Filming at concerts

Recollections from Leonard Cohen's pre-2008 tours, YouTube clips
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somewhat_nifty
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Filming at concerts

Post by somewhat_nifty »

I've just read an interesting article about the rise of cameraphone filming at gigs and concerts. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have instituted a ban on this as a 'courtesy' to the band and other concert goers. Other musicians such as Jarvis Cocker are not happy about it either. Full article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/shortcu ... hones-gigs

I confess I have been known to do it at Leonard's gigs and others, and part of me has noticed the 'remove' from the experience caused by it. The other half of me wants to record the experience for ever. I've tried to be sensible about it and hope I have never impinged on anyone's enjoyment by doing so.

What do other people think? Is it disrespectful, a waste of time, or a way of preserving valuable memories? Is it 'better' if you do it on a proper video camera? I sometimes wish I had never started, and should just experience the gig 'in the moment'. I am going to try not to do it at the O2 in June.
I'm chained to the old masquerade...
2008: London O2 14th Nov, RAH 18th Nov; 2009: NY RCMH 16th May, Weybridge MBW 11th July, Barcelona 21st Sept; 2010: Sligo 31st July, Lille 25th Sept, Las Vegas 11th Dec; 2012: Wembley Arena 8th Sept, Dublin 11th Sept 2013: London O2 21st June, London O2 14th Sept
UrPal
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by UrPal »

somewhat_nifty wrote:I confess I have been known to do it at Leonard's gigs and others, and part of me has noticed the 'remove' from the experience caused by it. ....I sometimes wish I had never started, and should just experience the gig 'in the moment'.
Your quoted comments summarises why I find the experience of watching other people in the audience videoing gigs I attend with camcorders and mobiles a bit sad.

As I see it, you're there to experience live music. If you're so busy capturing your experience for posterity that all you are doing whilst there is staring down a camera and effectively experiencing the gig like it was on TV the whole time then you don't get to properly experience and enjoy it as it happens in the first place so what's the point exactly?

When you watch your recording later, you're effectively just re-living a gig you didn't attend....
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somewhat_nifty
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by somewhat_nifty »

You're right. And, to be honest, do I watch them much after? No, not really. I'm going to go cold turkey at my next gig!
I'm chained to the old masquerade...
2008: London O2 14th Nov, RAH 18th Nov; 2009: NY RCMH 16th May, Weybridge MBW 11th July, Barcelona 21st Sept; 2010: Sligo 31st July, Lille 25th Sept, Las Vegas 11th Dec; 2012: Wembley Arena 8th Sept, Dublin 11th Sept 2013: London O2 21st June, London O2 14th Sept
HelenOE
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by HelenOE »

I never take photos or videos at concerts because I'm terrible at it. i have to admit I do enjoy watching the videos that others take, especially the LC ones because the sound tends to be so wonderful. Maybe there's some room for compromise: if the artist hasn't come out against the practice, and you can be unobtrusive and not mess up the view of the people behind you, take video of one or maybe two songs, then camera down and enjoy the live experience.
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Hartmut
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by Hartmut »

I agree with HelenOE.
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musicmania
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by musicmania »

I don't record at concerts but do take lots of photos. However I tend to take a few at the start of each song and then put the camera down leaving it on if I want to capture a moment (screen is always off though). I use the viewfinder and have all the sounds off so I don't interfere with my neighbours or people behind. I've no issues with recordings and I do watch loads of them especially Albert's. However whatever about people using cameras and phones this new trend of ipads is annoying. I saw people with them at the RCMH at the weekend. They weren't near me but I would not have been amused had someone blocked my view with one.
2009 Dublin 2010 Lissadell Katowice LV x2 2012 Ghent x2 Dublin x4 Montreal x2 Toronto x2 2013 New York x2 Brussels Dublin x2

Gwen's Leonard Cohen Journey: http://myleonardcohenjourney.wordpress.com/

"I did my best, it wasn't much"
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Hartmut
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by Hartmut »

And now I agree with musicmania ... :-)
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somewhat_nifty
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by somewhat_nifty »

God yes, iPads really would be a step too far! :lol:
I'm chained to the old masquerade...
2008: London O2 14th Nov, RAH 18th Nov; 2009: NY RCMH 16th May, Weybridge MBW 11th July, Barcelona 21st Sept; 2010: Sligo 31st July, Lille 25th Sept, Las Vegas 11th Dec; 2012: Wembley Arena 8th Sept, Dublin 11th Sept 2013: London O2 21st June, London O2 14th Sept
hazey
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by hazey »

I once attended a Rufus Wainwright concert where a "journalist" was typing a review on his laptop :lol: ..or at least that's what he said when Rufus asked him what he was doing. Fortunately, he switched it off after the incident :roll:
1988 : Madrid / 2008 : London O2 Jul 17 / 2009: Madrid, Bilbao / 2010: Lisboa, Tours / 2012: Paris 2x, Madrid, Lisboa / 2013: Paris, Roma, Brighton
Eskimo
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by Eskimo »

