As an avid concert-goer whose only limitation is financial, I know that concerts are one of the best forms of entertainment possible. People attend concerts for many reasons, supporting friends or local music scenes, thinking it's a fun thing to do in town on a Friday night because their friends needed someone to go with, or most importantly: because they're hugely passionate about the band or bands they're about to go see.
Almost everyone at concerts, with the exception of the average parent taking their kid to see some band they've personally never heard of, is having a really good time and enjoying everything going on around them and on the stage and screens. It's the duty of the bands/artists on stage and the people in the crowds to ensure that everyone involved in a show comes out feeling the same positive rush as when they went in.
The one thing that can ruin the best night of someone's life is a lack of courtesy from the crowd around them, or the performers not paying enough attention to keep them safe. So here are some reminders for you when it comes to being kind at shows.
First, let's talk about everyone's favorite place to be at every show: barricade (or the edge of the stage at smaller shows). Everyone wants to be as close to their favorite band as the people are to Paramore in the cover image of this article. I don't blame any of them, it's a beautiful thing being close enough to touch people whose music has had a positive impact on your life. But before you decide that you must get barricade and you must stay at a barricade, consider those around you.
If you're a 6'9" person with broad shoulders, and those behind you are 5'1" and bean-pole-thin, it's nowhere near kind for you to continue to stake your claim to the place in the crowd furthest forward. You can afford to move a couple rows back where those around you can actually see over or around you without constantly having to jump or crane their necks.
If you are a person with the ability to stand and be rowdy the whole show, but someone near you may need to sit during the show, even if only for part of the time, in order to be comfortable, then make sure that you allow them room to do so without losing their ability to still see what's going on.
Especially in smaller venues where all tickets are the same General Admission area, it's not always possible for there to be an alternative for those who may not want to stand the entire show. It's easy to get caught up in the rush to the front of the crowd, but please make sure you're not ruining anyone else's experiences by being up close.
Heavier concerts and crowds behave differently than crowds for acoustic or pop artists, and as such there are different things to consider if you're attending a heavier show. These things typically take the form of moshing and crowd surfing. No matter if you're a participant of these actions or just a bystander, there are certain responsibilities you have to make sure that everyone remains safe and feels like they can still enjoy the show whenever crowds start getting rougher.
As a participant, your goal is to make sure that no one who wants to stay uninvolved in a pit ends up in the middle of one against their will. This means you need to make sure that you don't pull anyone into that section of the crowd without their permission, and that you don't push up against anyone minding their business and trying to just watch the show. You also need to make sure to help out and respect those around you.
If someone falls, pick them up. If someone looks lost or like they need out of the pit, help them get back into the other parts of the crowd the best you can. Don't wear steel-toed boots or any clothing that could do serious damage to someone if you accidentally hit or kick them. Essentially, don't crowd-kill and don't run people over. As for crowd surfing, make sure that you're courteous to others who are trying to do the same. If you've been up on top of the crowd, or if you've dived off of the stage, a dozen times and others have been waiting for all show for their chance, let them go up before you do so again, be sure everyone gets a chance.
As a bystander to these things, you also have a couple goals to promote safety and fairness. When a pit opens up, it's your duty to either get out of the way the best you can, or if you feel comfortable to form the wall around the pit to keep people going, to make sure people get back up quickly when they fall, and to keep the pit away from those who aren't interested in being involved in it.
Being a bystander when people are crowd surfing means making sure that no one gets dropped, making sure to watch above and around you to make sure no one comes close to getting dropped, and to make sure to move the person crowd surfing back down to the ground when they want to be. It's a whole hell of a lot of fun being in a rowdy crowd, but remember that safety and kindness are just as important as enjoying yourself.
Another important thing to remember as a concert-goer is that everyone is there to have a good time. If people want to dance, let them dance. If people want to belt songs out at the top of their lungs, let them sing. If people want to jump around like maniacs, let them jump.
Don't make fun of anyone around you for enjoying themselves, everyone is there to have a good time. For those of you who are the ones being more active, make sure you don't bump into others or step on peoples' toes as much as you possibly can. Accidents happen all the time, but if you're pressing up against someone or landing on top of them constantly during a show, maybe take it a little slower, pay a little more attention, or move a little bit over or back to make sure that you don't end up infringing on their space or causing them any pain anymore.
For those doing the actual performing, a different set of responsibilities exists. Before, during, and even after the show, you have things you need to do in order to ensure everything works out well for everyone at your show. First, before the show, you need to scope out the venue and what they have available and what they don't, in terms of accessibility. See if you can provide accommodations yourself in place of things the venue may lack.
Make sure to put up epilepsy and light sensitivity warnings if you're going to be using a lot of flashing lights or lasers during your performance, look across the internet for different posters for warning levels, there are multiple companies that make different versions of these warnings and will provide them to your band for cheap or even free if you contact them.
If you're going to be using an abundance of smoke for effect, make sure you don't use too much for the venue's space, so that those attending can still breathe easy through it. If any common allergens are present in any props you may use, even if its just a bunch of flower petals, try to make note of that as well so anyone with severe allergies can avoid them.
If you're going to be using sound effects like sirens, gunshots, or explosions, make note of these as well for those who may have different conditions that make them sensitive to those sounds or certain kinds of loud noises in general. Make sure that before the show even starts, everything you do is going to be safe for you and for the crowd.
During the show, you need to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible and that any potentially dangerous technical difficulties are fixed as soon as possible. Make sure the crowd is respectful, if fights break out, stop them. If someone touches another person inappropriately without their consent, call them out on it. If someone is belligerently drunk if someone is loudly using hate speech if someone is all-around making others at your show uncomfortable or promoting violence, stop them.
If someone becomes unconscious make sure they get to safety as soon as possible, make sure those around them, as well as security, are made aware of them and help them out. Don't ever be afraid to kick someone out of your show, especially if they're being disrespectful to those around them. Communicate with security clearance and effectively whenever you see something going wrong if it's something you need to be discreet about.
After the show, be kind. Try to meet as many fans as possible, especially at your merch table. Make sure everyone gets out of the venue safely and quickly. Larger tours and larger venues make this increasingly more difficult, but there's no excuse for making someone feel left out at a small, intimate show.
At these small venues, make sure everyone has a safe place to go after the show is over, sometimes concerts run pretty late. Communicate with your fans about their needs to constantly improve the efficacy of all you do to make sure your shows go well and are a positive space for anyone involved.
Concerts are an amazing experience and pastime, there is a lot of good that can come from them. The most good, however, comes from concerts where everyone is taking note of the boundaries and safety of those around them, as well as being kind and making friends. Concerts don't have to be a negative experience, and should never result in a negative experience for those who are looking forward to the show they're going to. Make sure that you, no matter your involvement, band, security, or crowd, help promote a safe space for all at concerts. Life is easier when everyone wins, concerts are no exception.
