So what do you do exactly?
 

This is really a question in regards to going to a gig.

I must admit, I have never been someone who has gone to gigs, in effect I have probably lost a little bit of youth by not properly going to see bands and stuff like that. The closest I got was when I was 16 and went along to this rock club in birmingham when they opened it up to under 18s, basically I only went as an exscuse to get drunk so never really appreciated the music or listened to it.

Anyway my question is what do you do at these gigs? Do you dance? If so how?

Do you just stand there with a beer and appreciate the music?

I'm not really to sure how you act in this kind of social situation. I ask this because I went to an indie bar last night (followed by an 80s bar!) and I found myself like the rest of the crowd kind of jumping around having a little sing song. I'm not to sure but I think in the next year or so I might go to a few gigs of bands I like (that's another thing, I might start listening to music, the closest I have got to listening to music is frank sinatra, ray charles, the streets, maxi priest and UB40!)

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Depends what you go and see.

You just have a good time. If that means you dance, then you get up in the throng and dance. If it means you stand at the bar having a good chat with mates / a girl then you talk. Maybe a mixture of the lot. If you've gone on your own because you really want to see the band, just find a good part of the bar to lean on and watch from there. (That's what I do if I really want to see a band but can't find anyone to go with). You'll make conversation with those around you or the bar staff.

I go and see a lot of funk / jazz gigs. So it's either a lot of dancing, loud and people having a good chill out, or people generally sat / stood, really watching the music being played as well as intently listening to it.

Each music has it's own following and "style of observance" (if that's even a term) I'd say just turn up with or with out people and go with the flow. If people dance, dance with, if not then don't (as it tends to make you look a tit!)

From my point of view of someone who when he's at gigs, 9% of the time is on the stage playing, you just want people to be happy and have a good time. So just do whatever feels good / relaxing and fun!

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

It all depends on the band and the size of the venue. If it's in Wembly Stadium or something then your actions are pretty much dictated by your ticket. If you're up in the stands you stay there and watch from afar. If you're on the floor you can hang back or delve into the maddening crowd, which is literally being a sardine.

If you want to see the band you can push to the front and get your ribs bruised by the bars before the stage, if ou're not botheres have a little dance behind the mosh and have a few pints.

I for one do not enjoy drinking excessively at concerts if I intend to get up close because there is no air and I find myself in constant need of water and I find other people's sweat just doesn't do the trick.

Edit: this is mostly for rock bands, though I'd imagine the Front Stage Squeeze (FFS, for short) is an inevitable event whereever you go to see a popula band, particularly one that is down with the youth of today.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

It depends on the band, the crowd and who I'm with. When at uni, I went to lots of gigs at the academy in brum with a friend of mine, and we'd both get stuck into the dancing and moshing right at the front. The few gigs that happened actually at our union were a lot tamer, the people there were happier standing and watching, and if those dancing are in the minority, then it's pretty shit and you end up annoying people. Since finishing uni, the people I've been to things with aren't really up for that, so I don't bother, so it's back to head-nodding, foot-tapping and watching.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

If you have to think about how you're dancing or whether you should dance, you arent having a good time.

Trying/Continuing to dance when you dont know what you're doing and dont really want to dance is pretty lonely and pathetic in a real sense but i guess it works for 80% of the population so why not

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Probably the best concert I went to was Roachford at Portsmouth Guildhall with about a dozen mates. We'd all been listening to the album for months, then all of a sudden, 'Cuddly Toy' goes large and all these trendies want to go see him.

We spend the entire concert wigging out (and get a mention from the man himself) while the rest of the wannabees stand around trying to look like they know lyrics until "Cuddly Toy" comes on and they all start up.

How we laughed. Cuddly Toy wasn't even the best tune on the album.

This is about 1988, for anyone wondering...jesus, that's nearly TWENTY YEARS ago.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Pretty much its been said already.

Depends on the music, the crowd and every bit as much your own personal style.

I generally try to interact with the crowd, you tend to have more fun if you do so. Just about every performance I've been too there hasn't been much in the way of actual dancing it almost always degenerates into a bit of generic moshing.

Its also worth at least once getting the full experience of ribbing and climbing over people to be part of that elite crowd at the front of the stage. Once there you can further entertain yourself by holding the nearest solid object you can find to escape the other wannabe front rower viewers that will push, pull and do anything they can to steal your spot :up:

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

You were still gigging in your mid 40's??? WOW!


