Art of Listening #9 with Keith Jopling
On our ninth addition of our The Art of Listening series the ever insightful, Keith Jopling questions, are we better at listening live? Exploring phone etiquette at gig the power of being in the moment.
So far in the series, I’ve been exploring the art of listening to recorded music, in all its modern formats (well, that’s streaming and vinyl basically). But an op ed in The Guardian caught my eye over the May bank holiday.
Jason Okundaye wrote a piece called “Do yourself, the world and me a big favour: stop phone-filming at gigs”
In short, Okundaye - a self-confessed ‘phone in the air’ millennial, vowed to spend a bit more time ‘in the moment’ rather than trying to capture the moment via his phone, when at concerts. This is a sort of ‘dual eureka moment’ for Jason - firstly, a realisation that constantly filming a gig means that you are only half-experiencing the show itself. Secondly, the content you are capturing is most redundant and next to useless. Yes, you post it to socials and yes, maybe - it gets shared, thereby winning you kudos and a few more followers. But then what? Nobody ever looks at it again, including you.
It will not have passed anyone by that the live business is booming. In its Q1 ‘25 results (another record quarter) Live Nation’s Michael Rapino declared that "2025 is shaping up to be a historic year for live music”. The sector has now fully recovered (and then some) from the serious body blow of COVID. One of the characteristics of this growth (along with higher ticket prices) is the ballooning of live clips on social media. Much of it can be compelling - especially that shot from the artist's point of view - the backstage huddle, the walkway to the stage and that rush of audience adulation. This content breaks a 4th wall and gives a glimpse of what it’s like to be ‘famous’.
The stuff shot from the crowd can also be entertaining, especially if truly special moments are caught on camera and there have been plenty of examples that have gone viral and without doubt raised the profile for the performer (and the fan). But what we get to see on socials is a tiny fraction of the content being captured and that’s the problem. The ‘supply side’ of the equation i.e. almost everyone using their phones at gigs - is completely disproportionate behaviour. Okundaye’s article was prompted by a Tweet/X by Kaytranada observing how strange it was from the stage to look out at a crowd of perfectly still people holding up their phones (dancing with your phone held aloft is not a good look).
Some artists have taken a stance. Swedish rock band Ghost declared their 2025 Skeletour a phone-free experience. Lewis Capaldi delighted a small audience in Edinburgh with a surprise return to the stage, supporting mental health organization CALM but attendees were asked not to record the performances, with phones placed in sealed pouches. Mitski and even Coldplay’s Chris Martin have requested audiences to put away their phones during concerts in order to focus on the experience in front of them. I have recently attended a few concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall in which use of phones was requested to be respectful with the shows much the better for it.
I have been suspicious of some people’s motivations in attending live shows for a long time. The sizable (growing?) contingent of the audience who spend quite a bit of their time talking and drinking has, at times, mystified me but I try not to judge. Some people treat gigs like a night out and an opportunity to socialise or even party - fair enough so long as it doesn’t spoil it for the actual fans. As for those who want to spend the evening singing their lungs out - get to a karaoke bar for god’s sake!
But why on earth don’t you want to actually listen? For the price of the ticket and the effort to get one, along with the effort to get to the venue, not to mention the costs involved at the show itself (one of the most expensive ways to get drunk surely). I feel like we will see more artists and perhaps venue’s too, putting restrictions on phone use, but in the spirit of Okundaye’s write-up, as with many aspects of modern technology, it’s the ‘fans’ themselves who need to realise they are spoiling the experience occasionally for others but mostly for themselves. Live performance is meant to be the music industry’s ‘scarce’ product in a market of otherwise saturated choice and abundance. Don’t let the convenience but otherwise largely useless functionality of your phone get between you and an unforgettable experience. Then again, as festival season is upon us, I guess expect a phone-in-the-air frenzy. Whatever it is your filming, keep in mind you’ll probably never watch it again, but that festival moment you missed definitely will never happen again.
Learn more about Keith Jopling:
Keith is a music strategist, advisor, consultant, writer and mentor. In 2021 he started the music podcast The Art of Longevity, featured under Spotify’s “must listen” music podcasts and on all other platforms. The archive sits on his music curation site The Song Sommelier.
Keith has worked with the boardrooms of labels, streaming services, start-ups and investors. He has held previous roles with Sony Music, Spotify, EMI and the BPI. Most recently he was Consulting Director at boutique music agency MIDiA Research (2019-2024) and began his career in music as Research Director at global trade body IFPI (2000-2006).
As an educator, he has lectured in music business, strategy and innovation at Henley Business School, NYU, BIMM, ACM, Belmont, Syracuse, Westminster and the University of Krems, Austria.