Most Annoying Things Fans Do at Concerts

Playing music in a live setting is an unpredictable proposition at best, especially for the unsigned, independent artist. At the mercy of the club, the sound technician and whomever else shows up that night, there are a million factors that make predicting how well a show will go impossible. By and large musicians gladly take as many warm bodies in the venue as possible. However, there are some things that fans of the music do that can actually undermine the performance, or just make it less enjoyable for the ones actually performing. What follows are some of the most annoying things an audience can do at a show.

Stick Around!

Nothing is more irksome than watching a band go on before you to a packed house and watching everyone leave right after the band finishes. Granted, it's also something the other band can help by telling their people to stick around, but it comes down to the audience members deciding to stay. If you leave too early, you might miss a great band that's just starting out and could use some experience playing in front of a larger group.

Unless Asked, Don't Make Requests!

It's not cute or funny to shout "Free Bird!" at the band. It's definitely not original either. Also, coming up the band just before they start playing and asking if they know any "Fill in the Blank with your favorite band name" stuff is just as annoying. The majority of bands that you will see perform on any given night have worked out their sets for weeks and weeks. You'll get to hear what they feel is the best material. So unless they ask for requests, give the suggestions a rest.

We Won't Bite!

Unless the sound guy has completely butchered his job (which is absolutely possible), and it's just ear-splittingly loud up front, consider making your way as close to the stage as you can. It can feel like playing to an empty room if everyone is crowded around the bar or at tables. We're only going to be playing for a little over half an hour, so just come on down and give us a song or two right up front. When you wait in the wings, it sucks the energy right out of a performance.

Never Throw Anything On Stage!

We've all seen the footage from concerts where someone throws something up on stage either as a gift for the performers, or as some way to be "part" of the show. This is no different than heckling a comedian. You're not there to interact with the musicians on that level, and if your accuracy is off in the slightest you can really hurt someone. It's also on a very simple level easy to throw off the whole band's timing if they're dodging whatever shwag you thought needed to be hurled at them.

It's Okay To Acknowledge the End of a Song!

Even if you're not there to see the particular band that's playing that night, the polite thing to do is at least applaud when the song is over. You don't need to go hog-wild and scream and shout, but applauding at least lets the band know that you're listening, or at least listening enough to know when the song is over. Believe it or not, simple applause is very much appreciated as nothing is worse than finishing a song and only hearing the clanking of bottles behind the bar.

No, You Can't Play My Guitar or Sing With Us Tonight!

Look I'm sure you're a phenomenal singer or guitarist or drummer, but you've never rehearsed anything with us. The potential for a terrible sounding haphazard mess of a performance is just too much for us to risk bringing a total stranger on stage. If you've had more than a couple beers, the answer is going to be twice as loud: "NO!" If it's stage time you crave, start a band, write some songs and get up there. I promise I won't ask to play with you at your gig.

Pay Attention!

In a bar setting, we all understand you may not be there just to see us. So some conversational noise is totally understandable. After all, we have giant amplifiers and loud drums, so that's probably not so bad. However, in smaller, more intimate venues, when there's just a couple of acoustic guitars and a singer or two, please just be quiet and listen. In a smaller and more quiet setting, I guarantee the rest of the audience isn't there for you to tell your friends a funny story in the middle of my set.