A Modest Proposal For Houston Concert Audiences
Don't bother us in the morning until we've had our coffee, and don't bother us - or anyone else, for that matter - at a concert until we've had our music.
Photos by Marc Brubaker
We've all been there. You spent $100 on concert tickets to a show, which you and your best friend or significant other have been looking forward to for months. As you arrive at the venue, you drop another 15 bucks on parking.
Sure, you could have found a spot and walked, but you're like a kid pulling up to Chuck E. Cheese - you've got to get inside, and fast. When you finally walk in, before making your way into the pit, you open up a tab at the bar and of course, you'll end up spending at least $50 on drinks as the night plays out.
At this point, you've spent a lot of hard-earned money, you're ready for the show, and you expect to have a good time. Then, just as you and your (lady) friend settle into the closest open spots you can fit into, you hear it, and your stomach drops.
The guy you're now stuck next to is already drunk, disruptively loud, and won't stop talking. He may even be throwing elbows, spilling his drink or both.
A night out is expensive, and when you get stuck next to some loudmouth who thinks his comments are more important than the show you've now paid close to $200 to see, there isn't much you can do about it. But if our fellow concertgoers decide to make it a priority, perhaps we can change this mindset for good.
For those who aren't seasoned concert-going veterans, Rocks Off suggests you behave at a show the way you would at a movie. If your phone rings, either ignore it or leave to answer it. Talking between bands is fine - just like it's all right to talk between movie previews - but once the curtain drops, please shut up.
For the sake of all those around you who have also paid to see the show, control yourselves. If you must mingle, make your way to the back or go outside. And if you feel like getting drunk and rowdy, just don't. If you're a fan of mosh pits, make sure the rest of the crowd is willing to mosh with you, too. If they aren't, don't force it.
Anywhere else in public, this behavior wouldn't be tolerated, but for some reason many fans feel that they have a right to act out of control at concerts. But what about the rights of the fans who don't wish to engage in such behavior? Isn't it their right to not have to put up with you? When do your rights begin to infringe on those of others? Ask yourself these questions the next time you attend a concert.
And before you accuse Rocks Off of being all preachy or holier than thou, let us be clear: We're not saying that a family with small children should to attend a Slayer concert, stand directly in front of the stage and not expect to get pulled into the mosh pit. If you go to a GWAR show, you're going to get covered in fake blood, and if you attend an Insane Clown Posse show, we hope you aren't allergic to Faygo.
Common sense should be taken into account - certain concerts entail certain happenings - but at the Silversun Pickups concert a few months ago, we vividly recall one fan punching another in the face after the punchee wouldn't stop elbowing the women behind him, spilling their drinks.
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