New York, NY (September 18, 2025)—It never ceases to amaze me when I’m mixing a BÖC show and the band starts “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” how many people whip out their cell phones and start taking video.
I find it distracting, especially when it’s an audience member seated in front of me holding their phone directly in my line of sight to the stage. This is almost as annoying as the knuckleheads seated near me who take photos with the flash on, as if the flash were going to make any difference in the quality of a photo taken from 75 feet away. No, it’s just going to annoy me and nearby audience members.
It might annoy me a bit less if I thought that the people who do this would ever actually watch these videos or view the photos, most of which will spend their existence in the bottom drawer of someone’s cell phone RAM. You paid to see the show—why not watch it with your own two eyes?
I feel like a big reason people do this is for bragging rights, so they can be the envy of all their friends by posting a clip on Facebook that clearly demonstrates they’re part of the “in crowd” who were able to afford a ticket to see <insert name of your favorite artist here>.
I’m not the only one annoyed by this. A few years ago, King Crimson instituted a cell phone ban on its tour dates, citing cell phones as a distraction. In fact, ’Crimson leader Robert Fripp has been known to stop shows or walk offstage when the policy is violated by fans. Good for him. If you go to see their show, they expect your undivided attention.
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Other artists who feel the same way and have followed similar protocols include Jack White, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Bob Dylan, The Lumineers and Tool, as well as comedians Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan.
Facilitating the concept is a company called Yondr, which checks patrons into a venue and locks their cell phones in a secure “Yondr Pouch,” a locked bag not unlike one you’d use to secure cash. Audience members hold their pouches during the show, after which it is unlocked, and the bag is returned. Yondr sets up areas in the venue where a patron can bring the pouch to have it unlocked during the show in case of an emergency or to, say, check in with the babysitter. It’s a great way for comedians who don’t want new material posted all over the internet, or bands that try new material on tour before recording it, to prevent the material from being leaked.
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Concertgoers will argue that purchasing a ticket gives them the right to record a performance. Sorry, it doesn’t, and if the rules are clearly defined ahead of time (i.e., when the tickets are purchased), then the audience should be bound by those rules. If you don’t like the notion that you can’t take video at a show, then don’t buy a ticket.
The concept harkens back to the days when Peter Grant managed Led Zeppelin. Grant did his best to limit the band’s TV appearances to a minimum, which built their mystique and increased demand for concert tickets. His philosophy was simple: You wanna see the band perform? Buy a ticket.
It’s really not such a bad idea.