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... just need a customized trilby fedora ...
maroo
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by maroo »

Hi,
I have to tell you that I agree with musicmania, it's good to have a picture of the moment.
I also think that a lot of person are not able to enjoy the moment, that moment of the life, most of the person I know sometime say to me "I spent lot of money for that concert, at least I have a souvenir" or something like that.
For me concerts are matter of emotion, moment, when I attend a concert I often make my mind fly away to some past event or dreams that the music give me. After the concert I often try to review them, have the same emotion, and most of the time I don't need any pictures or video.
So, my point is, if you make few pictures, without disturbing your thought or other person, ok, if you are going to a gig only to make pictures, it's better you buy a cheaper and best quality DVD of that!!!
About the memory, and people that now live only to SHOW to the other person that do every second of the life, I saw a great episode of a TV series “Black mirror” the episode is called “The Entire History of You” really interesting!!!

cheers
Piero
Dublin 14/15th September 2012
MaryB
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by MaryB »

When I first started going to the concerts at the beginning of this tour, I did surreptitiously take some photos. I was so involved with trying to get good ones, that I was missing out on the 'live moment'. Anyway, after downloading my pics and then seeing the fantastic photos taken by members like Gwen, and the perfection of the videos taken by members like Albert, I figured, "Why am I wasting my time - just enjoy the beauty before me :D "

I do still want people like Gwen and Albert (and others who know how take wonderful photos and videos without disturbing concert goers around them) to continue to do so, so that we may have all this as a record of those precious moments.
1993 Detroit 2008 Kitchener June 2-Hamilton June 3 & 4-Vienna Sept 24 & 25-London RAH Nov 17 2009 NYC Feb 19-Grand Prairie Apr 3-Phoenix Apr 5-Columbia May 11-Red Rocks Jun 4-Barcelona Sept 21-Columbus Oct 27-Las Vegas Nov 12-San Jose Nov 13 2010 Sligo Jul 31 & Aug 1-LV Dec 10 & 11 2012 Paris Sept 30-London Dec 11-Boston Dec 16 2013 Louisville Mar 30-Amsterdam Sept 20
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musicmania
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by musicmania »

MaryB wrote:When I first started going to the concerts at the beginning of this tour, I did surreptitiously take some photos. I was so involved with trying to get good ones, that I was missing out on the 'live moment'. Anyway, after downloading my pics and then seeing the fantastic photos taken by members like Gwen, and the perfection of the videos taken by members like Albert, I figured, "Why am I wasting my time - just enjoy the beauty before me :D "

I do still want people like Gwen and Albert (and others who know how take wonderful photos and videos without disturbing concert goers around them) to continue to do so, so that we may have all this as a record of those precious moments.
Ah thanks Mary :D
2009 Dublin 2010 Lissadell Katowice LV x2 2012 Ghent x2 Dublin x4 Montreal x2 Toronto x2 2013 New York x2 Brussels Dublin x2

Gwen's Leonard Cohen Journey: http://myleonardcohenjourney.wordpress.com/

"I did my best, it wasn't much"
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dari
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by dari »

I am guilty. I can't help it. I love photography and video to begin with. I have journalistic blood in me. I always have a camera with me wherever I go. Unfortunately for me or probably fortunately for most... you can't bring a decent DSLR camera or tripod into a concert, so most videos of the concerts aren't of the highest quality. Although some aren't too bad. And when I take videos I don't not look at them again. I continually look at them. First for all my mistakes in filming and secondly for all the little nuances I missed while watching the concert live. Every time I look at them I see something new. 5-10 years from now they will even be more important to me. I also try to be discreet in doing this so as not to ruin anyone's view who may be behind me. I keep my camera in front of me, not over my head :-). I agree that sitting behind someone who blocks your view with their camera or phone is not a good thing at all. When doing video, I just record 3-4 songs. I also love seeing the everyone's videos from all the concerts around the world too. And I think people, who for whatever reason, can't attend one the concerts love to see the videos too.

Something else that occurred to me... when I went to the NYC MSG concert...we bought the most expensive seats and got stuck in the 9th row and the floor was not elevated as in a regular theater, it was flat and I couldn't see the stage most of the time so when I got home and looked at my videos it was like actually seeing what I missed.

These are little bits of history that will never be repeated again. For instance... yesterday I came across videos on YouTube of the song Born in Chains, which is a magnificent song that most of the world has never heard and I was grateful that the videos existed.

But there is an important issue that no one has yet mentioned and it is that it just may be a copyright issue to film concerts. ;-) This I think is the most important issue.
cohenadmirer
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Re: Filming at concerts

Post by cohenadmirer »

There are ways of filming which doesn't disturb others , ,,,indeed it is best when nobody knows you are doing it !
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
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