I love concerts. I do not love standing room only.

Me, mid-thirties and still jumping in the pit during the headliner: what?

49

A lot of us don't take great care of our bodies, unfortunately.

27
- and/or bad genetics and/or physically degrading occupations :(
  
  (i have neither i have no excuse haha)
  
  1
Early 40s here and I stood last year for GnR and they're always late. No regrets. Still go to metal and electronic music gigs / "raves"

10
Yeah for higher energy bands especially, I just don't get wanting to sit at shows. I'd rather just not go if I didn't think I could stand/dance through a concert. I think it's cool when venues have some designated seating for those who need it but it's always kind of a bummer when I go and it's mostly or only seated..kinda kills the energy

6
- Yeah, I'd much rather be on gen-ad and standing than sitting up in the bleachers, but for some concerts it's like 4x more for gen-ad over seated sections. Sucks, but I'd rather see the band sitting than pay that ridiculous mark up for it.
  
  1

Get yourself some good insoles and hearing protection.

39

But you have to give respect to those old-timey crocs.

1
I dont understand this meme, what headliner?

-3
- The headliner refers to the main entertainer of the the show that comes on stage after the opening/warm-up acts finish performing. You have to get through the opening acts before you see the one you actually came for.
  
  3

One thing that's guaranteed to get me to exercise more is knowing there's a mosh pit in three months.

24

F that. You stand around, drink, socialize and then you go in the pit for the headliner.

23

This guy moshes.

Fat and unfit and still in the pit. And I'll never change.

11
- I saw a very large man wearing a pickle costume at the last mosh I went to, Suicide Silence and I AM. He called himself Pickle Nick.
  
  Funniest fucking thing I've ever seen
  
  10
- Hey, who you calling fat?!
  
  [looks down at belly]
  
  Fair enough.
  
  2
What if I'm not there for the headliner primarily? Smaller bands deserve to have a great audience aswell.

9
- Yup, that's happened too! Then you just flip the activities. Lol
  
  5

I also love audience participation and I find people sitting are 10 times less likely to participate. I haven't found it common but being able to buy a seat but still stand and mosh etc is ideal.

15

Idk I just recently saw Nick Cave and Jason Isbell both at Massey Hall and were seated for both shows and it was a very energetic audience.

3
I can confirm 100% from football matches, that sitting down people are not participating.

Frankly it makes sense. Sitting down used to be for calm and relaxing in the times our genes formed.

2

Unhealthy*

10

This is the only true answer. Work on your fitness, people.

1
- I disagree. I would say I'm healthy. I walk almost everywhere and I inline skate a lot, often do 20k in a single session. But i cannot stand still for the life of me. It hurts.
  
  2

I've never been a fan of standing for concerts. But I especially hate fuckers who buy the seats in front of me then stand up most of the concert. IF YOU WANTED TO STAND THERE WERE DEDICATED PLACES THAT WOULDN'T OBSTRUCT MY VIEW.

9

I can only assume standing tickets were sold out

1

Permanently Deleted

9

I saw the Smashing Pumpkins a few years ago here in Seattle. The show was fantastic, but that's not the point.

There were a handful (a very small handful) of young guys who were in the audience, standing up the whole time despite being in the seated section, where there's really no benefit to standing up because you can't see any better.

They were the only ones standing. The people behind and around them would ask them to sit down, and they would act like everybody else was the problem. And then on Reddit, I saw people complaining as though the older fans were the problem for wanting to sit in the sitting section as opposed to the standing section, despite the fact that most of the attendees were in their '30s-40s or older.

No. In the '90s, maybe. But we're getting old now and you need to sit down. Those guys ruined the show for those people who had probably looked forward to seeing Smashing Pumpkins in concert for the last couple decades. Why ruin it for somebody else?

Now, if I went to some random punk show, I would expect to not be sitting. You have to consider where and when you are.

8

Out of curiosity where did you see them? Was it at Climate Pledge Arena? We went to a concert there not too long ago and the new seats were just awful. They really jammed as many as possible in during the remodel.

