Kendrick Lamar is pushing to ban phones at his concerts. I had to take a moment to kind of laugh and shake my head as I get the feeling that others might do the same and wonder if Lamar is kind of losing his mind with this one. Not only is he seeming to get a little too full of himself, but banning phones is something that a lot of people, even fans, won’t tolerate. When it comes to letting go of their devices it’s admitted that a lot of folks are hopelessly attached to their electronics and don’t seem to know when to just look up and enjoy the show. But trying to ban something that people might actually need to have on their person is a slippery slope that can lead in many different directions.
I get it, performers want people’s eyes on them and want to know that their audience is paying attention, but in all honesty this should be one of their last concerns. The audience already paid for their tickets, they’re there, they’re bound to look up at some point, performers need to focus more on their set than on the people that might be looking down. Call it rude or whatever you want but if a performer can’t handle someone checking their phone from time to time or sharing the experience on social media then they’re not as into their show as they want the people they’re watching to be. You might think that it’s a slight against the performer when a person doesn’t pay attention, but heaven forbid someone have to check the time or perhaps check up on their kids or something, anything, that might require their phone. Lamar might need to just take a chill pill and realize that people have paid their money and are there, so he’ll end up getting paid no matter what.
I’ll come out and say it no matter that he’s skilled and can raise crowds to come and see him, Lamar is kind of acting like a diva at this point, and not in a good way. Not allowing professional photographers into his concerts is one thing. It’s still kind of childish in a way since ‘ruining his brand’ is not their desire. Those photographers are there to create hype about him and to help create more awareness about his shows. Keeping them out is really just hurting his brand if you want the truth, and harping on people about being on their phones, or not allowing the use of phones in his concert, is just another mark against him when it comes to acting like a child.
The people paid their money, they’re there to see the show, and they’ll look up from their phones eventually. Until then put on a show, do your best, and make sure that those who are watching are entertained. Too many performers seem to be forgetting that they’re going to get paid regardless and only have to worry about putting on a good show.
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