A Conversation about Concerts, Cameras and Fans

Amy: I think I gave up on radio a long time ago… at least 10 years since I listened to proper radio. You can partly blame iPods, xD

Amy: I also like seeing bands before they make it big. LOL I saw Maroon 5 opening for John Mayer in a big venue. xD I was the only there paying for Mayer to watch Maroon, I think. I don’t think I would pay a more expensive gig to see them again, though. I did take my camera then… 2004 – I have crappy photos and videos of it, hahaha. I’ve never put my arm up when shooting though, so I’m not one of those people holding their arms up and bothering people. Just want to make that clear.
Rodrigo: In Canada, right? I assume they’re greater than Peruvian crowds. But how many cameras could you spot there?
Amy: Back then there weren’t much. We’re talking back when a normal camera had 3 megapixels top. Back then people didn’t take their cameras, at least not as many as they are now. I’ve seen a lot more people everywhere complaining about this digital camera policy because now it’s everyone with cameras up. Doesn’t matter if your a Brit or a Swede… or us. xD
Rodrigo: Yeah. Techonology is amazing, but people seem to use cameras and smartphones to use it as a way to recreate life or bragging that they’ve been there.
Amy: It’s worse here, though! We have people carrying their flags up! Now that’s bothersome!
Rodrigo: Flags are cool at festivals like Glastonbury.
Amy: Yeah, but if you want to wave it around your back, you’d better stand at the back, LOL
Rodrigo: The camera thing is insanely obnoxious, though.
Amy: But that’s small cameras and smartphones. You can know what you’re shooting without looking so you just put your hand up. The real deals, we have to point and shoot so we’re not as intrusive. I actually don’t even use flash because I know it bothers people on stage, at the risk of having blurry shots. But I try to go as invisible as I can when shooting.
Rodrigo: I know what you mean. But seeing like 1/3 of cameras working around shooting and/or filming is annoying. It’s even sadder when this happens at a Metallica concert. That concert was still amazing, but the camera thing was off-putting.
Amy: I mean, it’s printed on the ticket. No cameras or video cameras allowed, so it’s a given. But it’s also a given that small cameras are allowed… it should be the other way around. No small cameras allowed.

Brian Littrell at BackStreet Boys concert Feb.2009

Rodrigo: Only high-quality cameras, eh?
Amy: Yes, semi-pro cameras at least require you to look through your viewfinder to take photos because there’s no live view on the LCD screen.
So you wouldn’t see arms up flying. Did Metallica explicitly said they didn’t want cameras? Coz Bjork’s gig, we were told up front, Bjork would stop the concert if people were filming. And she did.
Rodrigo: I see. Metallica didn’t said anything about cameras.