It sucks when no-one is listening
Live shows are designed to be a place of shared excitement, but adding heat, intoxicants, and selfishness can create a dangerous mix,
Let’s set the scene: after two long years of pandemic living, you and your friends are itching to kick off a restriction-free summer by making up for lost time.
You book tickets for the festival that hasn’t gone ahead since 2019, ready to dance the day away to the sounds of live music, but you’re quickly reminded of the cutthroat world of being a concertattendee.
The crowds are a battleground of pushing limbs and squeezed bodies, a drunken trio of friends has been talking through an entire set, and the people around you are crushed so closely together you worry you might not even be able to breathe.
Coming out of the socially-disruptive pandemic, it can be easy to get carried away in the energy of a concert and end up souring the experience not only for the fans in your radius, but for performers and event workers as well.
We chatted with Red Badge security guard Sam Gollings and Kiwi musician Rita Mae to get the lowdown on how to create a harmless and fun concert environment.
Have fun, but not at the expense of others
Concerts are supposed to be fun, but Gollings warns taking it too far can ruin the experience for other patrons.
‘‘Totally have fun, this is your space to have that, but understand you’ve signed conditions of entry when you bought your ticket. You’ve signed a set of rules that are meticulously made to create a safe and enjoyable experience for others,’’ Gollings says.
The root cause of a lot of ‘‘ugly’’ behaviour is intoxication, Gollings warns.
Pre-gaming is a common ritual for live shows, and though it’s easy to feel like a concert is one big house party, not everyone will be feeling the same way.
‘‘Watch how much you take in terms of drugs and alcohol – really know your limit,’’ Gollings says.
‘‘You want to be able to make it home at the end of the night, and you want to actually remember what you paid for.’’
Respect the performer
Mae, who recently played Auckland’s Others Way festival, says artists want their crowds to be full of energy and engaged, but not unruly.
‘‘Go to a concert to enjoy the music, instead of going there for a reason to get f...ed up,’’ Mae says.
‘‘Concerts are a social event, but there’s a huge difference between talking to your friends at a gig and being disruptive and annoying.
‘‘I’ve definitely played smaller gigs where the crowd is awkwardly drunk and loud, and it’s just a bad experience for everyone.’’
Some artists will be more comfortable in commanding their crowd – Lorde went viral at the beginning of this year for shushing crowd members during a performance – but others won’t find creating control to be as easy.
‘‘I think people forget how vulnerable it is to perform,’’ Mae says.
‘‘You get to the point where you see someone as a big artist, an invincible, almost God-like thing that you can’t hurt, but even if you were a huge artist it would still suck to have a crowd not being there to enjoy your music. It’s so much more fun for a performer to have a crowd that is listening to you – or the best thing in the world is when they know the lyrics to your songs and are singing with you.’’
Look after each other
‘‘Understand that everyone has paid to be here, so respect other people’s experience,’’ Gollings says.
‘‘If it is an all-ages event, understand that you need to take extra care around others and lead by example if you’ve got young kids inside [the show].’’
Gollings says the most important rule of thumb is to act as though your mum is moshing along with you.
‘‘Act as if your mum’s there with you – behave and respect others.’’
Worried it’s too crowded? Try to touch your nose. If you can’t, there are too many people and it is dangerous, explains Christchurch-based event expert Cary Caldwell.
Caldwell worked as planning manager of the prestigious SxSW festival in Austin before returning to NZ when Covid-19 struck.
He says crowd science is ‘‘very specific but important’’ knowledge.
He says if you feel the crowd around you increasing, and you feel uncomfortable, leave while you can.
If it’s too late to leave, there are things you can do. Try to remain on your feet. Avoid screaming and control your breathing. Fold your arms in front of you to create space around your lungs.
Go with the flow of the crowd, don’t resist, and try to keep your balance. Be kind to those around you and try to keep calm.
‘‘Act as though your mum is moshing along with you. Behave and respect others.’’
Sam Gollings
Red Badge security guard