If you were to condense an audience at a Rolling Stones arena concert down to 100 people, this is what you might notice.

2 -- Overwhelmed. Crying at the very front of the TP. (Saw this.)

8 -- Moving, Dancing, Singing along, Clapping Hands.

90 -- Zombies with smart phones. Flat footed. Occasional clap when prompted by MJ.


Its a buzzkill to look around and see everyone standing motionless like they are at some kind of board meeting.

Anyone agree?



Credibility for Analysis:
1. TP on 12/15
2. Lower Level @ Staples



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-05-10 03:21 by bv.

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mgshorr
If you were to condense an audience at a Rolling Stones arena concert down to 100 people, this is what you might notice.

2 -- Overwhelmed. Crying at the very front of the TP. (Saw this.)

This will be me... no doubt.

But yeah, most classic rock concerts have horribly boring crowds.

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mgshorr
If you were to condense an audience at a Rolling Stones arena concert down to 100 people, this is what you might notice.

2 -- Overwhelmed. Crying at the very front of the TP. (Saw this.)

8 -- Moving, Dancing, Singing along, Clapping Hands.

90 -- Zombies with smart phones. Flat footed. Occasional clap when prompted by MJ.


Its a buzzkill to look around and see everyone standing motionless like they are at some kind of board meeting.

Anyone agree?



Credibility for Analysis:
1. TP on 12/15
2. Lower Level @ Staples

I would say Oakland was

2 - crying
68 - Moving, dancing singing
30 - at a board meeting with smartphones

I was sitting in the lower level near the stage, so maybe it wasn't as good in seats further out.

Two people behind me (row 5) in their 70s (maybe older than the band) were sitting for more than half the show.

The RUSH crowd had a lot of people that thought they could play the drums.

A whole lotta movement going on...that was amusing!

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sonomastone

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mgshorr
If you were to condense an audience at a Rolling Stones arena concert down to 100 people, this is what you might notice.

2 -- Overwhelmed. Crying at the very front of the TP. (Saw this.)

8 -- Moving, Dancing, Singing along, Clapping Hands.

90 -- Zombies with smart phones. Flat footed. Occasional clap when prompted by MJ.




Its a buzzkill to look around and see everyone standing motionless like they are at some kind of board meeting.

Anyone agree?



Credibility for Analysis:
1. TP on 12/15
2. Lower Level @ Staples

I would say Oakland was

2 - crying
68 - Moving, dancing singing
30 - at a board meeting with smartphones

I was sitting in the lower level near the stage, so maybe it wasn't as good in seats further out.

Two people behind me (row 5) in their 70s (maybe older than the band) were sitting for more than half the show.

Ok so admittedly, my 90 figure includes a spectrum ranging from Comatose -- Almost Letting Loose. But regardless, the audience needs to return some of the energy to the band.

Some of us who are motionless are taping the show. We prefer to be surrounded by the comatose.

Instead of a residency in Vegas, they should do one in Buenos Aires. Ole Ole Ole!

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Lostbrook
Some of us who are motionless are taping the show. We prefer to be surrounded by the comatose.

Ok anyone who tapes the show and puts it on IORR gets a hall pass!

Yeah, crowds usually suck at classic rock shows. Its not just for the Stones. And its funny, the Stones play all these warhorses FOR THEM, and people still generally don't care. Its not like the songs actually get them to move more, its just that they know what they are and can say "they played _____" while they still tune out at the show. I think thats what makes it even more frustrating that they don't play deep cuts. Because they play the songs everyone knows, and the audience for the most part still doesn't react like they love the songs.

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RollingFreak
Yeah, crowds usually suck at classic rock shows. Its not just for the Stones. And its funny, the Stones play all these warhorses FOR THEM, and people still generally don't care. Its not like the songs actually get them to move more, its just that they know what they are and can say "they played _____" while they still tune out at the show. I think thats what makes it even more frustrating that they don't play deep cuts. Because they play the songs everyone knows, and the audience for the most part still doesn't react like they love the songs.

I agree, there is a certain dysfunction at work where the band gets worried the crowd isn't into it, and so their solution is to focus more on the warhorses, which doesn't do much good because the crowd just isn't that much into music, period.

I think it's clear to everyone that Mick is focused above all else (except money) on the energy from the crowd and making sure they are into it, if there was a way to break this dysfunction the hard core fans would be happier.

It was shocking to see how half the crowd in Oakland sat down and checked out during "Dead Flowers", which isn't exactly an obscure rarity in my opinion, and responded to "Miss You" - and even then mostly by singing the chorus and taking out their phones to snap pictures. And unfortunately I'm guessing the lesson Mick took home was "more Miss You, less Dead Flowers".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-05-10 02:01 by sonomastone.

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mgshorr

90 -- Zombies with smart phones. Flat footed. Occasional clap when prompted by MJ.

Just your average, unswinging white people.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-05-10 03:05 by tatters.

Members of the audience crying...I feel a new item of cotton handkerchiefs soon to appear at the Stones merchandise tables.

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stonesrule
Members of the audience crying...I feel a new item of cotton handkerchiefs soon to appear at the Stones merchandise tables.

