Melbourne Music Venue Cherry Bar Considers Banning Mobile Phones From Gigs

February 20, 2018

Melbourne music venue Cherry Bar is considering banning mobile phones from its live gigs.

Venue co-owner James Young says that while the venue won’t be banning phones “entirely”, it is considering banning concert-goers from filming long sections of shows.

“We will tolerate a quick snap of a band. However, holding up your phone and filming an entire song is just not on,” Young says.

“It blocks the view of those behind you, it distracts the band and it’s just uncool. Holding up your phone and filming songs at a live music gig is just not rock n roll. And at all times Cherry Bar must stand up for rock n roll.”

In a statement to Music Feeds, James Young explains how the ban would work:

“Cherry Bar is pretty much self-regulating. Once we officially introduce a ‘no filming entire songs on your mobile ban’ all the staff and all the punters will self-implement the rule, i.e. ‘Hey mate, you’re at Cherry, no filming songs on your phone here!’ It’s kind of a name and shame thing. No, we won’t be confiscating anyone’s phone,” he says.

“The idea for the ‘phone ban’ comes from a communal feeling that genuine live music fans are sick to death of having people obscure their view, fuck with the gig vibe and embarrass themselves by staring at their phone screen instead of the live music on the stage right in front of them. Getting rid of annoying phones at gigs; it’s just a vibe man. And Cherry Bar encourages other venues and artists to support Cherry and also adopt this ban.

“Horses for courses of course. If a band says they want to capture footage for a film clip and make it clear that they encourage filming then that creates an exception Cherry can accept. The band can overrule our ban on mobile phones, a punter cannot.”

Before implementing any phone ban, Young says Cherry Bar’s operators will be listening to customers’ thoughts on the proposal.

He’s already put out a call on social media, asking concert-goers: “Should Cherry ban mobile phones at our live shows, yes or no?”

Music fans have offered up some differing views so far, but most seem to agree that filming a large section of a show isn’t good form: