When you’re at a concert, you’re expected to conduct yourself in a certain way so that you don’t disturb the experience for those around you. “Concert etiquette” is the term given to the behavior you should utilize while at a show so as to create the best time for you and everyone else. No matter who you’re seeing or where the venue is, here are the top 10 rules of concert etiquette.
1. Respect the artist you're seeing
This may sound like common sense, but can often be very hard for people to remember. If the artist asks for quiet so they can address the crowd, don’t be that guy who uses this opportunity to shout something at them or start talking to your friends.
If the artist trusts their crowd enough to crowd surf or even just stand on the barricade and grab a few hands, don’t attack them or pull and push at them. Can you imagine your favorite artist getting hurt because their fans – people who are supposed to like and respect them – treated them poorly?
2. Respect the crowd surfers
When a person is crowd surfing, this is not your opportunity to grope, pick pocket, or drop them. Being a respectful human being is something you should do in your daily life and it is possible to pass a person over your head without harassing them. Also, these people are trusting the crowd to hold them up, so do your best to do just that. If you don’t want to be bothered by crowd surfers, try to steer them away from you when they do come to you or stand towards the back where you won’t have to worry about them coming near you at all.
3. Let people out of the crowd
A crowd at a concert is packed and sometimes it’s hard to even lift your hands above your head. Many people aren’t bothered by this, are used to the environment, or find that they are able to handle it better as the concert goes on. But if a person is trying to get out of a crowd, they don’t need a good reason. It could be anything from just being uncomfortable to not being able to breathe or having an anxiety attack. If you notice someone trying to fight their way out of the crowd, help them. They may be feeling disoriented or physically weak, so push people back and try to alert everyone around you that there’s someone that needs to get out. People will usually clear a path for someone who needs to leave.
If you’re close enough to the barricade, you can even get a security guard’s attention and they will be able to get that person out of the crowd. You could even try to get the attention of the artist onstage. I’ve been at several shows where the lead singer will stop the song to ensure that a fan gets out of the crowd safely.
4. Be respectful while moshing
A mosh pit is a place to let loose and feel free. It’s not a place to hurt others. Be mindful of yours and other people’s space. While a mosh pit is a violent space, make sure you’re doing your best to not hit or potentially injure others. Coming home from a show with a few bruises is customary, but there’s no need to purposefully escalate the damage.
5. Don't get sloppy
It’s okay to have a few drinks before a show or get something there. But if you know you’re a loud, disruptive drunk, take caution. No one likes their experience to be disturbed by someone antagonizing a fight, shouting over the music, spilling their drink, or any number of things that could happen if someone goes beyond their limits and becomes unruly.
6. Stay where you stand
I understand that you want to see your favorite band up close, but if you got there after all the fans who have been camped out since the night before, respect that. Don’t shove your way to the front or make up a lie about trying to get to the same spot as your brother who got there earlier. It isn’t fair to the people who were there before you and it’s also just annoying to everyone around you. As the concert goes on, the crowd will shift and you may be able to get closer to the stage. But don’t force your way there.
If you actually do have to find your brother who got there earlier or move up in the crowd for any reason, be polite and apologize as you make your way through. People will most likely to try to accommodate you if you’re kind and genuine.
7. Stop talking
Singing along is completely fine, but talking over the singer about irrelevant things is not. The people around you came to hear the band, not about your new boyfriend or what happened at work yesterday. If you came to a concert with a friend you wanted to catch up with, go out to dinner beforehand or stand towards the back.
8. Have common scents
Packed in a space with hundreds or thousands of people is bound to have you dancing on each other, sweating on each other, and, yes, smelling each other. There’s no way to avoid this, so try to make it a little more pleasant for those around you. If wearing deodorant isn’t part of your daily routine, invest in a stick for the show. Although people attending an outdoor festival shouldn’t expect the crowd to smell like roses, it’s better than being inundated with near-fatal B.O. for hours on end.
9. Don't snub the opening act
Maybe you’ve never heard the band coming on before the main act. Maybe they’re not that great. Maybe the singer’s voice really bugs you or their sound is just not your thing. Maybe you hate the opening act. Whatever the case, it’s still not cool to take out your phone and start scrolling through Instagram or turn to your friend and strike up a conversation in the middle of their set. Artists onstage can see you if you’re near the front or in a smaller venue. And it does sting when you see someone completely ignoring you while you’re up there giving it your all. If you don’t like the opening act, don’t be rude. Just head-bob along and clap politely.
10. No smoking zone
I don’t care if you’re vaping, rolling something “medicinal,” or trying to have a smoke break in the middle of Madison Square Garden. Save it for later. A concert is not the place. Not only do you make the place smell like something even worse than sweat soaked Hot Topic jeans, but people don’t really appreciate having smoke being blown in their face for the entirety of a show. It makes it even hotter, stuffier, and harder to breathe. Also, be mindful of people who have asthma or other respiratory related ailments. They came to have a good time, and that’s a little difficult to do when they can’t breathe. Smoke whatever you want outside the concert venue.
These are the rules that I try to follow when I’m at shows. There are hundreds of articles and opinions just like these, but the bottom line is this: Buying a ticket doesn’t mean you also bought asshole privileges. Be respectful, be smart, and have fun!
