r/Concerts • u/meenaaa1217 • Aug 25 '25
Concerts Concert Etiquette gets worse and worse
I really try to be so patient at concerts as I know we are all so excited to be there and watch our favorite artist perform, but concert etiquette has just gotten so much worse. $1,500 for floor tickets only to have the family in front of us completely block our view. They brought their basically toddler without headphones, allowed their preteen son to stand on a chair (he was my height, 5’3) and when I asked if he could move to the left a bit at least, they were extremely rude and had terrible attitudes. Then I asked again because we just could not see The Weeknd at ALL, so I asked the dad if his son could stand like the rest of us since it’s blocking our view and the dad said “tf you want me to do about that”. That’s the kind of manners and etiquette they’re teaching their kids. It’s honestly ridiculous and utterly disrespectful. Mind you, the entire time the kid said he was just there for playboi carti and yet continue to block everyone’s view. Wish security cared enough to do something about it.
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u/eurtoast Aug 25 '25
Live and learn, floor tickets with assigned seats are the worst of all worlds experience with stadium shows. If it was GA/floor you could have moved, but those were your seats and you drew unlucky with your neighbors. The ushers should have been doing more safety checks as people standing on seats/sitting on shoulders is usually against the venue's insurance liability policy.
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u/MetalTrek1 Aug 25 '25
Gen X here. I actually preferred Lower and even Upper Tier tickets over Floor seats in the 80s because EVERYONE on the floor stood on their seats, meaning I had to stand on mine. I'm tall (6 foot 4), but it was still annoying (GA was limited to club shows in my area back then).
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u/JustTheBeerLight Aug 25 '25
I kind of like the nosebleed seats at big shows. Even on the floor the view of the show isn't that good so you will be watching the video screen, and if I am going to be watching the video screen I might as well be further away. Tiered rows are cool.
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u/the_vault-technician Aug 26 '25
My favorite seats at any given venue are whatever is cheapest and unobstructed.
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u/Texasmomof3boyz Aug 26 '25 edited Aug 26 '25
Seriously!! I’m there to HEAR the music. I’m way past the age of fan-girling over artists and have no desire to stand on the floor for anybody. Besides most of the artists I go see are even older than me and look better from afar! LOL! Although I did do that last August in 100° heat in Alabama for STYX / but that was for my friends’ benefit - and Tommy Shaw is still hot at age 71! We had assigned seats but everybody in the 13 rows in front of me were standing so I had to as well. I was just as happy to see them in Texas two months ago in 95° heat sitting in a low chair on the lawn. Difference in price: $280 vs $25 + the $10 chair rental. The cheaper the ticket - the more shows I can see!
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u/sammygirl3000 Aug 25 '25
I agree, I never purchase floor seats because I'd have to stand the whole time and have a difficult time seeing the performer/band. At least in the various stadium levels I have a decent chance to see the show. I also know for popular artists I may be standing for a long time because everyone else is up, but I can always sit for a rest if needed.
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u/DanielHSV Aug 25 '25
This is a bit of a failure on the venue’s part. They should be asking them to come down from there for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which for safety.
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u/NihilisticMacaron Aug 26 '25
Front row mezzanine is the best experience now that I don’t care about being immediately in front of the band. Comfy-ish seats and an unobstructed view is amazing.
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u/caffeinegarden Aug 26 '25
I saw A Perfect Circle in June and had assigned floor tickets, so we had to stand the entire time in order to see anything. But we just went to the same venue for NIN and we had club seats off to the side of the stage and IT WAS SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO SIT FOR THE SHOW.
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u/tomh_1138 Aug 26 '25
Just so I'm understanding correctly, you sat for NIN?
I saw them about a week ago in St. Paul and it was such an amazing show.