ZING!


*sigh*

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

I saw this thread had been replied to by Dace.

I almost didn't have to read the reply to know it would be along the lines of

'Gigging with your zimmer frame must be hard work'
'Did your grandchildren invite you?'
'Do OAPs get a discount?'
etc.
etc.
etc.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Bread and circuses innit.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Death and taxes.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Your mum and the football team.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Pig, see my gig videos on Facebook. It won't help but it might give you an idea of some sort.

I generally love to be in the midst of the crowd if I really like the band. Sadly, and more recently, my mates have been rather annoying and want to be away from the crowds due to claustrophobia and whatnot.

I rarely dance, jump up & down or clap my hands if I'm on my own. I tend to tap my feet, nod, hold a drink and or a camera and sing along when I can and sometimes I'd be standing a bit away from the crowds.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

yeah, you sound like one of the people that clutters up festivals and drains the atmospheres out of shows :o

you cant plan dancing really, it either happens or doesnt

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Well we all need those type of people of course. ;)

:rolleyes:

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

why :rolleyes:? He's absolutely right. On both counts, actually. If you go to gigs to stand and look moody do you honestly need to be near the front for it?

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Emo-factor?

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

When I saw arcade fire at porchester hall from the 3rd row I was stood in awe at what was before me.









That and the price of the beer.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

This man is wise and you should listen to him. And it applies to most social situations too - if you go to a party and find yourself thinking "Hmm, what should I do next" then you're probably not doing too well. Kind of like "awkward conversation with complete stranger" vs "talking to a close friend"...in the latter you're not usually worried about what to say next - it just flows.

If you're a big enough fan of the music then you'll probably find yourself overwhelmed by the desire to get on up, or whatever is appropriate. If not then get drunk, or just enjoy the people you've gone with. If you can't do any of these things then what on Earth are you doing there?

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

The :rolleyes: was for the fact that he mentioned the obvious.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

At last we reach some level of agreement.

Alas again your passion causes you to go too far. "don't know what you're doing" - I find this a questionable statement.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

ace.

I've been told I dance like Ian Curtis. I try to consider that a compliment.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Pig, it don’t really matter who the band is as long as you like, with whom you are with, or what's officially acceptable to do once the lights are up.

Just get yourself nice and relaxed, whatever poison or mind set that may be.

Go with the attitude that you are going to have a great time and soak it all up. The majority of people are digging it in their own way, so your personal fun will go largely unnoticed. Such nights of loss can be rarely experienced. Enjoy!

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

pig why don't you know this? to me you always seemed one of the few guys in here who actually does go out, visiting pubs/clubs/footballmatches etc.

and def how come you do know? i'm confused.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Oh I have just never been to gigs. It's a weird social setting for me (or at least in my mind it would be)

I'm not a great fan of music (i.e. I don't really listen to any, apart from the stuff on radio 1)

Any other social situation I can do fine in.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Because when i go to festivals and see good acts with good atmospheres you dance and you dont think about it, and you're completely 100% aware of anyone that doesnt look comfortable / is out of place. One of my friends earned the nickname Captain Buzzkill for his terrible non commital 'peering at a traffic jam from the middle seat in the car' approach to gigging/festivals. It can absolutely ruin a gig: best example for me would be t in the park 2005 - when i actually wanted to see the killers (:o). They played main stage and it was packed to the rafters for miles back - we fought as far as we could towards the front - not very, 20-30m off if i recall - because it was jammed tight. But no one danced, or jumped, or bounced, or moved, or did anything with their hands, and it was just the most soul destroying musical experience of my life*; just second to seeing the Eels play a rock set rather than stick to their strengths.

