Eric Clapton doesn’t like fans using phones at live concerts.
The guitarist recently sat down with The Real Music Observer for an interview and spoke on how it feels to see concert attendees use their phones:
“I think they’re not really listening. I’m trying to see their eyes. What happening is they’re processing what they see on their phone or only part of them is really in the moment. The rest of it is like am I getting this? So they’re kind of thinking about what’s going on rather than being in it.”
The Musician Waits Concertgoers To Respect Him
Clapton can see most of the audience in the Royal Albert Hall:
“I was going to say something when we got to the Royal Albert Hall but they didn’t. It’s a circular venue. So the audience is very self-critical and it’s quite brightly lit. So you’re almost on view. Everyone’s on view. I think it’s very likely that if someone gets their phone out, the chap next door will say, ‘We don’t do that here or something.’”
The rocker can understand who is listening to his gig:
“There’s a bit of reverence there for the artists and I can feel that. I’ve been around long enough to know when someone’s listening to what you’re doing. I was going to say to the audience if I do feel like, ‘We’ll play better if we know you’re listening. So it will be better for everyone if you turn your phones off or put them away.’”
Maynard Jamse Keenan Also Has An Issue With Phones
Another artist who doesn’t like phones at live gigs is Maynard James Keenan. Tool’s frontman previously scolded some fans at the band’s shows and wanted them to put their phone away.
You can watch his entire chat below.