I’ve been going to concerts (rock and metal) since I was 16, more than 28 years (and also a few others before that age, with my parents or friends), and at 1 a month, I guess I’ve been to around 300 concerts in my life so far to know what I’m talking about.
The Bad
I originally thought about the things I hate about concerts, yet hate is a strong word (maybe more like…things I don’t like):
1. The Sound. Sporadically, it saturates, especially when it’s too loud, and it sounds horrible. In big stadiums, the sound depends on conditions, such as the weather and things like the wind, which can make the sound come in waves and get lost at times (that happened to me recently when I saw Iron Maiden in Madrid in 2025).
2. People’s Behavior. Typically, it’s ok, and I know where to stand, but since I’m short, if I’m in the pit, I always have to be conscious of my surroundings, of not being crushed, and of being able to see the band. Yet I also don’t like when people are scrolling on the phone or talking near you during the show or seem not interested in the band. Or they’re more worried about getting drunk, or they arrive drunk at the venue. I’ve been to plenty of shows with friends, and we’ve gone for beers before the show, but arriving and then blacking out there is inconceivable. I’ve watched that many times; more recently, at Blind Guardian in Chile in 2023, a young guy was so wasted, and his friend was trying to keep him safe (so he couldn’t enjoy the show either). On another occasion, next to my seat was an older guy completely passed out at AC/DC in Madrid in 2025, with their family next to them, so he won’t have any recollection at all of that show. I sound like an old, cranky person, but for me, seeing a live band is such a special moment that I don’t understand it.
3. Ticket Prices. I know, inflation. Yet prices have become so high now. I started going to shows in 1998 in Chile, and my first tickets cost 10 dollars to see bands like Iron Maiden, with the opening act of Rob Halford. Also for Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, and many others. Now you’re lucky if you get tickets for 50 dollars or less.
The Good
As you read, the things I “hate” about concerts are not that bad; it was just to say something. Besides, they have nothing to do with the band. They are usually associated with the organization or the audience. Whereas the things I love about live shows are too many to list, I will try my best to list my favorites:
1. Seeing the Band Live. Experiencing the songs you love so much being played by the musicians in front of you is the best. Because when you’re listening to them or watching their videos, they seem so unreal, but once you see them playing the same notes, you realize that they’re there and that they play your favorite music. It’s outstanding.
2. Sense of Community. Feeling the people’s energy. We’re all in the same boat, especially when everyone sings along with the band or, even better, when the band silences itself for a moment, and the audience is so loud, it’s very emotional. How we unite for a moment, in that sense of community. The video below is the perfect explanation of the best of a concert. I was there; it was an ideal show, and this song is so emotional. You just can’t avoid shedding a tear or two, especially at Janick’s guitar solo, and you know that all the thousands of people around you feel the same. It’s a feeling that’s indescribable. I can only imagine how insanely intense this has to be for the musicians who created the songs, and they have all these people in front of them singing their hearts out to every word. That’s the beauty of music. For a moment, you forget everything else when you’re immersed in the music.
3. Best Therapy. Music can make us happy, nostalgic, sad, emotional, and also help us drop our stress. By moshing, jumping, dancing, and singing, it calms us down. Depending on the songs, it can be a super aggressive tune or something super mellow and ethereal. Either way, it helps us identify with those tracks and release our worries, anxieties, and feelings. When the show is over, we go home in a better mood. That’s why, even in the heaviest music with the most horrific lyrics, you’ll usually find the sweetest and most caring people, too.
My video about this: