It wouldn't be so bad if the picture of the singer being taken didn't invariably look like a fire on a faraway hill. Is that a song or an elephant being fisted in the back of a Formula One car while a Jumbo jet full of circus performers flies overhead? I can't quite make it out. So congratulations, you've only gone and spoiled the view of all those people stood behind you holding your iPad up so 184 people can watch a blurry and distorted 45 seconds of Lady Gaga from four miles away on the internet; your lonely footage will pray tumbleweed might stop by and give it a like one day, living in silence in some cyberspace equivalent of a grief hole away from the rest of the well-thumbed action the internet has to offer.

Another point he mentions -- that the mosh pit has gone the way of the dinosaur except in a rare few cases -- is as true as it is depressing.

sounds_sound:

Couldn't agree more with the no phone sentiment. I just saw James Blake this week and there was a sea of little screens floating above the crowd the entire show, filming the stage. Definitely ruins the moment as far as I'm concerned.

But there are some people who are doing interesting things surrounding this issue. I recently saw Dan Deacon in concert. He has an app that you can download which turns your phone into a light show that is coordinated with the music. Everyone's phone glows and pulses in unison. It is emergent and beautiful.

If anyone saw Aziz Ansari's standup special, he does this funny thing at the beginning where he reminds the audience to keep their cell phones off at all times. He then goes on to say that he knows people won't do that because they HAVE to take a photo. So what he does is say Ok, everyone get out your phones right now, it's camera time. Then he proceeds to pose in these funny ways while the entire audience shoots him. It's quite funny and seems to be effective too.

And for anyone following him on instagram. He just posted this image... "Damn. Remember when people would just watch the Coachella webcast without having to film it on their stupid phones??"


posted 4013 days ago