Who do you NOT want to be seated next to ?

[Sydney Steve]

What is the habit of the person who is your worst nightmare ,( real or imagined) to be seated near at a live concert (not just Gord's)?

Can you relate to any of these?

Bill's pet hate is the clapper. Paraphrased : "No one is a good clapper (leave the rhythm to the drummer)"
Auburn Annie gets p...d off by the (mostly males-shock horror!) who profess their undying love to Gord (for his work and genius) in an innapropriate often quiet moment.
Mine would be the "know it all" who can't wait to share his (yes his), knowledge with those around. He never stops whispering albeit at top decibels to his (unfortunate) partner to prove his credentials. Sadly this animal is also almost always a male. What do you hate ?

[charlene]

add to that list the "sing along" doofus.
I don't recall this person's name printed on my ticket......

[Auburn Annie]

Watchman I think you covered the list. At least there weren't any Frisbees airborne in Massey this year, in contrast to the college gym concerts from years gone by.

[charlene]

there's always the woman behind you who spills the contents of her purse under your seat and then won't let you keep the good stuff....
lol
right Sparky?

[BILLW]

I guess it's a version of the "know-it-all" but how about the people walking out of the show explaining all the reasons that the show wasn't as good as (insert date) that they saw. Or if he had just sung (insert title) that he sang when (see date above), etc., etc., etc.then it might have been OK ??? And some fat bald character talking about how "he's gotten old hasn't he"??

They should let us screen these people, LOL

Bill

[Sydney Steve]

I've just remembered being furious a bit over 20 years ago at a Don McLean concert. I took along a girl who I was very keen on. I paid substantial money for two of the best seats but she kept nodding off ! Her only defence was it was after a long working day ( and in hindsight to be honest some of those songs could be prescribed as a cure for insomnia!) I remember saying to her "I didn't spend 80 bucks on your seat for you to go to sleep" and I dug her in the ribs a couple of times to keep her awake.

I've been married to that somnambulist for nearly 20 years now. Like an elephant I never forget and she is constantly reminded of the fact every time we go to a concert.

[joveski]

i love that bit on the Montreux 76 show where gord tells the audience off for clapping during the Auctioneer.

"alright alright, cool it. leave the driving to us!"

i was at a dylan show here in 2001 and this guy beisde me asked me what the first song was. it was Duncan and Brady which is an old folk cover. dylan started all his shows with an acoustic bluegrass cover back then. then a few songs later, the guy wanted to know what i think of Ramona, while bob was playing. sicne it was a seated show i couldnt move so i just ignored it. that day was pissing down with rain all day so dylan decided to play Hard rain later in the show. the guy then decided to tell me that dylan played song cause of the rain we had... still a very good show despite that!

[Borderstone]

Teen-agers! Not the better behaved one's but ones that don't just sit & listen,who are "sneaking" something and doing that incredibly insipid dorky arm wave back & forth during a ballad!

I have to confess,I am a sing-a-long kind of guy. At the 2002 concert,hey,i just couldn't help it. I didn't sing loud enough that anyone could hear but I just wanted too.

The closest shout out was when i yelled out "Hail Hero" whern Gord started talking about the making of music for that film. He didn't seem to mind,since he said back,"You got it man!" ...with a smile in his voice.

Although I do hope by now he understands the average "shout out" person doesn't really mean to be rude,they just want the simple "thrill" of being acknowledged by someone they admire. ..and it did feel good to be noticed. Also since i got to meet him and get his autograph & talk to him next concert,I wont feel the need to shout out.

[ June 30, 2005, 19:14: Message edited by: Borderstone ]

[Patti]

That 7-foot dude with the binoculars. We were sitting close enough, but he'd look through the binoculars and go like, wow!... :D It was kind of funny but he could have shared.
I liked it when I got noticed too. I don't think my shout out was rude either because I was just glad that he was looking forward to his travels, and I just enjoyed his optimism.

This isn't my worst nightmare, but I've noticed that a lot of people at Gord concerts are grumpy. It's like they're so serious and uptight or something. Come on, you don't have to jump for joy, but cracking a smile once in a while would be nice. It is a concert after all, not a wake.

once I was at a gord concert, and the guy right next to me stuck to high heaven. he obviously had forgotten to apply deodorant, or perhaps he was hot-natured (it was during the summer). but anyway, it was unexcusable. in my opinion, if your going to go ut in publick, (especially to a gl concert) then for God's sakes, make sure your clean...

