hold hands with your group and plow through the people to get to the frontmost position you can, even if it means shoving and pushing people and obscuring their line of sight towards the people they came here to see on time. I know, I know, I sound like a total pussy right now, bitching about other people's determination, but goddammit, if you were really determined you'd have stood out in the cold like all the people in front of you at the venue did, not to mention you're going to lose scilia in your ears no matter where you end up. No really, concerts are loud, and arguably sound worse when you're right in front of a stack of speakers twice the size of you. I don't quite understand why people feel the need to be right up next to the band, even though they clearly missed their shot. The stage, the venue, and therefore the first row can only hold so many people.
Bear in mind these are usually the same people who, when parked next to you, will sing along to every song in such a way that you'd think they really want the singer of the band to stop and say "hey you, you're doing a better job than me, come here and finish up this concert, eh?" and dance as wildly as they possibly can with their arms up in the air and their armpits right near your nostrils. It's a deadly combination, really. Hell, it even gets awkward when all of a sudden you've got these two short high school girls next to you and the one is dancing in such away that her ass starts bumping your hand that's just clinging to your pocket because that's what's comfortable at the time for your hand. You start thinking "it's your ass so don't even do the whole 'he keeps touching my bum!" thing. I mean really, as weird as this may sound, I don't get anything out of people grinding on me at concerts.
It's just not in my blood to be pushy or anything. I mind my space I'd like other people around me to mind theirs, even if it means stand and moving in small, awkward ways to show my affection for the band in question. That's totally what I did for the Dead Weather, and again, I think the key difference between these two shows is that I totally love the Dead Weather, and I don't feel the same way about the bands I saw last night. At a show like that, I'd be a little more willing to fight for my keep, especially since I was only about five rows away from the stage. Last night, I was much farther away and off to the side...you know, where you'd think there'd be less people looking for- wait no, that's totally fridge logic since everyone would want to move past you get closer where the cool kids are. Gotcha.
Personally I still think the best place to be at a show is on the stage performing. If it were me, I'd always think and speak in abstractions. You always hear about "the people in the back" or "the people on the right" or whatever, but never about "the people getting sodomized by other people trying to get closer to us." Even if you love the people performing and you want to have all the babbys, it's still no fun to have some dude and his girlfriend spin you around and then give you a nice view of whatever t-shirt he's wearing at the time.
And another thing, I'd change if it were me onstage: the wait time. Okay, so doors open at 7, show starts at 8, that I kind of get. You know, let people get there and stuff, get their merch or t-shirts or whatever and look around the venue...I don't think it should take an hour, but I get it. Then the first band comes on and plays their set, and that's great. Then there's this long time when nothing really happens. They turn on the lights and the canned music and some people strike the first band's stuff. Okay, gotcha. Then there's just...nothing. You get a few guitar techs every now and then making an appearance and checking lights and stuff here and there...which really probably could've been done before the show (why do they have sound check then?). All of a sudden it's doors at 7, show at 8:15, first set ends at 9:50, and it's the second band at 10: 30 (I think in last night's case, it was doors at 7:30, Grouplove at 8:30, Grouplove finishes at 9:20ish, and Young the Giant was around 10:30...I think).
This is one place in which local shows kick big shows' asses. Them venue bitches want you off the stage so the next one can be ready to start at twenty minutes from your end time...which is still too long since there's still that awkward moment where the next band is set up and ready to go but then they get off stage and go drink for a good 8 minutes before playing. It's still better than waiting an hour. I mean really, why can't we just get what we paid for and have the band come on out when they're ready. It's not like they're backstage working or something because that's the only time they have to work.
Don't get me wrong, shows are awesome whether you're in the audience or on the stage, I'm not arguing that, I'm just saying there are these stupid, annoying things that really bug you when you're not into the music enough to let it dorwn out anything else. And again, even if that is the case, you're still going to notice the stupid wait and the assholes you have to deal with...unless of course you're one of them. If that's the case and you're reading this, then I'd like to ask you to just be mindful of the fact that those are real, actual people you're shoving and rubbing and knocking around. I know "personal space" isn't really a thing at shows, and to a degree, I understand that, but still, remember that just because letting someone touch your ass is usually given as a privelege doesn't mean it's so on someone who's not hitting on you. And for the guys, well same thing really, and I guess this can go for girls too, seriously don't think you're Moses and that people will part for you when you want to get closer. No. How about getting there earlier?
Again, I know I sound like a real prick who needs to learn how to have fun, but I just don't want to do it at the expense of other people, since I obviously know what it's like to be the person who's...well...all of the above. This is just another reason you should go see a bunch of local bands...because someday when they actually write a song you love to death (or if they already have) they'll magically attract enough people to make all this crowd-shuffling rubbish go on.
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