Music: cameras out! Why cell phones are taboo at some concerts

Is the blurred, 20 seconds long recording really a nice memory of your favorite artist or does it just unnecessarily fill the cell phone store unnecessarily? Photos and videos at concerts divorce many ghosts.

A smartphone ban of the Swedish Hard rock band Ghost on their world tour, which is annoyed by constant photography, recently vortex. Fans of the US singer Bob Dylan have to do without photos at concerts. And the common tour of rapper Rin and singer Schmyt even means “No Phones Allowed”, that is, “no smartphones allowed”. Mobile phone bans are a not entirely new, but repeatedly occurring phenomenon in the music world.

The reasons for this are different. An example: new, unpublished music. In Berlin, its own event series has established itself under the title “Unreleased”. Photos and videos in the meantime: not allowed.

Berlin event series wants to protect unpublished music

“We stick the front and back of the cell phone cameras from the audience at the entrance because we want to protect the unpublished music,” says Federico Battaglia, co-founder of the format. Once a month, ten to twelve secret acts appear in the Kreuzberg ballroom, which means that the spectators do not know who will be on stage beforehand.

Then they play two songs, at least one of them is unpublished. The focus is primarily on rap and hip-hop. At the event, Nina Chuba, Trettmann, the musician couple Max Herre and Joy Denalane or the English rapper Headie One.

“Because we never say, who is coming before, the probability is quite high that you don’t find every act good,” says Battaglia. On the other hand, there is something new for everyone. “Like a wine tasting”.

Two important points for a mobile phone ban

Copyrights and exclusivity are two crucial points for a mobile phone ban, says the managing director of the Federal Association of the Concert and Event Industry (BDKV), Johannes Everke. “If you have a show concept that is so exclusive and so special that you want to keep it secret, it is more obvious to ban cell phone use”.

It is different if the social media range for the acts is of particular value and the fans are to become multipliers. “These are different considerations for different art forms”.

Everke does not see a trend in a certain direction. “Basically there is a high tolerance on the topic and the audience also generally accepts the requirements of bands or organizers”. In his view, a lot is determined by their own media behavior.

Rapper Rin: “I lack the intimacy on both sides”

Some fans would like to share their recordings with others. Others are annoying to keep their cell phones, to have foreign displays in front of their noses or to be photographed by others.

This also applies to some artists. Rapper Rin (“Vintage”, “Dior 2001”) said in 2024 in an Instagram video about the tour concept for “No Phones Allowed”: “I lack intimacy on both sides”.

As for the audience, he realizes that they are under too often pressure to “take part in all this social media nonsense”. As an artist, he missed “very, very bad this condition”, songs simply playing because you want to play them and not to make promo. “There is a part of the live show that has just been lost over the years and it is a bit the experimental and free one”.

Stuck cameras and lockable smartphone bags

The cell phone cameras are therefore taped off on the tour before the start of the shows. Lockable smartphone bags are used for other concerts. For example, the hard rock band ghost relies on it. “It’s about connecting again and experiencing the moment,” says front man Tobias Forge.

For some artists, the filming is also practically part of the concept. For them, it can be positive that they deepen the proximity to their fans due to mobile phone use because the fans can carry them on their body, so to speak, says Everke. “This is part of the communication strategy of many artists and can contribute to the success or economic success”.

An example is Megastar Taylor Swift, who is known for her visual shows, most recently on her “Eras” tour. “Of course, people want to carry this ‘WoW effect’ home. With Swift it goes so far that they even made an extremely successful movie about their shows”. And yet – or maybe because of it – millions of viewers moved to their concerts.