(i know what you might be thinking, but i really had this problem at a concert once. but not just there, but on buses and planes, etc.)

forgive any typos and not capitalizing. i dont know how to type. it's hard using the hunt and peck method.

[The Rez]

OK, Y'all, while standing in unison agreement w/ each of you who preceded me on this topic, I'll add another (and I swear it's been the same woman for the last 35yrs)

She somehow manages to always have a seat right behind me; manages to have beer; and loudly proclaimes during the most gentle ballad:

"Oh, this is my favorite song by (fill in performer's name here.) Oh, I just love it when "name again" sings this one - It's just my favorite. It makes me cry every time I hear it. I just can't listen to it w/o tears flowing all over my face. Oh, my God how can anybody be so good. How can (name) reach into me like (name)does when (name) sings this song. It's my favorite song . . ."

This monologue to her neighbor (and anyone w/in a 30ft radius,) of course, continues w/o so much as taking a breath, during her entire "favorite" song. Her "favorite" eludes her ears everytime, needless to say (but I said it anyway.)

After the second bridge, I turn around and say, "Lady, if you like the song so much, shut up and listen to it! Those w/in the 30ft radius say "Right on" a lot, while the woman says to me, "@$#%^&*!#%&+*#$#*^%*)$#@@@$%*#" or words to that effect.

So, I switched to Sanka,

Rez

[Sheryl]

LOL!

[Ophelia]

Wow, I've been to two GL concerts here, and the audience was pretty well-behaved. People called out requests, but that was after he asked us to! :D

[Borderstone]

Hey Lavendar,if you watch concerts on DVD or on PBS and they show the crowd,there is always one or a few more concert goers sitting there like they're in line at the DMV!!

Some of them are the "I'm too mature and sophisticated to act that excited...it's just a concert" kind of people. Too grown up are we? You just joined the dullards club! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Others think,"I'm too cool to make my self look like a dork by singing along or clapping".. (or anything else). Yeah,guy...everyone at his concert is looking at you and waiting for you to embarrass yourself so they can laugh!

Why pay good $$ for a show,if you can't enjoy it and take part? I hate sitting there like a lump! When I wenmt to "louder" concerts as a teen or even up to just a few years ago,I let loose! (Something I don't do much in evereyday life.)

Like the old song says,"It's alright..have a good time,cause it's alright. "

well put borderstone. unfortunately, formerlylavender and i always seem to run into (be seated around) someone who is moody and on a high-horse. we don't let it get to us, but it has definitely diminished the atmosphere a bit. however, at this past show, when some very rude woman, sitting in a seat she did not pay for, by the way, asked my sister not to sing along to a particular song, we let her know what we thought of her request. we're sick of it and will enjoy ourselves as we see fit, as we have done to date. and by the way, we are very considerate concert-goers and are more restrained than not.
borderstone, you summed up how we have felt all along. thanks so much for understanding

[BILLW]

Originally posted by <jbt>:
well put borderstone. unfortunately, formerlylavender and i always seem to run into (be seated around) someone who is moody and on a high-horse. we don't let it get to us, but it has definitely diminished the atmosphere a bit. however, at this past show, when some very rude woman, sitting in a seat she did not pay for, by the way, asked my sister not to sing along to a particular song, we let her know what we thought of her request. we're sick of it and will enjoy ourselves as we see fit, as we have done to date. and by the way, we are very considerate concert-goers and are more restrained than not.
borderstone, you summed up how we have felt all along. thanks so much for understanding

Well said jbt - folks I can vouch for this story, LOL. May I suggest that you get seats next to us next time ? We're good company, LOL.

Bill

[Highwayman]

I hate sitting next to anyone with a bunch of loud, noisy, five year old children. That's my pet peeve, especially when I'm in church. In my opinion, they should wait until their kids are old enough before bringing them. (I doubt anyone would bring little children to a GL concert, but all the same, I hope I don't wind up sitting next to one. :D )

[Borderstone]

Anyone who wears a T-shirt not related to the kind of music being listened too!

"Let's see...I'm going to a Little River Band show,what can I wear?" "I know...I'll wear my Anthrax shirt! :D "Cooooolll!" (NOT!)

If it's a sporting event,anyone who wears the opposing teams' logo! I attended a Suns game (at the arena but broadcast from Chicago) in 1993 and there's these jerks walking around wearing a Bull's jersey! Go home & watch your TV ya troublemakers! :D