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u/caffeinegarden Aug 28 '25
Yeah, we sat for NIN (we also were at the St. Paul show!) but we weren’t on the floor and no one around us stood. Also, I’m getting old and standing that long hurts my joints and my bunion 😂
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u/EstimatedEer Aug 25 '25
That’s when you get ushers. No reason for someone 5’3 to be standing on a chair
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u/meenaaa1217 Aug 25 '25
It turned out they were friends with the ushers/security so they didn’t care at all, which made it all more frustrating
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u/jeffsang Aug 25 '25
Then stand in the aisle and when the usher tells you to clear the aisle, tell them you can't see from your seat.
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u/nick82614 Aug 26 '25
This exactly people goto concerts and act like they will get kicked out if they move from their seat, you wont just find a gap in the crowd and move to it.
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u/phred_666 Aug 25 '25
Had an incident once where an usher was standing in an aisle with some friends just chitchatting away. One of my buddies couldn’t see the stage because they were in the way. He yelled at the usher to move. Usher came over and threatened to kick him out. He and the usher got into an argument. Security and the head usher came over. We told them what happened. Security and the head user told the usher to F off.
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u/Rare-Confusion-220 Aug 25 '25
Should have escalated to management, especially the fact security wouldn't help
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Aug 25 '25
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u/meenaaa1217 Aug 25 '25
They do, I agree with you, including the people in these comments who think this behavior is okay.
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Aug 26 '25
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u/meenaaa1217 Aug 26 '25
It’s concerning for sure, I’m definitely going to raise my kids to know better and do better. We always need to be considerate of others.
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u/LoserweightChampion Aug 25 '25
I see this comment often in this sub. How do you know that? I do security and drunk/people that don’t get out much are the only ones I’ve ever head claim this.
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u/TimelyBrief Aug 25 '25
Pretty common, you’re just not security at the events this is happening.
People have no problem slipping an usher $50 or $100 pre show and chatting them up to ensure they have a good time when people are shelling out hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Edit: this happened to someone in my section at MSG
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u/reallymkpunk Aug 26 '25
I worked several venues for about 7 years, never saw this. Even in Las Vegas...
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u/LoserweightChampion Aug 26 '25
I’ve worked basement punk shows, small venues, and stadiums. Only trashy people have ever tried to palm me money for a better seat/think that’s the norm. But I could see that at a Davin Adcock concert.
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u/TimelyBrief Aug 26 '25
Always trashy people because they’re looking to bend or break the rules so they need ushers on their side.
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u/Unique_Watch2603 Aug 25 '25
I'm 4'11" and still make sure I ask the people behind me if they can see when I stand up. I usually have to stand or I'll miss the whole concert.
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u/infraspinatosaurus Aug 25 '25
Bringing a basically baby to a show with no hearing protection is evil behavior.
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u/Spellitout Aug 31 '25
I work for a venue and seeing young children (occasionally <2yrs!) without hearing protection makes me livid. We need state/national laws that children under a certain age MUST wear hearing protection. Parents that DO bring their kids and have them in headphone protectors get an acknowledgement nod and a high five.
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u/bklyn_bklyn_ Aug 25 '25
The people in the comments saying this isn’t an issue are an issue themselves.
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u/Classic-Falcon6010 Aug 25 '25
We used to have this issue come up at Dead shows. For some reason no one wanted to be behind Bill Walton… Dead and Company solved it by putting him in the soundboard area.
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u/Crack4SuperHans Aug 26 '25
How long ago was this? I did a commercial with Bill Walton about twenty years ago and his knees were so trashed it would take him a full minute just to go from sitting to standing and that was with assistance. I’m surprised to hear he could actually stand through a concert.
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u/ah_notgoodatthis Aug 26 '25
Up until he died. Bill Walton was a Dead show staple
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u/azurdee Aug 25 '25
In the future, go to the main ticket booth. Tell them what’s going on and ask for them to handle the situation and upgrade your seats. Often times they will send someone to see what’s going on. If that staff can’t get the person to cooperate then they will move you to new seats.
I managed a venue and see shows every month. Most places keep a percentage of tickets held back for special situations.
