Earlier this month over 60 people attending an A Perfect Circle show were kicked out for filming the show with their phones. A Perfect Circle enforces a strict "no filming" policy at their shows, and you'd think people would take that a little more seriously. Vocalist Maynard James Keenan agrees with his band's policy 100% and now guitarist Billy Howerdel tells the Montreal Gazette that he feels the same.
Howerdel's argument is threefold when it comes to filming or taking a ton of pictures – what the hell are you even going to do with all that footage, it's just rude, and tell people about the show instead of showing them.
First of all, it’s just rude. Putting up a phone in front of someone’s face so they get to watch the show through it? Getting a memento of the show – sure, I’ve done it myself. But then you ask, ‘What am I gonna do with this?’
The other point is – people talking about the show is so much more powerful. We’re inundated with videos and images, and getting back to a campfire conversation, letting people express how they felt in the experience – it says something more. And it speaks to, what does the music mean to you, and how do you want to tether it to your experiences in your life?
I agree with Howerdel, especially the bit about not knowing what to do with the pictures and footage. There's only so much you can do with a blurry-ass image of a band on stage, and it's generally not that enthralling of a centerpiece when it comes to telling someone about how great the show was anyway. At the same time, an argument can be made that people paid their money and they should be able to enjoy themselves how they please.
