Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer discussed fans using phones at concerts in a new Josh Mail on Josh-Klinghoffer.org.
A fan asked:
After seeing you record the crowd during your Californication solo, i imagine to show your annoyance with all the phones in the air and no hands pumping , do you think there is maybe an updated version of throw away your television that is waiting to be made about phones (during concerts)? That would be awesome to play at concerts, it could actually make a difference in the crowds.
p.s. I ironically only know this through people recording concerts with phones!
Klinghoffer answered:
J…
Phones make a lot of things easy. They also have stripped a lot of things of a certain innocence and excitement that I think made things special. It’s up to us to use these things in a respectful way. When I see people holding machines up and obstructing the view of the people behind them, I get angry. I’ve never heard a musician say, “Oh man, I love looking out and seeing a sea of phones.” I hear the opposite. Who cares? People will do what they’ll do.
J…
