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Alicia Keys Latest Artist To Enforce No Cell Phone Policy at Concerts (slashgear.com)

Posted by msmash on from the phone-free-show dept.

Shane McGlaun, reporting for SlashGear:It appears that artists of all sorts are getting very serious about keeping fans from using smartphones while they are at their concerts or events. The latest musician to ban cell phones at her events is Alicia Keys. Fans aren't forced to give up their smartphones at the door to be locked up in some locker or box until the show is over. Rather, fans are handed a special pouch that is locked up with their smartphone inside the fan keeps that pouch with them during the event, but they can't get to the device to call, take photos, or shoot video. If they need to use their device during the show the users can go back to the door and a worker passes a disc about the size of a bagel over the bag to unlock it and the fan can step outside to use their smartphone.

1 of 482 comments (clear)

  1. Re: So no more crappy cell phone videos by geekmux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd simply refuse to enter and request compensation (full purchase refund, parking expenses). If not, take the ticket merchant or responsible venue coordinatator to court and also request compensation for lost personal time. This type of information should be made clear before the purchase is made.

    And it likely WILL be. Common sense dictates you read the fine print if you find yourself and your "rights" being violated here. Don't like it? Don't attend the concert. We won't miss you. Refuse to play by the rules? The door swings both ways. Bye.

    I've grown tired of organizations and individuals encroaching on what I consider others' basic rights for their own personal interests. If you're a live performer, cell phones are not hurting your business.

    How about you encroaching on my basic right to enjoy a concert without having to see or hear cell phone addicts all trying to capture their version of what should be an evening enjoyed by humans instead of machines? I'd say my basic right during those two hours trumps the shit out of yours. You pay for a ticket and attend a concert for YOU the human to see and hear the artist, not to record a damn documentary of your evening.

    Needless to say, I've grown tired of this basic rights bullshit argument, especially when it mainly exists to feed people's narcissistic addictions to social media. And cell phones are not mandated by fire departments and emergency responders, so you can drop the bullshit 911 argument too.