Are concerts doomed?

Image by from author.

Artists ranging from Sabrina Carpenter to Beabadoobee will soon be stopping in the Bay Area as part of their world tours. According to WHS English teacher and avid concert-goer Mr. Dimitriou, the cause of this trend is because, “in a post-COVID world, a lot of these artists are touring again and are trying to get back on the road, so there’s a lot of competition right now for touring and getting venues.” This positive change allows younger fans to have the opportunity to experience true concert life. However, with high ticket prices and poor concert etiquette discouraging both fans and performers, this exciting opportunity to see your favorite artists perform live might not last.

As of now, Ticketmaster has a virtual monopoly over ticket sales. If you want to go see your favorite artist, you’ll have to hover over your screen, refreshing quickly and clicking fast enough to get a ticket. If you aren’t lucky enough, you’ll have to buy from resellers: an even bigger problem, because on resale sites like Stubhub, ticket prices become inflated due to resellers looking to make a large profit. Consequently, many concert goers have been discouraged from seeing their favorite artists because just getting through the doors becomes a hassle.

And, even if you do get in, bad crowd behavior can spoil the experience.  Performers like Beabadoobee and Bebe Rexha have become more vocal about disrespectful audiences. At a Beabadoobe concert, fans were yelling ‘Fein’ as the artist was starting to perform “Girl Song,” a piece about Bea’s struggles with her own doubts and insecurities. As a result, she live streamed on TikTok to explain to viewers that during a song that showcases a lot of vulnerability, fans completely disrespected her, causing her to cry on stage. Another example is with Bebe Rexha, when a fan threw their phone and hit her face. The concert was forced to end early and Bebe Rexha had to go to the hospital to treat her head injury. Afterwards, Bebe Rexha shared photos of her injury online to spread awareness and to warn fans about the consequences of reckless behavior.

Such incidents have greatly discouraged concert lovers like Claire Chang, who feels “really bad for performers when they get harassed on stage. I don’t see why anyone, especially a fan, would want to harm or disrespect someone that they paid to see perform.” If this audience behavior continues, artists may be hesitant to even perform, out of fear of their own fans.

With issues such as these, there is no doubt that some concert fans don’t feel optimistic about the future of concert culture. However, others, like WHS Assistant Principal Mr. Speckels, who has been attending concerts since he was a teenager, disagree with this notion. “I can’t imagine concerts dying out,” Speckels says. “I just feel like that’s where most artists make their money. Even if they’re streaming, that does not compare to the amount of money that they make when they actually tour.”

With this in mind, concerts may be here to stay. But how can we, as performers and audience members, try to fix the state of concert culture? One solution is to take a look at the past. In the 90s, if you wanted to get a concert ticket, you’d either have to wait in line at a record store to buy a ticket from Ticketmaster, or wait at the venue on the day of the concert. “The only way you would get tickets from a reseller, who we used to call scalpers, is by finding them hiding outside the venue because reselling was illegal,” says WHS Psychology teacher Mr. Kim. Perhaps by making these ‘scalpers’ illegal again, ticket prices would decrease dramatically and demand for them would increase. Surprisingly, Ticketmaster has come up with their own solution to resellers, as they now “don’t actually release the tickets to you until a couple of days before the show, to prevent resale” says Mr. Speckels. When resellers do try to sell their tickets, if the concert doesn’t sell out, the market value of the ticket plummets.

For audience members, on the other hand, fixing their behavior is key and can be done by informing fans of ‘concert etiquette,’ which includes giving undivided attention to the performer by putting phones away and not trying to get their attention in a dangerous manner. A general rule of thumb for those new to concerts is to follow the crowd’s vibes. If you are attending a punk rock concert, most people will be rowdy; but if you attend a folk-pop show like Gracie Abrams, it’s best to stay calm and respect people’s space.Everyone can do better to make the concert experience as amazing as possible. In the end, it is important to remember that concerts are not just events; they are communal experiences that connect artists and fans. By addressing the issues of ticket accessibility and audience behavior, we can foster an environment where both performers and fans feel valued and respected.

Eunice Yang is a senior at Washington High School and grew up in Fremont. She may be new to journalism but is interested in writing articles highlighting Fremont's diverse community in the features section of The Hatchet. In her free time, Eunice crochets and knits while watching her favorite T.V. show Brooklyn 99. She even enjoys baking muffins and cookies for her family and friends. When it comes to future plans, Eunice wants to be a nurse to continue making her community a better place.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *