I went to my first concert in 7/8 years last month and was really taken aback by the number of folks holding up cameras, some for the entire show. I wondered a)how they could focus on enjoying the performance b) if the cameras are at all distracting to the performer. Is this a common activity now a days, and if so, why? Do people sell the footage or just keep it for themselves? Have any performers every expressed any opinion on this? Thanks.

It's really annoying when you go to gigs nowadays only to get your view obscured by some idiot with a phone. I go to 50 gigs a year and it's been getting increasingly worse in the past couple of years.

I mean, who actually wants to watch their crappy, low res, 20 second clips on YouTube? I really don't see the point in it all. Am I getting old?

I never take pics at a concert.When I go to a show,I wanna enjoy myself and have fun,instead of wasting time taking pics or using the video on my cellphone.

I find that most venues or security warn about cameras and recording devices only for me to get inside and see that everyone has one.

JackieBlue said:

Yeah,they don't really enforce those rules anymore,do they?

SoulAlive said:

Depends on the artist... Prince's security are still quite keen to stop people taking pics & video. The security hired by the venue couldn't care less about it.

JackieBlue said:

Most house rules have been modified against professional rigs. There's no way they can guard against camera-phones, so they let all amateurs have free reign. Some still enforce the "no flash" rule, but that's more on an artist by artist basis.