One of the highlights of our recent trip to London was seeing the ‘ABBA Voyage’ show – a modern marvel of virtual avatars and extraordinary digital sound.
Want to know what really made it great? No one was allowed to take pictures or video with their mobile phones. It was a strict rule, and anyone seen trying to capture a cheeky few seconds would be out on their ear. This was the first time I’d ever come across the enforcement of a mandate like this, outside of the theatre, and I welcomed it with open, iPhone-free arms. I figured it was a one-off, in order to preserve the surprise of the show for future attendees, and yet only this week I saw a similar notification for a Dave Chappelle show in Florida. Same no-photo/videos rule and same promise to eject those who dared flout it. If this is a new trend, I’m all for it.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit to being a sinner in the past. We went to a Duran Duran concert years ago in Miami, and I felt it would be a crime not to capture my beloved John Taylor mincing across the stage with his bass. So, I took lots of snippets of video throughout the evening. Since then, I’ve looked at the footage exactly once and eventually had to delete it because at the time I had an iPhone 2 or something with zippedy-doo-da storage (an Apple term) on it. When it came to making a decision between John and family photos, I had to make the hard choice.
I’ve come to the realisation that when I pay good money for tickets, I’d like to actually watch the show properly instead of through a small screen. I’m sure the people behind me feel the same way…. which brings me to my next point. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to look through a sea of arms holding phones in order to get a glimpse of the act on stage. I know posting on social media is a whole thing, but is it that important at the expense of lessening a live performance experience?
As you’ve probably gathered by now, I’m slightly older than the typical TikTok poster, but I can’t be the only person who feels this way. Hey, I’ve been anti-phones-in-the-cinema from the days when I still comfortably wore mini-skirts and didn’t buy underwear in convenient three-packs – I was young once. Bright screens popping up while I’m trying to watch a movie still drive me absolutely crackers. Turn. It. Off. If you have to check a message or make a phone call, walk out of the auditorium for a moment. You’re not going to be paying attention to the film anyway, so why disturb everyone else?
I appreciate that there is no way we’re just going to leave our phones behind when we go out; so, is there a happy balance? Heck, I remember some competition being advertised on the Internet a while back where someone was being offered good money to go without their device for some bonkers amount of time… like a year. I wonder if they ended up getting any takers and, if so, is that person in rehab? There are endless articles about the pros and cons of being tied to phones: How it’s impossible to do business without them; those who cast them aside suddenly saw what they had been missing… the flowers smelled sweeter, food tasted better, the sky was bluer etc. etc.; and, how was anyone supposed to tell the time without one? (See: watches.) But even if there are proven benefits to cutting back on our screen addiction, are any of us willing to make the sacrifice? I’m awful for browsing mindlessly at night, going through the same three websites over and over again, like opening the fridge every 10 minutes and expecting new food to magically appear. I’m certainly not saying we should permanently chuck them to one side. I just think when they start encroaching on others’ peace and quiet or events, it’s time to put them down for a while.
Using the speakerphone for a call when you’re close to other people is a nice irritation. I use my speakerphone too because apparently singing with rock bands for years has taken a toll on my hearing, but I make sure I keep my distance from passersby. Besides, I don’t need everyone hearing those test results.
Also, I totally get that parents sometimes need to keep their children amused with phones or iPads at a restaurant – no judgement at all – but when I’m two tables away and am getting a blow-by-blow on the latest antics of ‘PAW Patrol’, we need to hit the volume switch or employ some headphones.
Going back to the no-phone concert thing, I’ll be interested to see if this really is something that will catch on, or if certain artists just have specific reasons for making the demand. On the other hand, maybe audience members will be more mindful of others when attending these events, and make the thoughtful decision for themselves. Yeah, no…
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