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Post by pretzels on Aug 23, 2014 13:16:44 GMT
I'm not talking a small, intimate concert at a club, but at a big-name concert in a huge venue, you stand, right?
I took my DD to see 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction last night at NRG Stadium in Houston. I bought the tickets way back in December, and the girlie has literally counting the days. She's 12, so target audience for both bands.
I was not going to pay huge amounts to see them, so our tickets were up in the top of the stadium. There was a huge TV pointed our way and we had a pretty view of the stage itself, so we were fine.
During 5 Seconds of Summer, we stood a couple of times, but sat most of the time. The groups below us were standing, but we could still see.
When One Direction came on, all bets were off, though. EVERYONE was standing -- teens, moms, dads, everyone. So we stood, too. My DD was having the TIME OF HER LIFE, singing and dancing and squealing. It was really awesome for me to see. She's one of those tween/teens who is pretty moody and our relationship can be pretty rocky, so I was so happy to see her so happy, right? I sat down a couple of times because I am super old, and from our seats, you couldn't see anything when seated.
About a third of the way through 1D, she sat down abruptly. I turned to see what was wrong, and the lady behind us tapped me on the arm. Her four-year-old didn't want to stand up and couldn't see over us, so she wanted me to sit down. She got to DD before she talked to me, so of course, my obedient DD sat down. I told the woman as nicely as possible that if we sat down, we wouldn't be able to see anything, and kept on standing. I was not going to sit down at that point, period.
Well, my DD was not going to stand up at all at that point, period. She's very responsive to requests from other adults, and was very embarrassed that she was in the little girl's way. I bent down and told her that this was a concert, people stand up, and that I knew she couldn't see from where she was sitting. She refused to stand up, and continued to sway and clap and sing. The lady then tapped the two grown women sitting next to DD and asked them to do the same. They did for a little bit, but then they stood back up.
(It was a group of two moms and about five little girls, ranging in age from 3-ish to 8-ish. Everyone around them was standing...except for them.)
That made the moms mad, so they left. DD returned to standing and dancing. A lady sitting next to the group that left, tapped DD on the shoulder and told her that she wasn't doing anything wrong initially and that the first woman was wrong for asking her to stop enjoying herself.
At the end of the concert, DD said that the only bad thing in the concert was when the lady asked her to sit down.
I'll admit I was super-pissed that the woman did that. I contend that standing up during big concerts is a thing.
Am I right or was I just being super-rude to that lady?
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gsquaredmom
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Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Aug 23, 2014 13:20:54 GMT
I think your daughter was very kind and gracious.
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Post by mari on Aug 23, 2014 13:22:10 GMT
Standing during bit concerts is the norm. Your daughter did nothing wrong. The woman and her kids should have gotten front row seats if they wanted to sit.
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psiluvu
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Jun 25, 2014 22:52:26 GMT
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Post by psiluvu on Aug 23, 2014 13:25:40 GMT
You are 100% right. We spent part of this summer attending Bluesfest a 10 day outdoor music extravaganza that included Lady Gaga, Blake Shelton, Snoop Dog, The Killers, Lady Antebellum etc. In the afternoon and early evenings for the smaller shows people had lawn chairs spread over the lawn watching but once the big shows started the lawn chairs were folded and people rocked out.
Sorry your dd was upset but that is totally on the other women not her.
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Post by bluepoprocks on Aug 23, 2014 13:25:58 GMT
I think it was rude of her to ask you to sit down. If you were the only one standing I would understand her asking but why should you and your daughter miss the concert because her kid can't see that's ridiculous.
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Deleted
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Oct 10, 2024 14:26:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2014 13:26:13 GMT
It is going to depend on the band and the venue. In your case, I'd have expected standing, dancing teenagers.. precisely what your dd was. The woman was wrong to ask her to stop what everyone else was doing (although I'd have been with you on sitting down just because standing makes me tired lol) IMO, the band's target audience is not the four year old. Sounds like a young mom maybe? She was at that wierd stage of still wanting to go to concerts but feeling too old to go for herself so took her preschooler? I dunno.. your dd wasn't wrong. I do know that!
A performer targeted at a more mature audience I'd expect to be sit down.
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gloryjoy
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Jun 26, 2014 12:35:32 GMT
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Post by gloryjoy on Aug 23, 2014 13:31:51 GMT
Well first off I wouldn't take a 4 year old to a concert . But yeah, any concert I have been to people stand. And even if I don't want to stand up I have to, because everyone in front of me is standing .
