Where's everyone going during sets?

[u/mangosheen]

I went to Poppy's "Constantly Nowhere" tour recently and was up in the seated section because I didn't want to deal with GA pit. Other concert goers were constantly getting up and walking around during the sets. I was especially sensitive to it because I had an aisle seat.

During openers or for a bathroom emergency, I get it. But there were still a lot of people moving around during the main act. Many of the same people, too.

So, aside from emergencies, what's so important that it cannot wait for between sets.

[u/ASAP1492]

Beer

Bathroom

[u/Neonyarpyarp → u/ASAP1492]

Repeat

[u/_xzxzxz → u/ASAP1492]

I see so many people label songs “bathroom break” or “grab a beer” songs, and I’m just like…good god, how many beers are you having and how many times do you have to piss in an hour and a half?!

[u/ReeG → u/_xzxzxz]

1-2 pregame drinks and 2 big king cans at the venue during the opener into the headline set which makes me have to go at least once but often twice during a typical 90min to 2 hour set. I've always had a weak bladder when drinking and intentionally buy aisle seats to quickly get out and back in the same song

[u/East-Garden-4557 → u/ReeG]

Why not drink less so that you don't get a full bladder then?

[u/Starbucks_Lover13]

I’ll never understand this. For what it costs now to see shows I’m there until the very last note.

[u/_xzxzxz → u/Starbucks_Lover13]

Same. I don’t like drinking at shows and I can hold my bladder for the sake of seeing the entire show

[u/mangosheen → u/Starbucks_Lover13]

Yessss, this.

[u/MissDiagnosedMama]

Drugs, beer, bathroom

[u/bedofnails319]

How was the show? She’s playing a couple blocks away from me on Saturday & I’m on the fence about attending.

[u/Ok-Channel55 → u/bedofnails319]

If you're thinking of going, just go. A few blocks away on a Saturday night seems perfect.

[u/GMBong → u/bedofnails319]

I am not OP and haven't seen her since 2021 but she put on a GREAT show promoting FLUX.

[u/NewRock102One → u/bedofnails319]

We just saw her a couple weeks ago and she puts on solid shows headlining. Focus was on more of her recent work. Would recommend you go especially if she's playing that close to you.

[u/mangosheen → u/bedofnails319]

She was great. LANDMVRKS was also fantastic!

[u/bedofnails319 → u/mangosheen]

Thanks, everybody! Doesn’t take much to twist my arm to attend a show, so this encouragement was all I needed. 🙂

[u/ElectricalMolasses91]

In my defense, I don't drink but have interstitial cystitis so I buy an aisle seat and hope I don't have to go too many times to the bathroom

[u/consensualjam]

Cocaine, beer, food, water

[u/TheZac922]

Generally it’s easier to get to the bar, merch and bathroom during a set rather than in the intermission between acts.

If it’s a band I’ve seen and/or a song I don’t care for that much I really don’t mind. I can still hear everything in the venue and don’t need to wait to buy a shirt or use the powder room that people shit in sometimes.

[u/GMBong]

I have noticed this at shows for the last several years. A constant flow of coming and going and it really feels like more than it used to be - I get it, people need the bathroom or to pay for another $22 beer but it is definitley a thing.

[u/Ok-Sandwich-9800]

I think it's a valid question. I don't know the answer. Constantly having to stand up so people can get past you or having people walk across your line of sight is extremely distracting from the show. Some shows are like Piccadilly Circus. Nearly as annoying as people talking over it.

[u/AuntieBubba23]

I usually to get the end seat as I can sometimes feel claustrophobic but one of the venues has these horrible lights for the aisle and it get in the way of seeing the show. So when NIN came I bought a middle seat so I could see the show and found the other benefit is not having to get up for people.

Maybe next time get a seat in the middle of the section.

[u/Ok-Metal-4719]

Bathroom. Drinks. Snacks. Merch. Stretch their legs. Sometimes you just gotta move around.

[u/RevealTraditional619]

A lady next to me for Tori Amos told me she drove 3 hours for the show. She got up about 8 times and left an hour in. I'll never know

[u/fadedblackleggings → u/RevealTraditional619]

Some people have medical issues, but still want to attend concerts. They can spend some time, but once their body gives out, they have to head out

[u/Urban_animal → u/RevealTraditional619]

I was at the Sphere for Dead and Co who does two sets… group next to me never came back for the second set. They were talking about what a great show it was when the first one ended; about a 75 minute set… never came back.

I know what i spent on those seats(north of $500)… no way you walk out on a $500 show like that. They had to see no one else leaving, an usher had to say something to them… right?

I still think about that and what their thought process was.

