How to fully immerse yourself in the concert experience
By Emma Duke, Features Editor
If you’ve been dying to know what my bank statements look like (which, I don’t know why you would..that’s weird, but no judgment), I’ll tell you. Ticketmaster. Groceries. Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster. TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS! No, that does not have any relevance to the article, I just wanted to share that I made it through The Great War.
Rather than spending money on clothes, or going to the bar, I spend my money on concerts. From Ed Sheeran and NF to Milky Chance and The Lumineers to Daniel Caesar, Gregory Alan Isakov and Imagine Dragons, I’ve had the privilege of attending a lot of concerts. I’ve probably attended 20 in the last six or seven years, so you could say I consider myself a sort of concert-connoisseur. I know what makes a fantastic concert and what distinguishes a good performer from a great one, but I also have a couple of tips on how to make the concert more enjoyable as an audience member.
My first rule-to-live-by is to be careful picking your seat. Cheap tickets are lovely, but remember that you get what you’re paying for, and I don’t mean in terms of the view (the huge TV’s allow you to see the artist, no matter where you’re seated), but in terms of energy. The further back the seat, the less excited the crowd is about the artist, so unless it’s Taylor Swift, there’s a chance that if you’re not on the floor or an adjacent section, the people around you might be sitting down. Not that you couldn’t have fun being the only one standing up and screaming lyrics, but it’s much more enjoyable to be at a concert where the people around you are also energized and excited, so it’s often worth it to pay a little more to sit closer.
We’re all a little guilty of filming the artist singing a bunch of songs, just for them to sit in our camera roll until we realize three years later that the five minute videos are taking up too much space. My advice is this: take videos of yourself and your friends at the concert, rather than the artist. There is already footage of the artist performing live circulating the internet, but videos of you are unique and much more special.
Lastly, if prices are high for a concert, wait until the day of the concert and then look for a ticket. People reselling will often sell for lower than what they paid. I wouldn’t recommend doing this for an artist you love (it’s not worth the risk), but it’s a good idea for a concert you think would be worth attending, if ticket prices dropped.
Now, go buy that concert ticket!
