How Not To Be The Worst Person At A Concert

by Brenna Ehrlich 1 min ago

Art by Julia Panek

Going to concerts is big fun! Fun that will commence right about now in New York City at the 2014 CMJ Music Marathon. A weeklong music fest such as this means a few things: 1.) Tons of music (duh), 2.) Long nights (Mm-hmmm), 3.) Copious opportunities to act like a pain in A to the double S while partaking in all that music during those long nights.

Yup, show etiquette is a lost art — or at least one that might require a brush-up in most music lovers’ books — which is why MTV has a complied a handy concert manners guide below. Whip it out if you’re hitting up CMJ in NYC this week, or if you’re a living, breathing person who sometimes sees live music and doesn’t want to be a pariah.

See ya in the pit!

1. Don’t Film The Entire Show With Your Smartphone

2. And If You Must, At Least Hold Your Phone Correctly

3. Don’t Talk Incessantly During A Show

4. And If You Sing Along, Make Sure You’re Not Louder Than The Band

5. Dance. Don’t Just Stand There

6. And If You’re Super Tall, Don’t Stand — Or Dance — In The Front

7. Crowdsurfers: Aim For People Your Own Size

8. And Everyone Should Watch Their Elbows

9. And Their Drinks — Take A Gulp Before You Head Into The Pit

10. Have A Rad Time Because You’re At A Show And Also Not Dead Yet

Brenna Ehrlich

Brenna Ehrlich is a reporter for MTV News as well as the senior writer/editor for the O Music Awards. In the past, she served as associate editor at Mashable, penned a netiquette column for CNN and co-authored the blog and book “Stuff Hipsters Hate.” She likes trying not to die in moshpits and listening to songs on repeat. Follow her on Twitter @BrennaEhrlich for news on cats and punk bands.