zeit.de
No Phones Allowed": Artists Seek Intimacy, Protect Unreleased Music at Concerts
Concerts increasingly ban phones to protect unreleased music, enhance audience experience, and counter social-media pressures; artists like Bob Dylan, RIN, and Ghost utilize phone bans or taped cameras, while events like Berlin's "Unreleased" series completely prohibit phone use; this reflects a desire for artistic freedom and enhanced audience intimacy.
- What are the primary reasons behind the growing trend of "No Phones Allowed" concerts, and what are the immediate impacts on both artists and audiences?
- No Phones Allowed" concerts are increasing, driven by artists like Bob Dylan, RIN, and Ghost, who seek to protect unreleased music, enhance the live experience, and foster intimacy. The Berlin-based "Unreleased" event series exemplifies this, taping over phone cameras to safeguard new music from unauthorized recording and distribution. This trend reflects a broader pushback against the constant documentation of live performances.
- What longer-term implications might the "No Phones Allowed" movement have on the future of live music, audience engagement, and the artist-fan relationship?
- The future of live music may see a divergence in concert experiences: some hyper-produced, social-media-driven spectacles like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, and others prioritizing intimacy and creative freedom through phone bans. This trend may influence how artists engage with their fans, potentially leading to new forms of interaction and a renewed focus on the shared experience of live performance rather than its documentation.
- How do varying artist strategies—such as those employed by Taylor Swift versus RIN—regarding audience recording impact their concerts' overall success and goals?
- The rise of "No Phones Allowed" concerts stems from a desire to reclaim the authenticity and intimacy of live music, countering the pressures of social media and constant recording. Artists such as RIN explicitly express their yearning for a less performance-oriented and more experimental live experience, free from the constraints of promotional content creation. This reflects a growing awareness of the potential downsides of pervasive mobile phone use at concerts.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article's framing leans towards presenting phone bans as a justifiable measure taken by artists and organizers to protect their work and create a more intimate concert experience. While acknowledging some fans' desires to share recordings, it doesn't heavily emphasize the potential downsides of such bans for fans. The headline itself could be seen as subtly framing phone use at concerts negatively.
Language Bias
The language used is mostly neutral, although phrases like "verwackelte, 20 Sekunden lange Mitschnitt" (shaky 20-second recording) in the original German could be considered slightly loaded, implying a negative connotation towards amateur recordings. Replacing this with a more neutral description, such as "short fan-made video recording", would improve neutrality.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the perspective of artists and event organizers regarding phone bans at concerts, giving less weight to the diverse opinions of concertgoers. While it mentions some fans wanting to share recordings and others feeling pressured by social media, it lacks a detailed exploration of the multifaceted fan experience and the reasons behind their use of phones at concerts. The article could benefit from including more diverse voices and perspectives from fans themselves to provide a more balanced view.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat simplified dichotomy between artists who want to ban phones to maintain intimacy and those who leverage phone usage for publicity and reach. It doesn't fully explore the many nuances and intermediate positions that exist between these two extremes. For example, there could be artists who value intimacy but also recognize the promotional value of fan-made content.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article highlights a growing trend of "no phones allowed" concerts, aiming to discourage excessive photography and videography. This directly relates to responsible consumption and production by promoting mindful engagement with live music experiences, reducing unnecessary resource use (data storage, battery consumption), and encouraging presence in the moment rather than documentation for social media. The initiative also protects intellectual property rights of artists by preventing unauthorized recording and distribution of unreleased music.