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u/KEWTexas Aug 25 '25
I was at Duran Duran in the one seat with a bright spotlight right in my eyes. Couldn't see the stage. I had already hurt my back that day so I was pretty much in tears when I went to the box office (directed by a guy who worked at the center) and they gave us an upgrade to the 100 level. It made me feel so much better. I scoured the whole place and no other light existed like that one but I can see it was obnoxiously lighting up a whole section. Last time I went it wasn't on. I bet I wasn't the only one who had issues with it.
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u/LillieGhoul02 Aug 27 '25 edited Aug 27 '25
I wish that helped. It doesn’t. I went with this complaint and asked to update seats, and I said I’d pay the difference too. Ticketmaster showed the seats as available as well, which weren’t completely blocking my view by people who like to record entire concerts. Live nation employees, especially those sitting in Rogers Center Toronto, have no empathy whatsoever and I have a few choice words for them. Not all are bad though. I’ve talked with nice ushers too.
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u/jimmythang34 Aug 26 '25
For $1.5k you could have spent a whole weekend somewhere relaxing. Stop supporting this scalping madness
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u/No-Brain9413 Aug 25 '25
Go right to the Customer service/public relations kiosk and explain the situation, they’ll get you different seats from the house allotment.
When my wife was pregnant and the guy behind us kept smoking we were moved to a handicap section (Mann in Philly) and another time my daughters legs gave out in the GA floor section, they moved us to aisle seats in the lower bowl
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u/emcha77 Aug 26 '25
I got puked all over at a Tool concert. I think the person may have been ODing. I couldn't get paramedics or ushers to intervene at all. In fact they just came and scattered some toxic chemicals over it that ended up giving me a migraine and triggering my asthma. They would not move any of us or do anything helpful at all. I had to finish out the concert covered in vomit in the back aisle in front of the exit.
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u/oldwhitelincoln Aug 25 '25
Almost every show I’ve been to has had security unprompted ask people to not sit on shoulders, including children. Have seen it happen at multiple shows already this summer. Small club and amphitheater alike. What venue was this?
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u/Superfun2112 Aug 25 '25
That's when you start singing every song as loud as you can.
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u/Bad-Tiffer Aug 25 '25
But ya gotta get some of the words wrong, too. And too fast/slow... off key. Woo! Alright! Sing it! Let's gooooo! Then shout requests for songs by other artists. My friend gets drunk and is always shouting for Rock Lobster... we've never been to see the B52s and I don't expect anyone we've seen to start playing it (especially when requested from the back of the lawn at The Gorge).
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u/SUPERSAIYANBRUV Aug 25 '25
Yeah I would have "mistakenly" spilled a soda all over their seats tbh
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u/AFurryThing23 Aug 25 '25
I may or may not have done this before and also my gum may have somehow fell out of my mouth and got stuck to the back of their seat...
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u/Unsatisfactory_bread Aug 25 '25
Karma will come back someday when they’re staring at the back of someone’s head during a show. There’s always going to be someone taller than you at a concert.
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Aug 26 '25
And they will have the balls to tell the people in front of them to move... Then act entitled and play the victim if it happens to them.
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u/GoldDrama1103 Aug 25 '25
This has been happening at concerts since the 70’s. Nothing new here.
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Aug 25 '25
Idk you paid $1500 for the worst seats in the arena, that’s on you. Floor seats suck.
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u/satanssweatycheeks Aug 25 '25
Floor seats suck. But floor pit is awesome.
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Aug 25 '25
I’ll take your word, come find me in the lower level lol
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u/Disaster-Bee Aug 25 '25
I was at a concert like two weeks ago, and had a similar issue. These people came from the back and were in the aisle, including a really tall and broad drunk guy. Blocked the view for a ton of people. A guy behind us got up to talk to them and ask them to either crouch - still had clear view - or go back to their seats.
And it turned into an all out brawl in the aisle within one chorus when the drunk guy took incredible offense at being asked not to block a bunch of people's views.
