Singer Kate Bush has asked fans to put away their smartphones at her series of gigs starting today at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.
I think she is absolutely right to ask fans to watch and experience the gig, rather than spending their time taking photos or videos and posting them online.
In a note on her website, Bush wrote: “It would mean a great deal to me if you would please refrain from taking photos or filming during the shows.
“I very much want to have contact with you as an audience, not with iPhones, iPads or cameras. I know it’s a lot to ask but it would allow us to all share in the experience together.”
This is the kind of bold statement we need more of. We need stars like Kate Bush to ask – in the nicest possible way – for us to pay attention.
Performers rehearse, prepare, write songs, turn up, and are brave enough to get up on stage and deliver their work to the crowd. The least we can do in return is pay attention.
But instead, what often happens is that people watch the show through the tiny screen of a phone or tablet, part of their attention on their phone, and part of their attention on the show.
Admit it, it never looks as good when you show someone a recording of that awesome gig you went to. “You had to be there,” you say. But you were there … so make the most of it.
If you’re busy Tweeting and posting updates or pictures, you also fail to store any memories of the event – because your attention is spent instead on creating those updates.
What would you rather have – vivid memories that will stay with you for years, or a few status updates to look back on?
Any mass participation event like a concert also has the potential for an incredible atmosphere to be created in the room. However, this won’t happen if half the people in the room are not really in the room – because they’re distracted by an email they just noticed or are busy posting photos online.
Kate Bush is not the first artist to make this kind of request. There is an increasing backlash against smartphone use at gigs.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs took a stand last year, posting a notice at the door of their show ‘Please do not watch the show through a screen on your smart device/camera. Put that sh** away as a courtesy to the person behind you, and to Nick, Karen and Brian.”
Another band that has made a strong point is The Savages. They explained to their audience that they wanted them to immerse themselves in the experience, and that they believed the use of phones during a gig prevented this.
Other stars who have spoken out against phone use at concerts and urged fans to be in the moment include The Who's Roger Daltrey and Beyoncé.
But while the sea of opinion from artists calling for people to experience gigs for the experience’s sake is growing, the request to put away the smartphone may still seem confusing to many in the audience.
We’ve got so used to the behaviour of recording and broadcasting experiences rather than simply experiencing them, that we now often do this automatically, without questioning our behaviour.
Step back for a second and look at what this broadcasting behaviour means. In many of these instances, we’re thinking of other influences that add complications to our experience. For example, we’re thinking of how our update will make us look on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, rather than concentrating on enjoying the moment just for ourselves. We’re conscious of how we’re appearing to others online. We purposefully talk up our updates to present and maintain a certain persona.
Instead, why don’t we take the pressure off and simply enjoy the moment?
Often, we’re so busy paying attention to the online aspect of our lives, that we neglect the offline aspect of our lives right in front of us. What about connecting with the people around you at the gig instead? What about catching someone’s eye, buzzing off their energy, sharing the enjoyment of an awesome moment with the – until now – complete stranger next to you?
Isn’t that a better, stronger, more real connection than posting a status update?
To any fan going along to Kate Bush’s gig - or any other gig - tonight or in the next few weeks, please try putting your phone away.
Immerse yourself in the experience. Really watch the show, connect with the people around you, and add your energy to the room. Then re-live the gig through your vivid memories – not through the social media updates you posted to say you were there.
Frances Booth is author of The Distraction Trap: How to Focus in a Digital World. You can read more of her blogs on digital life and productivity here.
