I went to a Joanne Shaw Taylor gig at The Waterfront in Norwich back in 2015. There was a group at the back of the audience, standing by the bar making a lot of noise and generally ignoring the show. Joanne stopped playing and tore into them. We enjoyed the rest of the concert without their input. 
I have also done the unthinkable and confronted people around me at gigs. My line is always the same…
“I came to listen ‘xxxxx’ and not to you, so please be quiet.!”
It is usually successful, but not always 
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Yes I saw Joan as Policewoman and she ripped into people who were talking saying “I’m here to perform”.
Is The Boss on a European tour?
Mr Springsteen has put on some of the best shows that I have ever seen - London in 1975, promoting ‘Born To Run’, a very wet (open air) set at Milton Keynes Bowl in 1983, promoting ‘Human Touch’ and ‘Lucky Town’.
Hats off to him, if he still has the will and energy to perform these days - he’s older than me (and I’m 68 yo)!
People increasingly view gigs/concerts as social events rather than musical ones, I think. The music is the background soundtrack to the main event, which is ‘Party Time!’
More like US audiences I guess, where chatter and ‘yeeeaaahhh’s’ (etc) seem to be obligatory…
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I think it’s more, for the bigger concerts, they are seen as bucket list events to be seen at and to send the selfie, even if they don’t know the band or their music that well. Then they end up talking through anything that isn’t the most famous song/songs. Certainly the case at Springsteen in Hyde Park this summer.
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This seems to be a thing with jazz clubs in particular. I suspect a lot of people regard visiting a well-known jazz club as a worthy thing in itself, and are not especially interested in the music. I went to Ronnie Scott’s a few times in the 80s and 90s, and it sometimes seemed like the musicians were there as cocktail party accompaniment. Jazz Alley in Seattle is similar. A notable exception is the long-gone Bass Clef in Hoxton, which seemed to attract only music lovers. Maybe the location - a down-at-heel East End neighbourhood - filtered out the yahoos?
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Hoxton is not so down at heels these days, and has quite a few ‘yahoos’ roaming the place.
But venues like Jazz Train still give me hope.
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The man is an animal. They were in Europe for the whole of May, June, July. 30+ shows I believe
There’s a number of them on YouTube. I think these highlights are from the 1st European show in Barcelona:
Bruce Springsteen - Highlights from Barcelona 2023 - YouTube
The Boss does have amazing energy. I tried to see him whenever he was in London from 1975 or so. The 1983 Milton Keynes show which I mentioned above was the last time that I saw him.
Does he still have his old chums in the E Street Band backing him?
Milton K was 1993 not 83 
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Of course it was, I still have the (very glossy) programme booklet in a pile of such things - it’s the size of a 12" LP sleeve.
I’ve only ever been to the MK Bowl twice, on successive week-ends. The other concert was Guns n’ Roses, who were at the height of their pomp, with Axl, Slash and the boys belting it out.
The weather was fine for Mr Springsteen’s show, but it pissed down the whole afternoon for GnR - and the Bowl is completely open to the elements.
But both unforgettable.
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I’m at The End of the Road festival this weekend and saw a couple of good things on the Thursday.
The Last Dinner Party have had the ‘new Wet Leg’ label thrown at them but I thought they were very good. A bit of Kate Bush in there.
I have never seen Wilco live before and I have now realised that I have been missing out for 30 years. Utterly brilliant - one of best live shows I’ve seen in a long time. Superb musicians and so musically inventive. Nels Cline is in the premiere league of guitarists.
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I saw them around 2007 in Dublin at one point they lined up at the front of the stage almost all with guitars and did a wig out like Status Quo meets Steely Dan clip of reeling the years.
Nels Cline is brilliant.
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Little overnight trip to London last Friday to see the wonderful Margo Price at Lafayette. Amazing gig at a lovely little venue.
Just got in from Ese and The Vooduu People at Bohemia Market, Hackney. Beset by sound problems initially, so a few delays through soundcheck…but once those were sorted, E&TVP were mighty. Garnered a few new fans - a lovely girl & friends who hopefully we’ll see next week at TAM in Elephant and Castle.
A trio tonight: Ese, Kissangwa and Indigo, later joined in a rap jam by various people, non of whose names I caught.
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@steviebee give up the day job and become a rock n’ roll photographer - another stellar bunch of shots.
You just have the knack for capturing the moment.
I always think it looks like those old double albums where you opened the gatefold and there inside was a collage of band photos.
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Just seen that deerhoof are on the bill. Definitely worth seeing if you haven’t already xx
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At Ronnie Scotts for the first set we used to refer to it as the ‘gold card brigade’. They used to clear off by the second set and leave it to the musicos. Musical ignoramuses many of them !
Agree with you on Seattle Jazz Alley too, the one time I have been there.
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The Morden Arms in Greenwich is a proper old school Saaarf London boozer. They don’t do food of any kind and take only cash. But they put on good music and the crowd there is always up for it. And they do that thing when they pass round a tankard and punters are encouraged to contribute to the band, on top of the fee they usually get.
Last night Ese & The Vooduu People (on this occasion Ese, Indigo on bass, Kissangwa on drums and Wilmer on percusion) played two stonking sets there and went down so well that the tips tankard was overflowing!
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