Heavy Metal Concerts: Then and Now

On Friday January 21, 2011 my really good friend Veronica and I went to Music as a Weapon V in NYC. The concert bill went like this: Disturbed, Korn, Sevendust, and In This Moment. In This Moment went first, then Sevendust, then Disturbed (which we were quite shocked about since Music as a Weapon is their tour) and finally Korn which we left two songs into their set as we are not big fans of theirs.

While we sang our lungs out and banged our heads like no other, we were mesmerized by how the attitudes and the way concerts have changed since we started going to concerts on our own. My first heavy metal concert was 1994 with my brother. Now in 2011, this is some of the things that we observed has changed:

--There is no smoking allowed in any venues anymore, but people still sneak in the weed.

--No lighters anymore for the slow songs, it is all about the cell phone light.

--Instead of singing and dancing/moshing and enjoying the music, most people are now taking a billion photos or videos for YouTube.

--No one has a sense of pit hospitality anymore. Lots of punches, kicks, and headbutts. This is why I sit in the balcony or mezzanine section. I do not need to worry about an injury at a concert. I am there to enjoy the music and the experience.

--It seems the rules of not wearing the t-shirt of the band you are seeing is gone. Everyone seemed to be "that guy" or "that girl" now.

--Since the invention of the cell phone, during intermissions you are now either texting your friends or checking your Facebook/Twitter. What did we do when cell phones were not around yet?

--The breaking down of sets between each band is still very tight. Waiting for the next band at most is 15 minutes. Take that Rihanna and your 90 minutes to hit the stage wait!

--It seems the slutty outfit of the heavy metal chick is gone. Yes we still wear our Doc Marten boots and jeans, but gone are the days of exposing your tits at the band or trying to get backstage passes.

What are your thoughts? Even if you are not a heavy metal enthusiast/fan like myself, has the attitudes at concerts changed for you?