Like, my friend who is the average size of a fit 35 yr old was pretty much squished and uncomfortable. I mean, I'm pretty sure I had bigger seats in elementary school and these weren't the cheap seats either! Not the Cadillac premium seats, no, but not far off.

We were in the back row of the section (in front of the tables) so we ended up standing most of the time because the seats were too frickin small to be even remotely comfortable. The people behind us were cool with it.

It could explain why the dudes in your experience didn't sit, but I agree it is rude to stand in front of someone sitting, ESPECIALLY if you're at the front of a section.

5
- That's where I saw them and I thought the seats seemed perfectly normal. Which is to say, not good but not unusually bad.
  
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I was there, too, and I saw those guys. They were like the only young people in the vicinity and were so rude too the people around them. I was very glad that they were over to the left of me and not in front of me. There was zero reason to be standing in that section.

1
You don't go to a concert to sit down

I hate that the pit is usually super expensive (like 3x as much as decent seats)

I sit down during seats to rest but I definitely stand up during the concert and most people do

-19
- Concerts should be as inclusive as possible. If that means people can only go if there are seats, then it's perfectly reasonable that there should be seats.
  
  3
- People go to a concert to listen to music. You can do that sitting or standing. Don't shit in people's preferences.
  
  2
- Everybody else there was sitting, so no, not most people do.
  
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I'm going to a concert tomorrow and this is gonna be me. If only parking wasn't a hassle (and if public transit was actually a viable option), I'd arrive just in time for the show to start instead of getting there more than an hour early.

8

Wear good shoes!

5
- If you insist on wearing the same old pair of Vans with absolutely no cushioning, get some insoles, they're a real game changer for old feet.
  
  8

My legs are fine, but my feet are killing me. Moving around is better than just standing around.

8

This is key. A decade ago I did all three days at the New England Metal and Hardcore festival. Bodies fell from the sky on me. I got punched in the back of the head. I was almost knocked out on multiple occasions. I lost my glasses and was blind for most of the trip. What hurt the most was my feet. The pain was only alleviated when I was running around in the pit and walking back to my motel. I was in my early 20s then. I can't imagine doing that now.

3
I stupidly wore pointy shoes one day and died of pain. I don't know how women wear heels to concerts.

1

I have back issues - if I stand too long, my back really starts hurting. One of my favorite bands was playing in a standing room only place a few months ago, and I didn't go because of it.

It's not something that bothers me on a day-to-day basis, because I'm never really standing that long in normal situations. But for a few hours, on a concrete floor? That's not going to go well.

7

Get better shoes. Or insoles. It will change your life.

3
- Could also be a posture problem.
  
  2
- I agree But at the same time soles can only go so far
  
  1
Same. I LOVE live music but I'm a cripple the next day.

2

Been putting in the exercise as I see Chelsea Grin and Suicide Silence tonight. My back and neck are not ready.

7

I just saw them in Fort Wayne a couple weeks ago! Fantastic concert. Have fun and be safe

2
- Show was super good! Neck is sore though lol.
  
  1

A concert I went to recently started at 7 PM with the headliner immediately taking the stage and ended at 9 PM. Best show ever.

7

That's another thing that really needs to change. I would go to so many more shows if they started earlier!

3
- I'd just love to know when each band is going to take the stage. Not all openers are worth coming for.
  
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It do be like that. I've just had to learn my limits when it comes to pits. That and I can't afford to break anything.

6

The nod?

4

I've been uncomfortable standing for more than a minute, through my whole life.

Do I have a disease

4

No it's human to want to sit down.

0
- It's more of a severe discomfort. I don't know how to describe it.... I've felt guilty of people who can just sit.
  
  2

Sometimes when I stand for too long, I get nausea and stomach cramps. Sitting down or walking cures that. Dunno what triggers that, it's not a consistent effect, just sometimes.

2

Have you talked to a doctor about it? Sounds pretty weird.

5
- Nope, I always forget it when I go for a check-up because it happens so infrequently. I had that since I was a kid, I remember throwing up at my First Communion because it took forever for the pastor to stop reading from the book.
  
  1
No idea! That's unusual.

1