I also know this because ive made the mistake of going to clubs far too often in my life, and have spent some of the worst minutes of my life trying to pretend i care enough about the music to dance to RnB / Dance / Music that only poor people could like. Dancing shouldnt be a convention or chore ; it should be spontaneous and fun**. So yeah, ive been the 'clearly uncomfortable out of their element' guy enough times to know


* - in my friendgroup when a band/singer/stand up comedian gets little or no reaction; we now call it a 'killers pop'

** Apart from ballroom dancing because it looks great. But you dont have to do that to Rhianna i guess

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

It's called alcohol.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

I guess it depends, widely on music. If it's trash I don't really appreciate, I'll rather try make my way to sitting down and pulling some more alcohol, the same applies for the sort of music you just-don't-dance. Alcohol can play a part at the atmosphere, though, but the scheme's fairly primary. I think alcohol mostly plays part in the mentioned static dancing (what you do when drunk and feel like, no matter how ackward and crap music, dancing). The actual "dancing" happens more sober, and it's because of the music and the atmosphere, not the drunken state of mind.

What comes to ballroom dancing, it's to me a different kind of a social event. Going clubbing, or raves, I don't really mind who I'm dancing with, if I'm dancing, I'm dancing for the joy of dance and music. Having been to the other sort of setup twice, with the highschool scene, ballroomsey is a lot more about the company. Of course, a lot of it involves swapping, but if the partner you're with is being a moron (like my ex-girlfriend when being with her there), you're definately not going to enjoy it. On the other hand, if you're doing it with a person whose company you enjoy (like the first person I was doing it with), it'll probably be a lot of fun even though the music isn't very great .

I was probably out until 7am or so dancing at the Konemetsä this summer. There's little that beats brilliant live music in a forest at the dawn. I wasn't even very drunk during the festival weekend - in fact, that's probably one of my most sober weekends this summer (which isn't much admitted), yet it left me with a hip strain, nasty sunburns, and flu. The other incident worth noting would have been Rammstein in 2005. The front row was an amazing, regardless of people pushing you at the fence and the air being a little warm.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

what

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Its strange sometimes the extremes that set people apart.

Going purely off a lot of your posts on this board I summise that a pub is your kind of preferred social setting that you strive in.

Adversely I die in any pub setting and always feel awkward at best, but put me at a gig or festival and I'm perfectly happy.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Oh the internet, bringing different people together. Who would have thought it.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

What if they want to dance the dance of the evil despotism?

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Thought the bands did the gigs, and the audience did the drugs?

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Occasionally I like to strip down to my underwear and dance chanting around a fire.


Otherwise no.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Funny. I enjoy pubs, for the chat and the atmosphere. Unlike expected, I also enjoy a good club gig or a festival scheme. What will make me slit my wrists, though, is too little alcohol and one of those bars (I guess it's what they call the clubs when there's no real performer, instead some shite halfassed DJ and a lot of idiot mongrels "dancing" - ie. attempting to grasp genitalia). You just can't make it through those if you're even distantly sober.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

Atmosphere is really the keypoint here, I geuss everyone has their own interpretation on what makes a good one.

I don't like pub atmosphere, it just never seems the right balance for me to get comfortable in. Something is always offkilter that just makes being present a chore. Its usually any number of the following:
- the music is too loud (can't hear others), too soft (makes those long uncomfortable silences even longer and more uncomfortable).
- pubs & smokers.. hand in hand etc.. the problem is theres no real escape for non-smokers.. doesn't seem to matter if I'm inside or outside by the end of the night I smell like I sat around the campfire too long and my throat is knackered.
- if theres a TV, 99.9% chance it'll be playing sport and probably one I'm not interested in.
- I rarely get to socialise with the people I went with, eventually it almost always break down to people going their own way to either catch up with that bloke you haven't seen in 2 years or play the dancefloor in hopes of picking up.
- pub food is hit & miss.. sometimes its decent, othertimes not so.
- most bouncers are wankers.
- the solution to most of the above generally is more booze = broke by the end of the night.
- the whole getting home thing, can't drive, taxis are hard to get and often late and most nights it can be a long cold walk home.


At least at home or a mates place the booze is cheap, theres plenty of entertainment options and you have total say over it, plenty of retreats when you want to get away from the main gig for a while, at worse you can crash out there and go home in the morning.


With gigs & festivals everyone is there on the same terms. People are there generally to enjoy the music and most will have gone specifically to see that band so everyone knows what to expect. They tend to be more open and better organised so that there are chill out areas and the bar is generally away from the main entertainment area so those that want to be in the crowd can be those that want to hang back do so too.

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

No Smoking!

Re: So what do you do exactly?
 

I tend to wade into the crowd and enjoy the music at gigs. I pity the people who pay to go to a gig and then stand at the side with a drink.