Jack White Bans Cellphones At Concerts For '100% Human Experience' (nme.com)

Singer and guitarist Jack White has banned the use of mobile phones at upcoming live shows. NME reports that the policy will be strictly enforced, requiring concert-goers to lock up their smartphones in pouches." From the report: White embarks on a tour of the U.S. from April, with a statement announcing that shows would be "phone-free," confirming: "No photos, video or audio recording devices allowed." "We think you'll enjoy looking up from your gadgets for a little while and experience music and our shared love of it IN PERSON," the statement adds. "Upon arrival at the venue, all phones and other photo or video-capturing gizmos will be secured in a Yondr pouch that will be unlocked at the end of the show. You keep your pouch-secured phone on you during the show and, if needed, can unlock your phone at any time in a designated Yondr Phone Zone located in the lobby or concourse." "For those looking to do some social media postings, let us help you with that. Our official tour photographer will be posting photos and videos after the show... Repost our photos & videos as much as you want and enjoy a phone-free, 100% human experience."

Comments

And shit like this

[Chas]

Is why I don't bother with live venues anymore.

Between the assholes in the audience and the assholes on stage...

Not sure what happened to "just come in, be a decent person and enjoy the scene".

So fuck them all. NONE of them get a cent of my money.

Re:And shit like this

[Pahroza]

Well, you pretty much said it, most people can't be decent people anymore. I'm not a fan of the artist mentioned here, but I do think an artist should be able to perform under conditions they'd like to perform. Siouxsie Sioux for example has -- in the past -- been a stickler for venue temperature when she performs because her vocal chords could be damaged otherwise. While that could suck if you didn't know you should dress warmer or colder to what you're used to, that's her livelihood.

I wouldn't expect people at an opera to be holding up their phones and carrying on with random conversations either. Don't like the rules, don't go.

So I guess I both agree and disagree with you. It's your money, you do what you want with it, but you could miss out on some great performances just because you don't want to give up your "right" to something.

Re:And shit like this

[uvajed_ekil]

I wouldn't expect people at an opera to be holding up their phones and carrying on with random conversations either. Don't like the rules, don't go.

So I guess I both agree and disagree with you. It's your money, you do what you want with it, but you could miss out on some great performances just because you don't want to give up your "right" to something.

You also won't see many people in jeans at operas or people in tuxedos at rock concerts, cause rock n' roll ain't opera.

I won't give up my right to not be talked down to, nor my right to see non-egomaniacs who actually appreciate the audiences who pay for their lavish lifestyles, hence I won't pay to see Jack White. His music is good, but it isn't worth dealing with him, so I can stand to miss it. Crowds may be the target of his whiny brand of angst now, but in the past he's started public shit with The Black Keys, Meg White, Billy Childish, journalists, Twitter, Lady Gaga, vegans, the dude from the Von Bondies, etc., etc...

A wise man once told me, if you run into an asshole in the morning, big deal, you ran into an asshole. But if you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole. Jack White is that guy who whines about everyone and everything.

Re:Don't tell me what to do

[Anonymous Coward]

You're exactly the kind of asshole that has made other assholes create rules and procedures like this.

If you hadn't been such an asshole then maybe the rest of us could have enjoyed our concerts without all this BS about shoving phones in puches?

Re: In before...

[Mashiki]

So what you're saying is you know fuck-all about diabetes. Got it. I'm not OP, but maybe at least read the wiki.

Don't read the wiki, it's full of stuff that's not medically recognized like "type 3" and "type 1.5" among other garbage. There's only three types 1, 2 and gestational(pregnant women), everything else has it's own diagnosis standard and despite the people pushing for LADA(adult onset) to become a new one. It's still type 1 even if you develop it in adulthood, the treatments are the same, the precautions are the same. If they were paying $1k/mo they were likely paying for a brand new drug, where a combination of 2 medications would have only run them $60/mo. The farce with liraglutide is a good example. $1k/mo, but could be done with two drugs.

This happens a lot when sales reps push doctors to use "new" medications because they're obviously better, and safer, that's what they're saying and you best believe it! Ever wonder why the vast majority of reps are stunningly pretty women who were hired based on their looks not their background? I'll give ya a hint, it's because male or female both respond to the tactic.

Re:bye!