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styxgirl
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Jun 27, 2014 4:51:44 GMT
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Post by styxgirl on Aug 23, 2014 13:40:35 GMT
Stand, stand, stand! If you don't want to see the back of me standing at a concert, then buy tickets in front of me and you can see the back of those people standing instead! LOL
I'm not that mean ;-) ... Last winter I was at a venue that had booths with tables. It was a STYX show and NO ONE sits a a STYX show ... Except the couple behind me there! The lady had bad knees and wasn't able to stand. So, I offered her my seat along the railing and I stood next to her and danced my heart out!
In your DDs case, you are right! It's good to see them happy and having fun!
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Post by anxiousmom on Aug 23, 2014 13:40:43 GMT
Of course you stand! How else do you dance and sing at the top of your lungs??
I have been going to concerts forever and unless it is something akin to a formal event, then standing is what is going to happen. It is expected and I would have thought that everyone going would know that. And at 5'1" it doesn't matter if I am sitting or standing, most of the time I can't see over the tops of most people's heads anyway. I would never presume to ask them to sit down on my account.
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Post by Merge on Aug 23, 2014 13:45:56 GMT
Hey, we were there too! My ears are still ringing but the girls had a great time.
I'm sorry that happened to your DD. Some people are just clueless. And four year olds need to be at Princesses on Ice, not a pop concert where the opening act has some pretty risqué lyrics and the main act doesn't come on until 9:00. My 11 year old was just barely old enough, I thought.
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TankTop
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Jun 28, 2014 1:52:46 GMT
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Post by TankTop on Aug 23, 2014 13:51:22 GMT
You stand at concerts. You sit on your couch.
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Post by myshelly on Aug 23, 2014 13:52:46 GMT
I am also appalled at the 4 yr old at a concert. SMH.
Yep, everyone stands.
If you want to sit, stay at home and listen to your iPod.
My BFF and I went to a Pentatonix concert this summer. The crowd was in general pretty young. Everyone was standing and dancing and cheering. There was crotchety old man with his mother about four rows behind us sitting down. In between every song he would bellow "sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down" incessantly at the top of his lungs. Dude, there are 30 rows of teens and twentysomethings in front of you. They are not all going to sit down just because you said so. I was so annoyed bc we missed a lot of what the band said in between songs.
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Post by Dixie Lou on Aug 23, 2014 14:26:39 GMT
Happy to read this thread! Man I was tired at the Taylor Swift concert! I'm too old to be standing and didn't expect to be standing all night but had to if I wanted to see a thing! Had a blast!
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Post by hennybutton on Aug 23, 2014 14:42:58 GMT
Add me to the list of people who say that the four year old shouldn't have been there in the first place. Can you imagine what it did to the little one's hearing?
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SweetieBsMom
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Jun 25, 2014 19:55:12 GMT
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Aug 23, 2014 14:45:37 GMT
This happened to me a at a Sting concert years ago. Everyone was standing but the people behind us didn't want to so they asked my friend and I to sit so they could see. We did, for about a minute, then apologized to them and told them we were unable to see so we were standing back up.
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Post by jemali on Aug 23, 2014 14:53:49 GMT
Even if you sat down, how could they see over all the people standing in the rows in front of you? The 4 year old didn't belong at the concert. My dd is a definite "rule follower" and would have sat down just like your dd did.
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Post by angieh1996 on Aug 23, 2014 15:01:43 GMT
This happened to us at a Bon Jovi concert. My friend and I had pretty great seats and everyone around us was standing except for about 5 ladies behind us. They were mad because they couldn't see and asked us several times to sit down. I politely told them everyone was standing, and even if I sat they still wouldn't be able to see because the people in front of us were standing. So we stood. Ive never been to a rock/pop concert that people didn't stand.
I think that lady was rude to ask your dd to sit.
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NoWomanNoCry
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Jun 25, 2014 21:53:42 GMT
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Post by NoWomanNoCry on Aug 23, 2014 15:07:15 GMT
I guess I'm just kind of shocked a 4yr old was at a concert. I would have told the mother is her kid can't see then they can go home and order the DVD when it comes out. May sound mean but y'all paid for tickets just as well as she did.
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Post by melanell on Aug 23, 2014 15:20:18 GMT
At that kind of concert, people stand. It's totally the norm and should be expected.
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perumbula
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Jun 26, 2014 18:51:17 GMT
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Post by perumbula on Aug 23, 2014 15:26:00 GMT
Who spends $85 so a four year old can go to a concert? Getting a babysitter for the entire day would have been cheaper. Weirdos.