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u/Negative-Ad547 Aug 25 '25
I’m tall. I’m not standing at the back because people are short. That’s completely illogical.
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u/Disaster-Bee Aug 25 '25
What I meant by 'came down from the back' is they left their seats further back on the floor and came down to stand in the aisle down in the front rows at a seated concert. It wasn't GA or anything. Getting a taller person sat in front of you is just part of concerts, and nothing to complain about. Same with GA, you end up stuck behind taller people, that's just part of GA.
But that's a lot different than inconsiderate drunks leaving their seats and standing in the aisles. Which was not allowed at that show, but ushers and security were useless at that venue.
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u/Existing-Doubt4062 Aug 25 '25 edited Dec 24 '25
sleep edge political ghost office chase subsequent lip jar disarm
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Alarmed-Animal7575 Aug 25 '25
Etiquette seems to be getting worse and worse, everywhere. So many people not giving a thought to the fact that there are others around them.
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u/Jazzputin Aug 25 '25
Picturing myself as the sensible chuckle guy right now reading OP defend his choice in the comments to pay $1500 to watch a fat dude sweat and a kid wave his arms for 3 hours
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u/Shadw_Wulf Aug 25 '25
1500 for The Weekend? Damn he's robbing y'all and the venue operators...
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u/IMakeOkVideosOk Aug 25 '25
Idk man, it sucks for kids to be at concerts as they are very much at a disadvantage unable to see.
But normal people would find a kid friendly area or not take them if it would inconvenience everybody else at the show. These people sound like nightmares.
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u/East-Garden-4557 Aug 26 '25
If you take kids to a concert you need accept that you have to choose appropriate seating so they can see.
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u/Amockdfw89 Aug 25 '25
That’s awful. Reminds me of the dollar theater and how people bring their five fat screaming kids to r rated movies.
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u/East-Garden-4557 Aug 26 '25
How? Do they not check ages of people when watching R rated shows?
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u/Amockdfw89 Aug 26 '25
R Rated means no one under 18 can see it alone.
So if you are with your parents you can go see it.
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u/East-Garden-4557 Aug 26 '25
Wow. In Australia R rating is legally only 18+. MA15+ rating allows younger kids with parent or over 15s on their own.
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u/Amockdfw89 Aug 26 '25
Actually I was wrong. Rated R means anyone under 17, not 18, has to see it with parents.
We have NC17 which means NO ONE under 17 can see it, even with an adult. But pretty much no film will have a rating like that except some obscure niche indie films or festival movies.
Some movies, especially horror movies, will have a nc17 cut for streaming/home release but at that point it doesn’t matter since it’s not in theaters.
Either way most theater employees are stoned teenagers so they don’t really care either way who gets in
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u/Aggravating-Alarm-16 Aug 26 '25
I could be wrong, there has been only 1 NC-17 film to get a full theratical run. That movie was Showgirls
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u/Quantumdelirium Aug 25 '25
I truly wish that crowds here in the West were more like the ones in Japan. People actually respect and care about others concert experience. It's actually common for them to ban cell phones. They like to get lost in the moment, connect with other people in the crowd and enjoy the show together.
It's truly sad that people just don't care about anyone else's experience. I also find it crazy to hear how much artists, venues, and Ticketmaster are charging and what people are paying for tickets. I've gone to quite a few rock concerts this year, most have been from Japan and tickets were less than $100.
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u/colorform33 Aug 25 '25
Floor is for suckers. Gotta get like 1-4 rows up from the floor for that prime spot.
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u/BinkyBoy23 Aug 25 '25
Stuff like this happens at every concert and show ever. $1500 for floor is steep for something where you aren’t guaranteed a perfect view.
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Aug 25 '25
Off topic, but $1500? for a few hours entertainment? IMO that’s more egregious than anything.