[swillden]

But tell me I have to lock up my phone in a "pouch" and you can shove your concert where the sun doesn't shine.

So, you like going to a concert and looking over a sea of glowing cellphone screens when you look at the stage?

I find it unfortunate that this is necessary. But I do see the value.

Re:is this from the artist himself

[The Evil Atheist]

If people valued their "hard-earned" money, they wouldn't be wasting it on a live show that they're watching on their phone. This is about people getting their actual money's worth: seeing a skilled musician performing live, not through a screen.

Re:Who?

[No Longer an AC]

Rather than mod you as a troll I'd like to take this opportunity to say that anyone who completely avoids the subject of the article in favor of making fun of an artist who they'd like to belittle by insinuating that nobody ever heard of them or in particular you're too good to have ever heard of them is being childish.

(I think I've done it too regarding some pop-tart so I can't claim much moral superiority or anything).

I'm not a fan of Jack White. I've heard the name, but I have no idea what kind of music he even plays, but I do know that I can type "Jack White" into Google and find out in as long as it would take me to listen to some of his music.....which I will do now....after I get another beer.

....a few songs and a beer later....

I can now honestly say that I'm still not a Jack White fan, but at least his music isn't terrible. That's just a subjective opinion of course....the first song even reminded me of David Bowie just a little bit. And I even liked one of his other songs.

God forbid I might get so bored during a show that I would need to pull out my phone. Can I still bring a camera? Maybe I should just go home.

I've recorded shows before, both audio and video and it really does get in the way of enjoying a concert.

Even just recording one or two songs with your phone takes a lot away from your enjoyment of the moment.

Not only that but when you're in an audience and the stage is obscured by dozens of people holding up their cell phones above their heads that takes a lot away from the experience as well.

So I support this move by this White guy. I mean it's his show and if his fans don't like it they can stay home. His other fans might just appreciate the lack of phones in their faces.

Indeed, who ?

[DrYak]

{...} in favor of making fun of an artist who they'd like to belittle by insinuating that nobody ever heard of them or in particular you're too good to have ever heard of them is being childish.

Or you know, maybe some of us have genuinely no idea who this artist is.

There are literally tons of different types of music out there (I mean litterally. If you pile up ever different disc, CD, tape, wax cylinider, scroll, and other forms of music produced by all the artists, it's going to be a really heavy total mass).

By chance, I might happen not to be into this specific music, and I might have actually never heard anything about the artist. Not that I pretend that the artist is bad or that I'm above this kind of art. He might simply be not one of the thousand other that's I've heard.

So we do what every sensible /.er would do (like the parent poster) :
We will bitch and moan at the editors, because giving a few key information about an artist mentioned in a summary would be a good idea~

In the present case, I actually did not register the name for real, and needed to fall back onto wikipedia to discover that he's actually the guy who founded The White Stripes (known for such titles as "Fell in Love with a Girl", "Seven Nation Army", etc.).
I did my duty to get informed, but I think that when the subject of a summary strays outside the typical tech field, I would be good to give some key informations (again, not every one might be into the same kind of music and some could genuinely completely ignore who the guy is).

Re:This is a good precedent!

[Anonymous Coward]

Good. I'll be at the concert and I'll enjoy not have annoying cell-phone addled paranoid people like you around.

Re:This is a good precedent!

[Anonymous Coward]

Excuse me if I read into your comment more than I should have, when I read it I got the impression that you dislike this policy and believe that it should not be allowed for them to confiscate / disable / make otherwise unusable your phone. If that's not what you meant, then ignore me.

Now for my response based on how I interpreted yours:
What you said is fine. You should understand the position you're in, and that there are certain times and places that don't make any sense for you. A concert, movie theater, Broadway show and any other such venue where it is completely and utterly inappropriate for someone to be a distraction to others are examples of things you simply should not attending with such demands placed on you. I would also hope that your children would be left in capable hands when you aren't around them, and that you stop worrying so darn much as it's not good for them or you! Maybe that's why you think they are so prone to "other crisis", because your definition of crisis needs to be reevaluated and adjusted. The thing is, the last part of your statement says it all... If you can't answer your phone on the first ring, it's someplace you cannot and do not wish to be. Simple, don't go there. Don't expect others to lessen their experience just so you can live your unnecessarily over-stressed lifestyle.