I think kpop concerts have lost their original plot (2 Viewers)

[Day]

I've been to a lot of KPOP concerts in the past years and it feels like nowadays they've become a tool fans use to get interactions from the idols rather than a place to enjoy the music. A lot of people that sit barricade or front row don't know the music, they stand with their phones up the entire duration without singing or dancing or vibing - pit has become a sea of phones in the air, lightsticks forgotten.

If you have been to or frequent concerts, do you see this happening as well? Are phones and social media to blame? How do you feel about the concert hoppers that get front row at every single stop?

Ntm the poorer fans are completely priced out thanks to platinum pricing and ridiculous reselling practices.... I am so sorry for anyone who has yet to have a good and affordable experience, and I truly hope it changes soon

 

[Ahsoka]

Ngl any time I see phones and social media as the thig to blame I have a hard time taking it seriously, they may be the blame for some things but people use them to blame for just about anything. I bet there's someone who blames those two for the fact that there's too many sticks in their yard or something

As for my experience I've been to 2 concerts, one in 2021 and one in 2022. I didn't pay that much for my experience. I got the farthest areas for both (to be expected) but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. As for the music and lightsticks vs phones and social media I didn't get that impression at all either. People were waving their lightsticks. People were singing along. Sure, some people used their phones at times, like me, because why wouldn't you want a memory of the concert to keep? At one of them there were glow stick people (the people that put glowsticks onto a black outfit to look like stick figures) that were dancing along. And they did get an interaction from that, a member pointed them out. But it didn't detract from the experience, it added to it. So in summary, I don't see what you're seeing. I've only been to 2 concerts, but my experience was affordable and highly enjoyable imo. And many people seemed like they would feel the same.

 

[RandAlThor]

I've been to a lot of KPOP concerts in the past years and it feels like nowadays they've become a tool fans use to get interactions from the idols rather than a place to enjoy the music. A lot of people that sit barricade or front row don't know the music, they stand with their phones up the entire duration without singing or dancing or vibing - pit has become a sea of phones in the air, lightsticks forgotten.

If you have been to or frequent concerts, do you see this happening as well? Are phones and social media to blame? How do you feel about the concert hoppers that get front row at every single stop?

Ntm the poorer fans are completely priced out thanks to platinum pricing and ridiculous reselling practices.... I am so sorry for anyone who has yet to have a good and affordable experience, and I truly hope it changes soon

Far and away the best ones i have been to are in Korea. Where they AGRSSIVLY go after ppl recording.
I certainly do not go to a concert to see a zillion arms in the air holding phones or cameras.
if you so desperately want video buy teh blu ray / dvd.

 

[Day]

Ngl any time I see phones and social media as the thig to blame I have a hard time taking it seriously, they may be the blame for some things but people use them to blame for just about anything. I bet there's someone who blames those two for the fact that there's too many sticks in their yard or something

As for my experience I've been to 2 concerts, one in 2021 and one in 2022. I didn't pay that much for my experience. I got the farthest areas for both (to be expected) but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. As for the music and lightsticks vs phones and social media I didn't get that impression at all either. People were waving their lightsticks. People were singing along. Sure, some people used their phones at times, like me, because why wouldn't you want a memory of the concert to keep? At one of them there were glow stick people (the people that put glowsticks onto a black outfit to look like stick figures) that were dancing along. And they did get an interaction from that, a member pointed them out. But it didn't detract from the experience, it added to it. So in summary, I don't see what you're seeing. I've only been to 2 concerts, but my experience was affordable and highly enjoyable imo. And many people seemed like they would feel the same.

I think the difference in our experiences is probably from where we sit

 

[Day]

Far and away the best ones i have been to are in Korea. Where they AGRSSIVLY go after ppl recording.
I certainly do not go to a concert to see a zillion arms in the air holding phones or cameras.
if you so desperately want video buy teh blu ray / dvd.

Huh, I didn't know people were so aggressive to people recording 🧍‍♀ I don't find it a huge issue until the phone stays in the air the entire duration of the concert. My seats have also been a little rough sometimes being behind walls of people just recording. I think you've mentioned it before Rand but do you own some of the blu-rays? Do you rewatch them?

 

[noctis]

i've been to one concert and it seemed that way. the people in front of me were recording with no emotion, no dancing, no singing
and this person that i know is going to the same concert im going to and they don't even know the group which is like... what?
but i did see some people actually dancing around and singing and all that. phones have definitely got in the way. more people focused on getting the perfect video rather than enjoying the music

 

[RandAlThor]

Huh, I didn't know people were so aggressive to people recording 🧍‍♀ I don't find it a huge issue until the phone stays in the air the entire duration of the concert. My seats have also been a little rough sometimes being behind walls of people just recording. I think you've mentioned it before Rand but do you own some of the blu-rays? Do you rewatch them?

Yeah i have 20 + some from shows i was not able to see like SNSD, SMTOWN, Apink or gfriend.

In Korea i have seen security constantly diving into teh standing section and pulling ppl out. They do not always kick em out but do delete from teh device.

Yep i do rewatch teh RV and IZ*one shows i saw there. Totally never looking to see if i get caught :)

The light sticks are fun.

