If you don't want to be with dancing people, don't go to a Pet Shop Boys concert

The BBQ Pit
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Just back from the Pet Shop Boys concert at Wilfrid-Pelletier hall, which was otherwise fabulous. We got fabulous seats (front row centre of the first balcony), and the set list was great.

Now I don’t think it was completely unreasonable to go to a Boys concert and dance, you know, being as how they are DANCE MUSIC. Playing their big DANCE hits that people want to DANCE to, like “Can you forgive her,” “Heart,” “Domino dancing,” “You were always on my mind,” etc. Sure enough, most everyone in the parterre below was dancing.

But this evil queen who was sitting two rows behind me? Seemed to be determined to keep everyone from having a good time. I got up to dance, and he actually GRABBED MY BELT LOOP and PULLED me down into my seat. Apparently he was doing this to other people too, or yelling “Sit down!”

Fuck you, honey. I’m sorry you’re a little bit confused, but just because it’s at Place des Arts doesn’t mean it’s the fucking opera. Where the fuck do you get off telling people not to dance at a dance music show? Where the fuck, in particular, DO YOU GET OFF TOUCHING ME AT ALL?

If you don’t want to dance or be around people who are, don’t go see the Pet Shop Boys. Hell, don’t go to any kind of concert if you’re going to be in such a pissy mood. What the fuck is wrong with you, you pissy little snip? Are you going to go home and masturbate to the deliciously acidic thought of how you spoiled the concert for others?

You managed to keep most of the balcony too scared to dance for the whole first and most of the second act; and even while everyone in the parterre and everyone else on the balcony was dancing during “Domino dancing” there was this radius of non-dancing people for about four seats around us.

At least I finally wised up and went to go dance in the aisle with Frank. And sure enough, you apparently left in the middle of the encore - when they played “Go west” and “It’s a sin,” and no force in the universe could have stopped Pet Shop Boys fans from dancing. Just couldn’t bear to have people around you having fun, eh?

Fuck you, asshole. I had a great time.

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Glad you had a good time. I love the Pet Shop Boys.

Sorry about the asshole. Some people just don’t get it. Sure, there are some concerts where it would probably be appropriate to sit. I guess if you’re there watching James Taylor or Beth Orton or something, dancing might be kinda silly.

But the Pet Shop Boys? Give me a break. That’s why i like seeing bands at venues without seats, where everyone has to stand and dancing/moving is standard practice.

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That’s the way it was the first time I saw them, in 1999; it was at Metropolis and there were no seats, just a big dance floor. I was worried something like this might happen in a concert hall.

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Incidentally, I see they’ll be in DC on the 15th. Are you going?

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I didn’t even realize they were touring until i saw your post. I tend to be lazy about keeping an eye on the touring schedules in the area.

I don’t think i can go, though. Already got a bunch of stuff on this weekend. I’ve only seen them live once, back in 1995 i think it was, when they toured Australia. Saw them in Sydney, and it was lots of fun. They also stayed at the hotel where i was working at the time.

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I had a friend who used to buy people the strangest CDs for their birthday. It isn’t as if the CD was strange in and of itself it’s just that his selection seemed so random and not at all based on the taste of the person in question. In the mid-90’s he got me a Pet Shop Boys album and an album that was a tribute to Curtis Mayfield. My reaction was “Who is Curtis Mayfield and is this the same Pet Shop Boys from the 80’s?” To make a long, boring, and pointless story short I liked the Pet Shop Boys album.

I’d be really pissed if someone grabbed me and pulled me down into my seat. I’m kind of surprised nobody beat him to a pulp.

Marc

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It was probably a largely gay crowd. We tend to employ the withering stare and cutting quip rather than the fisticuffs. :slight_smile:

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Wait, I’m confused. Isn’t “Don’t go to a Pet Shop Boys concert” good advice under any circumstances? :slight_smile:

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I saw them at Radio City Music Hall a few years ago (possibly over a decade ago, IIRC). It was one of the most fun concerts that I’ve ever attended. Every song was like a little play with actors, ballerinas, etc. It was quite the visual and aural experience. And everyone was dancing. No one sat. The woman had no right to complain. I’m guessing it was her first concert. People even get up and dance at boring concerts. I once was forced to go to a Bruce Springsteen concert and people still almost never sat down.

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They’re playing there again this Saturday night.

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I love the Pet Shop Boys live…usually techno-type bands are not too great in a live setting, but PSB really know how to put on a show.

I don’t understand the sitting-at-a-concert thing. The first time I encountered this was at a Paul McCartney concert. I chalked it up to most of his fans being almost as old as he is, but come on, people…the Pet Shop Boys? What is the point if you can’t dance? How lame.

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First time I saw They Might Be Giants, something similar happened–only this time it was the freakin’ security people who wouldn’t let anyone dance (this was at Duke University, a pretty weird venue for them anyway). About halfway through the show, the Johns told people to ignore security and come up and dance, and we did so.

I dont’ mind the nondancers, but I hate the antidancers.

Daniel

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Nicely put, Daniel. At the end of the Blue Man Group concert we went to last Friday the band actually asked us to get up and do some Rock Concert Moves - lots of fun, with thousands of people all doing the bob in place, or the fist-pump. It makes you feel like this vast organism called Crowd, it’s great.

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I only wish I could go to a Boys concert. Somehow I always seem to miss it when they’re in town. :mad: Pity that wretched whinebag tried to ruin it, but if it were me I’d be telling her to either pipe the fuck down or get her stank ass to a Michael Buble concert or something. Screw being polite; you go to a concert with some energetic music by well-established pop/dance music artists, then y’know, when in rome and all that. You don’t go trying to tell everyone to sit down because you’re a spiteful bitch who refuses to join in the festivities.

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Only when no Pet Shop Boys concert is being presented.

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I fucking hate that kind of shit.

I remember a good few years ago nearly getting into a fight with a stupid bastard at a Trad Irish gig. I was a sit down affair but once the fiddles and pipes kicked in almost everyone was up out of their seats dancing and yelping at the great music.

A gobshite behind me seemed to think this music deserved to be listened to in silent awe. Bullshit, he was told when he told us to sit own and shut up. This is music to enjoy yourself to, not to respect in that way.

Luckily I’m a big guy so the fucker just sat back down and moaned to his SO about it. When he was told to, fuck off! I’d bet a lot of money that the Aran jumper wearing fuck was a Irish teacher who has had all perspective removed from years of fighting to have Irish culture respected.

Glad you enjoyed yourself matt_mcl I was dragged to a PSB’s concert many moons ago and enjoyed myself more than I admitted at the time(I was a heavy metal head back in the day :wink:

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Im guessing the evil queen was no tinkerbelle but still a guy.

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So it was a good show? I’ve got tickets for October 21 and I can not freakin’ wait. I’ve been waiting to see them for 20 years…

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Quick tangent: MGibson, you’re consistently one of my favorite posters. Not necessarily because you’re the wittiest or most incisive, but because you always seem like one of the most all-around genuinely good people here. Just wanted to share that.

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You’ll have a great time. (The thing that amazes most people is not so much the music, which they more or less expected, but the staging. This one will be no different. They’re practically a theatre troupe.) Just don’t let anyone tell you not to dance!