Stonesrule you are very synical but true LOL!

Well, so long as you were having a good time why bother with how anyone else experiences the show?

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stonesrule
Members of the audience crying...I feel a new item of cotton handkerchiefs soon to appear at the Stones merchandise tables.

I think I'll bring my own tissues and save my money to feed my babies, stonesrule.

i think the general crowd reaction makes a difference to the band, and thus, to other people there.

~"Love is Strong"~

Just because they have money doesn't mean they can and know how to have fun

The audience sucks because the beer is too expensive...and they take your flask!

I thought the crowds were great at both Staples and Oakland. Things are bit more sedate than in the old days because the audiences are older (although there were more younger people than I would have expected at both shows, probably because prices were lowered), and a lot of people are taking pictures/videos. I was in a crazy crowd at a recent show when I took my daughter to see Carly Rae Jepsen - it was wild - everyone dancing, screaming, and the crowd jammed tight against the stage. It anyone is dying for the old concert experience, I recommend going to shows attended by teenagers. I'll stick with ma-ma-ma generation.

You mean to say that a Justin Bieber concert crowd with 17,000 screaming wild fourteen years old girls is way better?

Bjornulf

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drbryant
I thought the crowds were great at both Staples and Oakland. Things are bit more sedate than in the old days because the audiences are older (although there were more younger people than I would have expected at both shows, probably because prices were lowered), and a lot of people are taking pictures/videos. I was in a crazy crowd at a recent show when I took my daughter to see Carly Rae Jepsen - it was wild - everyone dancing, screaming, and the crowd jammed tight against the stage. It anyone is dying for the old concert experience, I recommend going to shows attended by teenagers. I'll stick with ma-ma-ma generation.

i was also suprised at at the relative youth of the oakland crowd, compared to my expectations.

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Lostbrook
Some of us who are motionless are taping the show. We prefer to be surrounded by the comatose.

This.

I hate people.

Sononastone -- where were you? Sounds like we were close to each other? were you on the Keith side or the backup singers side?

As for lackluster energy....I turned around at one point to see how things looked -- and spotted this gloomy trio -- so just for the feck of it I turned around when Tom Waits walked out and this is how they looked - I thought it was hilarious! Most people in Oakland seemed to be having a brilliant time, but I really didn't look behind me all that much -- but the Pit was rocking and people across the stage from me.

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swiss
Sononastone -- where were you? Sounds like we were close to each other? were you on the Keith side or the backup singers side?

As for lackluster energy....I turned around at one point to see how things looked -- and spotted this gloomy trio -- so just for the feck of it I turned around when Tom Waits walked out and this is how they looked - I thought it was hilarious! Most people in Oakland seemed to be having a brilliant time, but I really didn't look behind me all that much -- but the Pit was rocking and people across the stage from me.

Here's some video I shot in the tongue pit in Newark. Generally a great crowd but check out the zombie behind me!


Hangin' in the Tongue Pit

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swiss
Sononastone -- where were you? Sounds like we were close to each other? were you on the Keith side or the backup singers side?

As for lackluster energy....I turned around at one point to see how things looked -- and spotted this gloomy trio -- so just for the feck of it I turned around when Tom Waits walked out and this is how they looked - I thought it was hilarious! Most people in Oakland seemed to be having a brilliant time, but I really didn't look behind me all that much -- but the Pit was rocking and people across the stage from me.

I was section 127. I remember the people in your photo. That whole section was a downer.

Wait until they come home and play to a British crowd at a proper outdoor show, roll on Hyde Park!

"I've got nasty habits I take tea at three"

Generally The Rolling Stones has a much better crowd than they deserve. With a more critical audience they wouldn't have got away with somnambulist performances and would, in the end, have benefited from that. You can wonder though why some people pay a lot of money to watch a band they aren't that interested in. Maybe they are just companions to those who are (fans)?

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Stoneage
You can wonder though why some people pay a lot of money to watch a band they aren't that interested in. Maybe they are just companions to those who are (fans)?

Because they didn't - they were given the tickets for free at the last minute through some corporate affiliation.

We had incredible seats at the Oakland show and I would say 1/2 of the people near us claimed to have gotten comp'd tickets, including many of those sitting down through most of the show.

The ticket prices were crazy for fans, but corporations could afford to buy them and give them away to business partners and customers... and also write off the cost of the tickets.

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sonomastone

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swiss
Sononastone -- where were you? Sounds like we were close to each other? were you on the Keith side or the backup singers side?

As for lackluster energy....I turned around at one point to see how things looked -- and spotted this gloomy trio -- so just for the feck of it I turned around when Tom Waits walked out and this is how they looked - I thought it was hilarious! Most people in Oakland seemed to be having a brilliant time, but I really didn't look behind me all that much -- but the Pit was rocking and people across the stage from me.

I was section 127. I remember the people in your photo. That whole section was a downer.

Sononastone
They were
I was in is section 127 too -- 4th row! where were you? btw...did you see my photos of the show?
swiss



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-05-10 07:38 by swiss.