WALL OF TEXT ALERT! On Saturday night, at an Every Time I Die show in Kansas, a fan got on stage and attempted to take a selfie with singer Keith Buckley while they were performing. Their guitarist, Jordan Buckley, came over and kicked the phone out of the fans hands. Its said that the phone flew through the air and broke into a million pieces when it landed on the stage. It seems recently that on-stage incidents are becoming more and more common at shows. Whether its the Joyce Manor stage diving controversy, or Brianna from Tigers Jaw being touched without permission on stage, or scarier incidents ranging from the kid dying after stage diving at a Miss May I show in New York City, the Lamb of God incident where vocalist Randy Blythe pushed a kid off stage into the pit, leading to his death, or this being the 10th anniversary of Dimebag Darrells shooting death on stage, its something to consider and discuss very openly. Do you have the right to get on stage at a show? And do band members or their crew, if they feel threatened or as if theyre being one-upped by a fan, have the right to make contact with someone who comes on stage? When we do larger pop-punk or emo shows at the Crofoot Ballroom, with a crowd that likes to stage dive, we get a constant stream of tweets and FB messages, asking if there will be a barricade. Show-goers, and some bands, love the intimacy that comes from removing that barrier. Some bands REQUIRE that there be a barricade. Venues and promoters are more concerned about keeping fans safe and avoiding insurance claims that could easily shut down a venue. Theres already enough risk involved in hosting shows with higher-energy fanbases, where one spin kick at a hardcore show could easily kill some kid, whose parents would possibly have the right to sue not the person who did the damage, but the venue or promoter for not providing a safer atmosphere. Regardless of the safety concerns, have audiences lost common courtesies that used to exist at shows? The constant game of one-upping others in the audience includes head walking, crowd killing, stage dives that arent just jumping into a sea of welcoming hands, but doing flips, jumping off of higher platforms, and other things that could easily injure others. Its as if some folks arent satisfied unless theyve done something noticeable on stage, so everyone can see them. And lets not even talk about how half the world is recording everything they do on their damned phones, so theyre not even paying attention? So, lets discuss. Lets be nice and respectful, and discuss the role and any responsibilities that fans have when entering a show. Should you, as a fan, be able to do whatever the hell you want, because you paid your hard-earned money? Or should you be the audience, let the band be the band, and stay on your side of the stage/audience barrier (whether thats a true barricade or just a line on the floor)? Any disrespectful comments will be deleted.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 17:53:05 +0000
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