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Over the past couple of months, my partner and I have attended two sit-down live music gigs in the area, and while we gained a new-found appreciation for the artists, we lost a little faith in humanity.
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On our first proper date night, we splurged on a couple of tickets, dinner, drinks and an overnight stay.
As coastal-country kids - one work-from-home commonly found in track pants and the other living in hi-vis coated in concrete - we were excited to get dressed up and head out on the town.
We arrived at the venue in high spirits but our bliss bubble burst almost as soon as we took our seats.
We could barely hear the support act of incredibly talented musicians over the obnoxiously loud conversations. The majority of the room had little regard for the band on stage and were more interested in shouting sentences at one another and showing each other videos on their phone at full volume.
I shifted in my seat, leaning forward to focus on the harmonies and to try my best to tune out the screeching for all three rows directly behind us. I feared my partner could no longer see the stage through his frown.
Even when the star of the show arrived the behaviour didn't get much better. Instead of shouting over the band, people were now shouting at the solo artist demanding a song, or interrupting a story, acting as though he was there for them alone.
My partner and I tried our best to enjoy the night, but the disrespect for the artists and guests really dampened the mood.
Fast-forward a few weeks and we're at another concert where the support act was once again drowned out by the thunderous sound of layered conversation.
When did people start treating live music as a background soundtrack - something playing from their speakers rather than someone sharing their stories?
Live music is a uniquely human experience, something that should be highly regarded. Being a musician takes a helluva lot of time and hard work, and we know these days most artists aren't doing it for the money.
I said it to the rows behind me, and I'll say it again, 'guys - let's show some respect' - to those on stage and those who spent money to make a memory.
Ellie Chamberlain,
Journalist