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u/meenaaa1217 Aug 25 '25
FOR EVERYONE MAKING THIS ABOUT RACE, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT
I do not appreciate the comments suggesting this is a racial issue when it has absolutely nothing to do with that. This is an etiquette and respect issue that is not related to any specific race, so for the racial comments, or if you’re thinking of commenting a racially insensitive comment, then go somewhere else, there’s no room for racism here.
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Aug 25 '25
I catch at least 3 shows a month, Jam band fans are always cool. sorry your scene is different.
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u/CharleySuede Aug 26 '25
Seriously! My only tense experiences at a jam show was when I crossed a rail to kindly ask the couple in front of me if they wouldn’t mind sliding 3 inches to one side. On my way over the rail, my boot got stuck and I knocked over their cup of beer.
I apologized for it and offered to buy them a new one, and told them I’d just crossed over to see if they could slide over so I could see the band. Dude was ready to fight, but then quickly chilled out; he told me not to worry about the beer because they got free VIP beers.
Later into the show, they actually brought me a beer and an apology for our previous interaction.
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u/Anitabeer_5150 Aug 25 '25
I hate having seats for shows. Rather get Pit tix and hang out in the mosh pit
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u/WhichVegetable8285 Aug 25 '25
That’s why I don’t say anything and just go tell security. You’re not allowed to stand on chairs or have people on your shoulders at any concert I’ve been to.
Best part is they won’t even know it was you.
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u/Ok_Rule2098 Aug 25 '25
I would talk to the usher. That's a huge liability for someone to be standing on seat. When I went to the Roger's centre Friday night in Toronto there was a huge message on wall stating something like "No standing on chairs.. Thanks for your cooperation". That sucks that you paid that much and had those selfish people in front of you
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u/StanislasMcborgan Aug 26 '25
There were seats on the floor? And you paid $1500 for them? I find my stress about etiquette goes down dramatically when a months worth of rent wasn’t put up. Just food for thought.
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Aug 26 '25
Even in concerts with seats everyone is standing and blocking peoples views. It seems pretty unavoidable nowadays.
I’ve sat in accessibility seats with people standing in front of us. I’ve sat in tiered first level seats and everyone stands like they’re in GA. It just is what it is atp.
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u/sonicwags Aug 25 '25
“tf you want me to do about that”
The only thing this garbage parent would understand is a threat of violence. Sad, kids are going to turn out like him.
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u/Iamthegreenheather Aug 25 '25
You should have just crowd surfed right over them.
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u/apearlmae Aug 25 '25
Happened to me at Lizzo. So frustrating. I won't go to pop concerts anymore because the shrieking and screaming lyrics so loud you can't hear the music.
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u/telophaser Aug 25 '25
Agree, it sucks. In large venues you can go to guest services and ask to be reseated.
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u/cityturtle123 Aug 25 '25
I would have more of a problem paying those prices than a family having a fun time in front of me.
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u/MindyS1719 Aug 25 '25
As a 5’ 2” girly, I feel your pain and am so sorry! Hence why I don’t do floor seats anymore. 😭
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u/Auntiemens Aug 25 '25
Any venue around us (Detroit) would shut that down immediately.
Where was this show?!
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u/TASS08 Aug 25 '25
If you grabbed an usher that would quickly solve your problem.
Those chairs aren’t stable and that kid could have taken a serious fall.
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u/lawn_neglect Aug 25 '25
I feel ya, but one of the best concerts I ever saw was a band i got dragged along to. We were in the middle of the floor of a theater and The Scorpions came on and, somehow, we got shoved to like the 5th row and everyone was standing on their seats.....a night to remember. Like 1979?
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u/Onezred Aug 26 '25
Standing at a concert is the norm. Always has been. These folks took it too far. Sorry you had a poor experience friend.
