I just got in from witnessing an awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, ass-kicking performance from AC/DC at the Wachovia Center in Wilkes-Barre.
The show was surprisingly…astounding.
And even if you only remotely know me, you should have picked up on the fact that I’m not easily impressed anymore- especially when it comes to concerts and live shows.
Every angle of production is represented on this tour- pyro, video, special effects, props- and a giant locomotive engine are all focal points of this massive stage show.
And the only thing that really grinded my gears about this one was not the six-fifty twelve-ounce Yuengling Lagers. And no, it wasn’t the army of geriatric-aged security people. And I was even fine with the seeming chaos of the check in lines for this invite-only show.
It was all of the people with their stupid cell-phone video cameras.
You could see them- dotted throughout the arena. Dopey concertgoers standing there holding up the tiny screens of their Motorola’s and iPhones. Shaky, far-away-distanced and low-res recordings of songs that- once posted on YouTube (and there will be hundreds of them) will be completely indecipherable from one another.
Seriously- if you really think that your stupid little cellphone video camera is going to shoot something that’s even remotely worth viewing or sharing at a freaking concert- then you should seek medical help as soon as possible.
I love YouTube.
YouTube is absolutely one of my favorite parts of the internets. But I’d probably estimate that eighty percent of the, um, crap on YouTube is, um…crap.
Pure rubbish.
And of that eighty percent of rubbish on YouTube that is crap, proably eighty percent of that is shitty cellphone recordings at concerts.
And it’s not just the big shows- even most indie or smaller bands who’s videos wind up on the YouTube are shitty.
We’re wasting precious server space with shit that shouldn’t be viewed by anyone.
So please, for the good of us all- unless you’re a professional video maker with professional gear, put your stupid cellphone away and leave the concert cinematography to the professionals.
This is a coincidence, Saturday morning I was very excited to read that not only did the secret 10/23/2008 Jane’s Addiction reunion show in a tiny club with ALL original members actually happen (Yes, Eric Avery played) but that videos were posted of it on Youtube.
This is what I got:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NWIv_h2TkA&feature=related
In between the constant crashing cymbols, every now and then you can hear a note on the bass or guitar or a few words being sung…. Through the square pixels you can kind of make out Navarro and Perry, etc….. While this was nice of some one to take the time to do and post. I am not sure it filled a void for me having not been one of the select 250 or whatever there to witness it. It may infact be enough for them, but not from my perspective.
Now, I do not mean to complain about it…. B/c afterall, even this cellphone recording could be in fact violation of the band’s rules and could be taken down so i do appreciate the effort to show everyone what the reunion in a small club was like…..
Audio tapers are amazing… Having just listened to the recent Toubab Krewe show from ABC reminds me how grateful I am for what they do and how quickly they turn them around. Some people produce some very quality stuff.
There are stealth video tapers out there that record in HD none the less…. But even though some bands secretly allow the trading of it *cough – Pearl Jam* it is a big no-no to talk about and it is certainly not allowed to be posted on You Tube and I think this is why, Mike, that you do not see a lot of quality YouTube concert footage IMHO.