The Smashing Pumpkins at Halifax on your Mobile Phone!

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Blue2112

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A week apart and last Tuesday I was in Pompeii to see Wardruna in a hushed 2,000 year old Roman Amphitheatre. This Tuesday just gone I was up and over the hills having a last tango in Halifax watching the Smashing Pumpkins blow away the 245 year old Piece Hall with a blistering set and light show. Loud as fuck and just as madly intense as when I first saw them at the Manchester Academy in 93 with Verve supporting them when nobody had mobile phones to wave around. He may not be everybodys cup of tea but Billy is one helluva an underrated guitarist.

The most contrasting thing between the two gigs was that in Italy last week there was barely a phone pointed at the band that was noticeable. Of course people took photos and filmed parts of it, but it appeared minimal amd respectful. Last night was unbearable and we moved a couple of times to try and get a clearer site of the stage, such was the amount of phones being held above heads in front of us. I have no problem with people taking photos to show friends and give them an idea of the gig but its become far too excessive with some people filming nearly all of the gig. And what is the point in filming whilst waving there arms and phones around. Does anybody really watch it all over again especially on a shit recording. Go to the gig, jump around, sing your songs, go mad, live in the moment and have a great time and watch the official far superior recordings later and stop worrying about social media likes.

Or maybe im just an old fucker that is far happier having watched bands without the craving to record every moment. When I saw Kate Bush she had it right when she asked the audience to refrain from filming and instead immerse themselves in the moment.
 
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Piece Hall on a warm night has got to be the best venue in the UK by a country mile. We saw Air there last year and it was like being in Italy, it's an incredible venue. My mates went last night and said it was a top gig!

I agree about phones, it's so distracting when you have a phone in front of you. I don't mind a bit of filming but, like you say, some people film most of the gig. We went to see The Doobie Brothers & Michael McDonald at the Coop last month which was an older crowd. I was staggered how many people pretty much recorded the whole thing. My favourite was one person who put their flash on to film in which just lit up the guys bald head in front!! Surely no one watches these crappy videos?! Just enjoy the moment like Kate Bush said!!

Ultimately, it's to show other people that YOU went to the gig. YOU saw it, YOU didn't miss out, YOU could afford it. It's a very selfish attitude filming at gigs, I really hope bands call these bell-ends out on it.
 
You're bang on with the piece hall. I was over there a few years ago and stumbled upon it and couldn't believe how beautiful it is. We saw Blondie there last year and it's a fantastic outdoor venue, possibly the only one in the UK id go to these days. Great sound, not overcrowded, easy to get food and drinks and in a great setting, both Blondie and the Pumpkins commented on how good it was. I could well have been back in Italy last night as the week before. Some cracking pubs around it as well.
 
Agree with you about the Piece Hall - I went to The Libertines on Friday and thought it was fantastic. That was my first time there, and I will definitely be going back - so easy to get to from Manchester as well. As for the phones, I agree and I don’t. I went to Oasis at Murrayfield last night, I took a load of pictures and videos, it didn’t negatively impact on my enjoyment at all, it was a brilliant gig and not sure I could have enjoyed it more. I did say “fuck it” at one point and handed it to my lad and said he could record if he wanted - again, the latter part of the gig was no better than the first when I had my phone out. Obviously there were thousands of phones out in the stadium, it’s just how things seem to be now. Maybe it’s social media where I posted the videos this morning, whereas I didn’t record / post that many from Heaton Park, then realised I didn’t have that many when I looked the next day. Saying that, when I’m at gigs where others aren’t recording on their phones then I don’t bother as I don’t want to piss people off by sticking my phone in other peoples faces.
 
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Was only at the Piece Hall a few weeks ago for Weezer. Cracking venue.

As for phones at gigs and what causes it, academics and journalists called it "the Facebook eye" as many as 13 years ago. This nagging feeling that, if you've done something and haven't shared it on social media, then you may as well not have done it.

Social media's done a right number on us. This article below was written in 2012 and things have only gotten worse as technology has improved and access to social media has become easier and easier and easier. The genie was out of the bottle a very long time ago.

The Facebook Eye

Like photography before it, social media changes the way we perceive the world
www.theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com
 
Jealous you got to see Pumpkins. Superb band throughout the 90s; I guess people use their phones to immortalise the memories. Particularly at intimate, one-off gigs like this one.
 
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