 

[Day]

i've been to one concert and it seemed that way. the people in front of me were recording with no emotion, no dancing, no singing
and this person that i know is going to the same concert im going to and they don't even know the group which is like... what?
but i did see some people actually dancing around and singing and all that. phones have definitely got in the way. more people focused on getting the perfect video rather than enjoying the music

It's also a double edged sword to be on the other side of the spectrum and be the fan who's dancing hsving a great time because then there are people who are mad that you're blocking them or once before I literally had water spilled on me from behind 😭 it's impossible to make everyone happy

 

[Day]

Yeah i have 20 + some from shows i was not able to see like SNSD, SMTOWN, Apink or gfriend.

In Korea i have seen security constantly diving into teh standing section and pulling ppl out. They do not always kick em out but do delete from teh device.

Yep i do rewatch teh RV and IZ*one shows i saw there. Totally never looking to see if i get caught :)

The light sticks are fun.

That's so awesome!! I hope the camerawork is really good too 🫶

 

[Pirioca]

I've been to a lot of KPOP concerts in the past years and it feels like nowadays they've become a tool fans use to get interactions from the idols rather than a place to enjoy the music. A lot of people that sit barricade or front row don't know the music, they stand with their phones up the entire duration without singing or dancing or vibing - pit has become a sea of phones in the air, lightsticks forgotten.

If you have been to or frequent concerts, do you see this happening as well? Are phones and social media to blame? How do you feel about the concert hoppers that get front row at every single stop?

Ntm the poorer fans are completely priced out thanks to platinum pricing and ridiculous reselling practices.... I am so sorry for anyone who has yet to have a good and affordable experience, and I truly hope it changes soon

It's the same at many Western concerts nowadays. People often don't sing and dance with the music anymore, they just stand there like robots and film for Social Media. It's all about clicks and attention. And then you find their low quality videos on YouTube and you think "Why didn't you just enjoy the concert atmosphere?"

 

[Day]

It's the same at many Western concerts nowadays. People often don't sing and dance with the music anymore, they just stand there like robots and film for Social Media. It's all about clicks and attention. And then you find their low quality videos on YouTube and you think "Why didn't you just enjoy the concert atmosphere?"

I see that as well! I don't really get that since I see no reason not to sing along - maybe not everything either, just a person's favorite song is fine, but I guess people enjoy things differently. If it's not taking away from the experience of others, maybe it's fine to leave them be?

I think, from the artist perspective, they might not be very excited if the crowd acts this way. Hopefully they can keep it moving without letting it affect them.

 

[Ahsoka]

I think the difference in our experiences is probably from where we sit

Wouldn't that mean that it's easy to get a good experience at an affordable price? And that the cheaper tickets are the better seats? It just seems that in that regard affordability is a nonissue then

 

[Day]

Wouldn't that mean that it's easy to get a good experience at an affordable price? And that the cheaper tickets are the better seats? It just seems that in that regard affordability is a nonissue then

I can't agree with that last statement that "regular affordability is a nonissue" because when I've tried to get tickets for Stray Kids and ATEEZ at certain venues the WORST seats are minimum $250. If you open up ATEEZ right now, if there are seats still available, they're probably even higher than that. Same thing happened to me in 2023 with Stray Kids.

In some larger venues, the cheapest seats do indeed provide great experiences - I don't have an issue with that. Additionally, I think fans that sit in those seats end up having the most fun. An example I have of that is that my tickets for NCT 127 were 3rd floor second row and under $100 per ticket - that's AMAZING (venue capacity around 20k)

 

[Pirioca]

I see that as well! I don't really get that since I see no reason not to sing along - maybe not everything either, just a person's favorite song is fine, but I guess people enjoy things differently. If it's not taking away from the experience of others, maybe it's fine to leave them be?

I think, from the artist perspective, they might not be very excited if the crowd acts this way. Hopefully they can keep it moving without letting it affect them.

There are Western bands and artists who don't allow phones at their concerts.

 

[Day]

There are Western bands and artists who don't allow phones at their concerts.

That's cool!

 

[Pirioca]

That's cool!

On one hand it's cool. On the other hand there wouldn't be recorded memories like these:







It's amazing when a group interact with people in this way.

As an artist I wouldn't like phones on concerts, but I wouldn't ban them completely. Maybe I would allow them for people in the first row where filming makes the most sense - as a bonus because they payed the most for their tickets.

 

[badcrookshanks]

A lot of people that sit barricade or front row don't know the music, they stand with their phones up the entire duration without singing or dancing or vibing - pit has become a sea of phones in the air, lightsticks forgotten.

im afraid thats not exclusive to kpop concerts

 

[Day]

im afraid thats not exclusive to kpop concerts

tell us your truth king

 

[badcrookshanks]

tell us your truth king

nothing to say aside from the fact that the people who have their phones out for the duration of the entire concert can take those phones and shove them up their a- pockets

 

[pinkmelodies]

I definitely agree. Even though I haven't experienced a concert yet, from what I can tell fans prioritize getting interactions to go viral then to actually enjoy what's in front of them. I mean you have the best opportunity to watch your favorite idol perform but your behind the phone recording I understand a few pictures but I seen a whole recording of full concerts as well