10 Ways Not to Be an A–hole at Concerts

WTF is going on at concerts lately?

It seems like every other day, there’s a new headline about an artist getting hit onstage by something that a member of the audience threw at them. Or that a musician had to stop a show because someone in the crowd was getting hurt by the people around them. Or that a member of the audience was ejected from the venue for blatantly disruptive and potentially harmful behavior.

A study that was conducted by No Deposit Fan earlier this year even went as far as to name the U.S. states where crowds seemed to behave the worst during shows. Kentucky and Maine crowds ranked the highest as far as engaging in the most “rude or disruptive behavior,” but a lot of other states made the list, too.

Some of these instances go viral on social media now, so it’s a possibility that people in crowds are seeking to attain some form of internet notoriety, and thus act out. Or, it could be that people have a lot of pent up energy ever since the COVID-19 lockdown forced everyone to socially distance for months — and that energy can sometimes turn into aggression and even violence.

READ MORE: Study Reveals the Most Tiring Rock + Metal Artists to See Live

We don’t really know why people are acting out so much at shows recently, we just know that concerts can seem slightly less enjoyable when the experience is being ruined by obnoxious attendees. So, we compiled a list of 10 behaviors you shouldn’t engage in when going to a show, just to show basic concert etiquette and not take away from anyone else’s experience. It may not be your first time seeing a particular artist live, but it is someone else’s, and music is supposed to bring us together — not drive us apart.

And honestly, there are way more than 10 ways, but these are just the essentials.