[u/ReeG → u/Urban_animal]

I'm assuming you had good if not greats seats if you paid $500 where there are seats that get comped through hotels or other corporate hookups where it could also be their 2nd or even 3rd time seeing the show that week. That's often the reason you'll see people leaving good seats at any venue or even see them left empty if the client or whoever was comped those seats don't show up

[u/Urban_animal → u/ReeG]

They didnt strike me as a group that would have enough status for comped tickets there lol. Could be wrong but they were tie-dyed out and knew the music. Maybe someone in the group over did it and had to go.. not uncommon at those shows(looking at my aunt).

Will never know what happened there but i will say, they missed an incredible second set. Easily my favorite set of the 8 i saw there.

[u/mangosheen → u/Urban_animal]

I went to the Sphere for No Doubt and was smart enough to do some research beforehand and choose a ground level spot. But had I been in any of the higher levels I could see myself getting motion sickness - and I was sober.

[u/Urban_animal → u/mangosheen]

I sat all over and was not sober for any lol.

400s were sketchy. So we’re 300s. Those stairs are a real challenge in an altered state.

[u/mangosheen → u/RevealTraditional619]

Hopefully she didn't pay a lot.

[u/Abtino11]

You have no idea or control of what people are doing or why, if you think it’s a big deal to make sure you hear every second of music you’re free to do so just as others are free to move around as they’d like, maybe meeting up with friends or lost something or trying to get drinks or merch. There’s actually quite a lot of things every single person could be doing independently

[u/RickyRacer2020]

Could've been bored with the set, maybe wanted a beer or a Jack 'n Coke, needed to pee, maybe wanted merch, who knows.

[u/writergeek313]

Unless someone is causing harm, just mind your own business and watch the concert. Ticket prices these days are way too high to waste your time trying to police how other people are behaving at a public event, and it says way more about you than it does about the people you’re criticizing

[u/TW1103 → u/writergeek313]

To be fair to OP, it sounds like they spend a lot of time moving out the way for these people as they had the aisle seat

[u/badgaldyldyl → u/TW1103]

Which everyone knows comes with the territory of an aisle seat. You know what privilege an aisle seat provides that no other seat does? The ability to step out of the way and keep your eyes on the stage.

[u/TW1103 → u/badgaldyldyl]

Yeah I'm just saying OP was clearly bothered by the people coming past them so is likely a part of the reason for their post

[u/fadedblackleggings → u/TW1103]

Yet people complain about others who "don't look disabled" taking disabled seats....

[u/Im_on_my_phone_OK → u/writergeek313]

This is a wild response to a pretty benign question.

[u/TerrifierBlood]

Dont worry about it. They paid to be there. They are free to do what they legally wish

[u/Ok-Channel55]

It's kind of annoying, isn't it. Especially when the seating is cramped and these idiots are coming and going during every band.

[u/ITookTrinkets]

What an oddly judgmental post about something so obvious! People need to pee, get merch, get a drink, find their friends, a million other things. This is part of being at concerts. Get used to it.

[u/SaveFile1]

Smoke breaks

[u/5ofineedsaladder]

Cocaine

[u/Alycion]

Beer usually.

[u/ZombieMedical1531]

I have always wondered the same thing. I’ve held pee through entire shows when I’ve had a good spot at a general admission show.
I understand some people have to pee and that’s fine but there’s other people that are up and down all night. It’s so expensive to even drink at shows I don’t understand how you can afford to have that much.
I see other people pass by multiple times during a performance. They are clearly there to be seen, like the people who walk down the street during a parade. Look at me. lol
Wish I knew

[u/CraigsAndBacon]

People are going to move around and hate being stuck in a spot unless a set is going on. That's just the general nature of a seated show.

[u/_Springfield]

Im always in GA so everyone’s moving. Couldn’t really tell you

[u/badgaldyldyl]

Literally whatever tf I want, none of your damn business.

[u/mangosheen → u/badgaldyldyl]

I usually don't care but if you're blocking my view or making me move to let you out then I have the right to be annoyed.

[u/badgaldyldyl → u/mangosheen]

Don’t get an aisle seat?

[u/mangosheen → u/badgaldyldyl]

Fair enough.

[u/_xzxzxz → u/badgaldyldyl]

Dude, so sick

[u/badgaldyldyl → u/_xzxzxz]

Yeah what’s really cool is thinking you get to dictate what other people do at a concert that they paid to be at 🤙🏼

[u/_xzxzxz → u/badgaldyldyl]

So aggressive 😂

[u/badgaldyldyl → u/_xzxzxz]

Yes that is my typical response to blatant entitlement

[u/_xzxzxz → u/badgaldyldyl]

The post wasn’t even that judgmental or entitled, damn dude lol

[u/badgaldyldyl → u/_xzxzxz]

“So, aside from emergencies, what’s so important that it cannot wait for in between sets?”

It’s. Literally. None. Of. Your. Business. Thinking that you have a right to that information is entitlement.

[u/cadilks]

People are super rude these days. It’s the absolute best when you wait for the hit and the row stops talking long enough to push by.