FEATURE: High-Tech, Lo-Fi: Have Smartphones Damaged the Gig Experience and Distorted How We Hear Music?

FEATURE:

 

 

High-Tech, Lo-Fi

PHOTO CREDIT: Luke Miller/Pexels

 

Have Smartphones Damaged the Gig Experience and Distorted How We Hear Music?

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THERE is so much debate…

PHOTO CREDIT: Wendy Wei

around the use of phones at gigs. There are artists who insist that the audience leave their phones aside and keep them away. That thing of everyone needing to document gigs. I can understand that people want a memento or proof that they were at gigs. That chance of capturing magic moments or moments that nobody will believe. I absolute loathe when people play videos or music on their phone loudly so others can hear. Those who have conversations and put it on speakerphone without thought of others. Those who have not discovered earbuds or are blissfully unaware that others do not want to hear their music choices, YouTube videos or chat. It is extremely rude and imposing. I think that technology is great in the sense we can listen to music privately and access anything without bothering others. It can be a solitary thing but, actually, you can share albums in a way we never could years ago. A whole library of albums that span decades. The reason I bring these subjects is because I wonder whether technology has improved or hindered how we experience music. When it comes to gigs, I can appreciate people taking photos outside a venue. That is fine. This thing of people taking, let’s face it, blurry and crappy photos of an act. What benefit do they get?! I can’t see how these photos would hold power and memories years from now. Lost in an endless album of other photos that will likely be deleted or discarded. I can never get my head around people filming gigs. How much people lose doing this. I personally would never want to post videos or share what I saw at a gig. You have to be present and experience them. If you are too busy photographing and filming, what is the benefit of physically being at a gig?! You also lose that sense of community and connection. For artists, it can be very distracting. Also, the thing of the audience not looking at the stage. Like there being this conversation and the other person looking at their phone. It has that element of rudeness, even if the person does not mean that.

The results of these videos are always poor. Again, like photos, what do you really get from it?! All the videos you see uploaded to Twitter and Instagram are so poor in quality. The sound is awful and tinny. I really hate it. Also, many artists might not want their performances shared to the world. People who paid good money to be at a gig spending so much time not actually engaged with it. There is that thing of nobody being able to experience anything without documenting it. A curse and huge issue that has been here since the advent of smartphones. I do worry that, more and more, we are losing the ability to be able to see something in the flesh without distraction or that thought that we need to capture a photo or video. This is a big conversation point that divides people. If artists are comfortable with people filming them, that is one thing. Other members of the audience might not. Also, it is that amateur nature. The photos and videos are vastly inferior to what you would have seen and heard. So, if you literally miss something to take an inferior version of it, what is the point at all?! Maybe it is not so much about getting something for prosperity and to show people. It is this modern illness most of us have. Not being away from a phone and needing to always be on them, regardless of whether we need to or not. An addiction and dependence. I would say that phones need to be banned from all gigs. Just be in the moment and present! People would say that is too forceful and wrong. If I were a performer, I would want them watching what I was doing. Interacting with each other and being all together. That is how gigs used to be. No other option but to watch the music. Of course, there were disposable cameras; there was not a massive issue of people whacking out their cameras and snapping.

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Redbubble

The same with listening to music. I think smartphones encourage people to force music on others. Making it less private so that everyone can hear. I know too that there has always been a problem with people sharing music and not caring. What rankles is the poor quality you get from smartphones. None of the warmth and depth you get from physical music. This may sound like a gripe from someone who was born in the 1980s and is struggling to understand change and modern technology. As a music lover, I can appreciate the value of smartphones. There is that ease of access and, at a time when there are few portable devices for playing physical music on, this is a good option. I tend to find that you lose so much listening to music through a phone. I guess there is no real modern alternative that would be better. As we are streaming music and now and we consume more digitally than physically, we have to adapt. We are told that technological advance is better and good. The more high-tech something is the better. I do not agree when it comes to music. There is something much more enriching and beautiful when it comes to lo-fi. Going to gigs and not being slaves to our phones. Listening to music even through a laptop seems a much preferable option than a smartphone. If you want to share your gig experiences and music, then you can do this privately. I feel that technology has taken something from us. In terms of how we approach live music and experience it. How we digest music and what we get from technology. I am not saying that we need to revert to the past and carry around a Walkman/Discman and completely abandon taking video and photos. I feel there is a real fear from artists that too many that come to their gigs are not participating. I think that phones have done a lot of damage to how we perceive and experience music today. Maybe I am wrong. It is clear that there is…

A lot to discuss.

Sam Liddicott