My son and I are going to see Bob Dylan in Glasgow on Monday next week. It is a âno phone eventâ meaning if you take a phone to the gig it has to be handed in, put in a secure locker and picked up after the concert. Can you imagine the queue for phone pick up after the event! Followed by the queue to get out of the car park.
Donât get me wrong, it really annoys me when the person in front of you stands up and records stuff right in front of your view. But surely the stewards/security could stop this.
My son and I are coming from different parts of the country and want to meet up, have a meal and then go to the gig. Weâll have to leave our phones in our cars and sort out how to meet up.
Am I just an old f*** and over thinking this? In my younger days before mobile phones were invented, my friends and I went to loads of concerts, football, rugby games etc. and managed to sort things out and meet up.
But this is 2025 so clearly we have to use the current technology. 
The concert tickets will have to be printed out if weâre not taking phones.
Bobby D is a millionaire. Why is he worrying about being photographed/videoed?
Youâre over thinking it 
Just select a good place to meet up and enjoy the gig with your boy. It will actually be a good thing to spend some time away from your phone, the separation will do you both some good
Then they wouldnât get to enjoy the gig in peace
And then you get to be annoyed by security standing there while the offender argues with them.
I personally donât think Dylan would be worried about being photographed or videod. I think it would be great to be able to enjoy a concert without all the phones everywhere. Concerts used to have a different vibe before all that.
Yeah, so many people holding their phones up in the air, blocking the view of people behind them.
I imagine itâs the promoters doing. Iâm sure they will be releasing âauthorizedâ footage of the tour available for purchase!
While I get thereâs a level of inconvenience from not having your phone we coped for the majority of human existence without them. Phones are one of the reasons I donât go to gigs now, to pay ÂŁ100+ and have a sea of phones blocking my view
Hi Gordon ,
I wish you lots of fun together 
No they certainly cannot, or there must be 1 guard for every 5 people or something like that, I have experienced it several times with the Rolling Stones, even before the smartphone era, when photos were not allowed to be taken. (or recordings, but that was not allowed with any major band at the time). I think 4 or 5 guards were yelling and sometimes fighting in a 20 by 20 meter area all the time to confiscate cameras that time I was standing at the front row gateâŚ
Iâm also curious how many windows are smashed to remove phones from cars 
I regularly dream of time without the âsmartâ phone
Great concert without all those thousands of idiots with their phones up all the time 
âŚHave much extra fun this way
Greetings
I donât mind the no phone policy in principle. However, the last time Dylan came to Italy, I thought about going and checked out the ticket prices. They werenât crazy high, but I did notice an unusual âextraâ of 5 euros that they were charging: the phone deposit service! Yes, not only did you have to surrender your phone on entering the concert venue, but you had to pay for the privilege.
I have a theory that Dylan (or his people, whatever) is either a really mean-spirited dude or else just totally trying to make as much money as humanly possible. But, maybe thatâs a discussion for another post.
Iâm not sure about that, I saw him at a Princeâs Trust concert and he was a miserable git, came on stage played a few songs that most of the crowd wouldnât know, then left, never said a word to the crowd, on that day the young upstart Alanis Morisette completely out shined him.
HIm being drunk on stage is a well know fact ⌠dont know if he wants to hide it since thereâs nothing to hide 
great thread! It sounds like most of us share a lot of common sense (if I put this ok with my non native speaking).
I agree, we managed in the old times, so we should be able to do now. I always try to teach my son to be able coping without modern tech (heâs 12 now and in their class he said he was the last to get a smartphone).
So youâll meet somewhere outside? Maybe drive to that crowded parking together even?
Like someone else above stated, I think heâs just uhm⌠âold fashionedâ like I am too!
And I would love to have an event without those lots of people filming all the time.
And to be just be in the moment and enjoy that performance!
I am really happy for you, Gordon! Hope youâll enjoy it together!
Oh wow! yeah, what a git! Who would have thoughtâŚ
I havenât seen him live.
Have a great night Gordon! It should be a great concert. Hope you and your son enjoy it 
Hmm⌠Or Gordon @sairfingers, how about this: You and your son go to eat somewhere close to where one of the cars is parked. Then, after you will have had a good metal, store phones somewhere (safely out of sight) in the car, and go to enjoy (hopefully Dylan will have a good day) the concert phoneless? 
Reg. people with filming or taking pictures, I donât like it much, but so far I have always been able to stand somewhere, where I can see enough. When I am at a concert, I want to enjoy the moment, the here and now, the fleeting moments of hopefully magical live music. Thus, I donât take pictures nor videos
Something of an irritation, but the show should outweigh this. Enjoy the time together.
This morning Iâve done a bit of research into this issue.
Bob Dylanâs tours have a phone-free policy where mobile phones, smartwatches, and other recording devices are locked into a Yondr pouch upon entry
You keep the pouch with you and can unlock it at designated âphone use zonesâ or at the end of the show. The aim is to encourage full absorption in the performance, so itâs best to arrive early and be prepared for the Yondr process.
What to expect
- No phones allowed in the performance area: All mobile phones, smartwatches, and recording devices will be secured in a locked Yondr pouch.
- You keep your device: You will keep the Yondr pouch with you at all times during the show. Itâs unlocked with a special base at the end of the event or in designated areas.
- Phone use zones: There will be specific locations within the venue where you can temporarily unlock your phone for use.* Leave bags at home: To speed up entry, itâs recommended to arrive early and leave bags at home if possible.* Payment methods: Since you wonât be able to use your phone for payment, bring physical debit or credit cards for any purchases inside the venue, as many venues are cashless.
Why this policy is in place
- To create an environment where the audience is fully engaged with the live performance, without the distraction of screens and filming.
- To discourage recording and sharing of content during the show.
I could go with that quite easily.
Yes it all seems a bit more reasonable than I first thought. Especially as you get to keep possession of an expensive item.
I dont own a phone so I see it from the outside
people with phones just tend to forget the world around them , many singers / bands just want the audience to live the show , to live the moment , and not see the gig through a screen ( or phone someone , or play a game etc etc )
My thoughts on mobile phones, when I work at Apple(10 years) each morning there would be a 30 min motivation/discussion session. One day it was about the benefits of mobile phones, I listened to my younger colleagues, and they basically said social media, photos, recording what happened to show each other, music on the go, instant access to other, health apps, and so on. I had been silent and a manager asked fir my opinion which was this âmobile phones are tools that enable us to organise and make our lives easier if we choose, but if we become a slave to them constantly seeking responses from others(social media) recording everything we do and posting it for everyone to see we become lost in that. Life is about experiences and sharing them face to face with those we love and care about, very few care about that photo lovely meal youâve just eaten, the concert you spent lots of money to see your favourite artist, and so on. At worst you will set yourself up for Cristian on social media platforms and waste time not experiencing or doing things with those you love. Mobile phones are tools but do not become Alsace to it.â
There was total silence, until the manager said I had an interesting view.
I have actually stopped going to large concerts in the last 20 years as I consider that when the audience is stood recording or videoing the event it is actually not only distracting for this around them but also is rude to the artists, the people that do this canât possibly be fully focussed on the performance or the experience, itâs a complete distraction, if the want to see a video of a performance then they should buy one from the artist.
So leave your phones at home, and experience Bob Dylan to the full, let your brain record the experience and feel the highs and rush of such an event to the full, and have the fun of reminiscing with your son after without just passing each other photos and videos of it.