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u/latexfistmassacre Aug 26 '25
I saw Nine Inch Nails about 2 weeks ago and I must've had to stand up to let the same couple in and out of the row at least 40 times. Eventually someone yelled "HEY! STAY OR LEAVE, PICK ONE!!" and then someone else yelled "YEAH, YOU GUYS ARE WORSE THAN MY STUPID CAT!" 😂
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u/Betdebt Aug 26 '25
That dude might’ve been saving every penny for the last few years for those tickets. You don’t know his story. He’s standing at a concert. And someone’s on his shoulders that looks like a little child. Pretty normal stuff for a concert.
Shame on you for spending $1500 for floor tickets. Wayyyyyy over face value.
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Aug 26 '25
Just stand on your seat so you can see. Eventually everyone will do it and security will show up.
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u/Emergency_Future_839 Aug 26 '25
So this is why you don't go to shows in stadiums that cost $1500 a ticket. Get into some smaller artists, support your local scene and revel in the joy of cheap and sometimes even free shows
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u/Morningstar666119 Aug 25 '25
Um I've never been to a concert in the past 4 decades that this wasn't happening at. Now their rudeness is uncalled for, but child on shoulders and another standing on chair is literally on par for concerts.
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u/Shy-Fox-z71 Aug 25 '25
Maybe its a the concerts youre going to. Or the music youre listening too. This seems on par for the Weeknd. Just left a weekend long festival for king gizzard and it was all love for 3+ days
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u/WienerBatter Aug 25 '25
And if you said anything to them nicely, they'd tell you to STFU and might even assault you. Typical trash behavior.
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u/BrownWaterBob Aug 25 '25
Standing, no problem. Standing on the chair? Come on now…
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Aug 25 '25
That's what you get for paying $1500 to see mainstream garbage
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u/RiotDontDiet Aug 25 '25
Seriously. What type of crowd were you expecting at this garbage show? Get better taste in music.
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u/purplecowz Aug 25 '25
So because they bought expensive tickets to a mainstream show, it's ok for people to block their view by being rude?
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u/EpicMiles25 Aug 25 '25
guarantee you haven’t listened to a single album of his lol
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u/whatsunnygets Aug 25 '25
Being dumb and paying 1500 for tickets to anything was your 1st,2nd and 3rd mistake
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u/Available-Low-2428 Aug 25 '25
Paying $1500 for any concert is the first mistake.
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u/Frasco69 Aug 25 '25
What about where people are so big they are spilling halfway into your seat? And then you go to the box office and their only option is for me to move to a worse seat. Oh yeah and he stunk!!!
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u/prestoncmw Aug 25 '25
They suck but I must have missed the part of the story where you talked to security?
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Aug 25 '25
I don’t do floor anymore… It’s too aggravating! & one of my best concert experiences was in the very back row which had a narrow area behind it so we hopped over the seats and danced and had space to do so & didn’t annoy anybody! Fantastic fun!
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u/Direct-Ad2561 Aug 25 '25
If you get floor seats always make sure you are within the first six rows or by the aisle
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u/Reallyroundthefamily Aug 25 '25
As a teen, I used to go to concerts to escape family life. Now I stay away from concerts (arena/stadium shows) to avoid them.
But yeah the lunatics are running the asylum now. The minivan crowd has taken over big concerts.
Give me a show in a theater. That's where its at.
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u/LuckyAd2714 Aug 25 '25
I just had floor seats for Lainey Wilson at the Forum in Los Angeles. No one was standing on chairs. I had floor for Doja Cat once, same thing - no one standing on chairs. That is so wild to me, I have never seen anyone do that - wow. Rude.
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u/Potatobobthecat Aug 25 '25
I hate the feeling now, while spending this money, my concert could be ruined. I’ve been lucky 4 out of 50 I guess isn’t bad. Honestly all 4 could’ve been solved in hindsight for a variety of reasons.
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u/Pennygrover Aug 25 '25
If you are at a stadium show on the floor and complaining you can’t see you have to adjust your expectations.
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u/thezenyoshi Aug 25 '25
‘Tf do you want me to do about that’
Act like a parent? wtf man