Your dd was in the right. If the majority of people are standing, you're ok to stand too, no matter what the people behind you are doing.
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Post by leannec on Aug 23, 2014 15:28:26 GMT
In your situation I would be standing ... I definitely wouldn't be bringing a four year old to a concert
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Post by momofkandn on Aug 23, 2014 15:34:23 GMT
At that type of concert, standing is expected. The four year old shouldn't have been there.
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trollie
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Jul 2, 2014 22:14:02 GMT
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Post by trollie on Aug 23, 2014 15:37:56 GMT
OOOOhhh I hope that lady is a REFUPEA!!
YOU STAND, YOU SING AND YOU DANCE @ A CONCERT!
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Mystie
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Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Aug 23, 2014 15:40:27 GMT
Yep. I actually am not crazy about concerts because I'm so damn short. I wouldn't dream of asking people to sit down--it would be fruitless!
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Post by Crazyhare on Aug 23, 2014 15:42:26 GMT
The only time I have ever sat down was at KISS. But we were on the first row of the top tier , so there was nothing in front of me to block my view. Other than that, I stand.
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Post by rumplesnat on Aug 23, 2014 17:08:35 GMT
I get very pissed off when people tap me on the back to ask me to sit down at a concert. It has happened several times. If I choose to sit, I know that I'll have to deal with not being able to have the best view because of others standing. We always sit if the band is telling a story or something like that, but when the music is going, I think it's completely part of the concert experience to stand. Don't like it? Watch the concert on video in your own home.
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georgiapea
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Jun 27, 2014 18:02:10 GMT
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Post by georgiapea on Aug 23, 2014 17:14:30 GMT
If everyone else is standing, then standing it is. You sitting down wouldn't help the situation if everyone in front of the little snowflake was still standing. It was very rude of the woman behind you to spoil your DD's enjoyment of the concert.
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Post by gmcwife1 on Aug 23, 2014 17:27:01 GMT
I go to a three day concert and the rule is if most of the people are standing you stand, if most of the people are sitting you sit. For me it's pretty simple, I can't stand the whole time so I do both. I often sit front row and used to always sit, but a few years ago they pushed the rows back and added a standing section in front. Now we have to stand to see over the eight deep people in front of us
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Post by my.unquiet.mind on Aug 23, 2014 17:59:11 GMT
I've been going to concerts since I was in high school. I don't have an exact count, but I'd guess that I've probably been to close to 100 concerts. I've been to everything from punk and metal shows in tiny, out-of-the-way bars to country and pop shows held in huge stadiums and arenas. In my experience, most shows are a mix of people standing and sitting. When I was younger, I mostly stood at concerts because 9 times out of 10 I'd have general admission pit tickets and there weren't any chairs to be found. If it was a festival (Lollapalooza, Warped Tour, Riot Fest, Lilith Fair, etc.) then I tried to get lawn seats if at all possible. Then I could spread out my blanket, kick off my shoes and stand and sit as the mood hit me. Now that I'm older, if there's an option to get tickets that include seats, I jump on it! I've found that I enjoy the concert and get so much more out of it if I can relax and be comfortable than if I'm being squished by a million sweaty people and trying to dodge flailing crowd surfers (being kicked in the head by the Dr. Martens of the kid being surfed around is NOT a good time!). With that said, I'd never ask someone to sit down in front of me at a concert. Instead, I'd try to remedy the situation myself. I might switch seats with a friend or lean a bit to the right or left so I can see around the person in front of me...pretty much whatever I needed to do to be able to see. Your daughter was doing nothing wrong, and I'm so sad that you had to deal with someone who obviously wasn't willing to try to compromise in any way. As for bringing a 4 year old, I've seen kids of all ages at concerts. As long as the child has on the proper protective ear equipment and doesn't go out of their way to annoy and distract everyone around them, then I think it's a personal choice for the parents to make. I don't take either of my kids to concerts with me, but I wouldn't automatically look down on someone for doing so because it's not my business.
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smartypants71
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Post by smartypants71 on Aug 23, 2014 18:08:35 GMT
We pretty much go to a concert of some sort every weekend. I really prefer to sit (hey, I'm 42 ), but if the person in front of you stands, then so do you! Concert Etiquette 101. And what's wrong with taking a 4yo to a concert? I'm pretty sure I was at least that age when my parents took me to one. And I've been taking my DS to concerts for a while as well.
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