RHCP guitarist annoyed by audience filming with phones, stops playing and films them

March 21, 2017 by Dunja Djudjic 31 Comments

Josh Klinghoffer, the guitar player of Red Hot Chili Peppers, got fed up with the audience filming the concert with their phones. Instead of playing the solo in “Californication”, he grabs his own smartphone and starts filming the crowd to make a statement.

As the band begins to play one of their greatest hits, everyone starts screaming and lifting their phones in the air (as it usually happens). At 3:33 in the video, you can see the moment when Josh picks up his phone and starts filming the audience instead of playing the well-known solo. He’s obviously mocking them and pointing out that they’re missing the show, but unfortunately, they don’t seem to get it.

When asked about the event, this is what he said:

“Phones make a lot of things easy. They also have stripped a lot of things of a certain innocence and excitement that I think made things special. It’s up to us to use these things in a respectful way. When I see people holding machines up and obstructing the view of the people behind them, I get angry. I’ve never heard a musician say: ‘Oh man, I love looking out and seeing a sea of phones.”

I’m not a huge fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I like this move. Although it was unplanned and made out of utter annoyance, I think it makes a statement. I’m just sorry that the audience doesn’t seem to get the point.

I am often at concerts and gigs, and I must admit I take photos. But it’s always a single photo when the band comes to the scene because it serves as my visual diary. After that, I feel it all through my eyes and ears. I hate those people around me with their phones in the air all the time. I don’t care that they’re missing the show, it’s not my problem. But they’re always blocking the view to me and all those who want to experience the concert through their own eyes. Once, a guy right in front of me tried to film Roger Waters’ concert with a freaking tablet. How self-absorbed you need to be?

Of course, I may be wrong, but it’s just my point of view and how I like to experience concerts. I’m curious to see your thoughts. Do you take photos and videos at concerts? But more importantly – do you watch them when the show’s over?

[via FStoppers]

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Steve Solis

Valid point. Bad execution. Don’t irritate your customer base musicians. Fans buy tickets to your show so entertain them and don’t lecture.
- Jimmy Harris
  
  Well, do you consider yourself an entertainer or an artist? If you’re an entertainer, you serve the needs of the crowd. If you’re an artist, you serve the needs of the art.
  - Bill
    
    What if one is both, then you serve the needs of the benefactors.
- Mike Trottier
  
  Then as fans they should be enjoying the entertainment and not worry about how many likes their video (that like is no good) gets or how many retweets. If your recording or taking photos your not able to enjoy what your missing because your to busy trying to figure out why your video doesn’t look like the ones professionals make
Steve Solis

Valid point. Bad execution. Don’t irritate your customer base musicians. Fans buy tickets to your show so entertain them, don’t lecture.
- Mike Trottier
  
  Then as fans they should be enjoying the entertainment and not worry about how many likes their video (that like is no good) gets or how many retweets. If your recording or taking photos your not able to enjoy what your missing because your to busy trying to figure out why your video doesn’t look like the ones professionals make
- Steve Solis
  
  Never irritate or lecture your paying customers. It’s bad for business hands down.
Andrea Elia

such an arrogant behaviour
Blay Breemritz

LOL. Gen-X collides with Gen-Look_At_Me.
Laurent Roy

I don’t know about this group, but some groups have the “photo rules” printed on the ticket, so people know if they are allowed or not to take pictures.
By the past, I have been to concerts from both sides. Sometimes, only the flashes were not allowed, sometimes no photos at all. When nothing was written about photos, people were thinking there was no restrictions…
But I remember a concert years ago (no name !) where a roadie jumped straight in the public to catch à guy who didn’t want to stop using his flash, and then took him “backstage”…
- Geoffrey Geezee
  
  That wasn’t a roadie; that was Axl Rose! :D
Henry Rodgers

I did concert photography for around 10 months and as the shooter on assignment, it did annoy me when people tried to get into my areas to use their phones.
It was worse when they’d use flash.
Lars Oeschey

it’s annyoing. I once even saw someone with a phone in the pit, getting in every professionals way. Though the response couldhave been chosen better
Tiffany Felan

I just went to a Garth Brooks concert on Saturday. It didn’t annoy me that practically everyone was recording it, me too. I took pictures but used no flash. I did see people taking pictures with a flash but I didn’t care. If it’s not allowed I wouldn’t have done it but if it is allowed then go for it.
Tim Brakemeier

These people don´t annoy me – I feel sorry for them. As a photographer at concerts I made the experience that as long as I took pictures I don´t listen to the music. I guess it´s similar when you always concentrate on the mobile which you got to hold up high upon your head – they miss a lot of the concert.
Trevor Lovecross

Half the gig is the atmosphere, and the relationship between the artist/s and audience. If people are busy filming the whole time, that energy is diminished drastically. Also, it is rude to spend the majority of the night blocking the view of other paying customers. Not to mention that the musicians are usually pouring their heart and soul into the performance – I’m sure they’d rather see the audience singing and dancing – they feed off our energy, so they’ll actually perform better if you’re not spending the whole time videoing. And to add to that, the sound your phone records at a gig almost always sounds like rubbish, and the video quality, unless you are quite close is pretty poor, so why would you even bother – you’re not going to go watch the whole concert later, any way.
Wild Bill

That guitarist should be honored anyone films him. Get a real job klingcrapper! And you’d be honored to have someone capture your nonsense and overexagerated stage moves.
Christopher W. Cooper

Fuck the artist. Pearl Jam gets it. Maybe I want to relisten or rewatch the concert. Fuck this guy!
Britt Thomas

I HATE when people constantly take photos and videos. It’s okay to snap a few photos or videos, but when the entire audience is filming the entire show that they will never go back and watch, it ruins the experience. I went to a concert where I couldn’t see past all the cell phones. I had to watch the live concert through the phone screens of the audience. I went to another concert where people would take a few photos or video for a minute and then put their phone in their pocket. So much more tolerable.
Bucky Goldstein

The only annoying part is if flash is used. If there’s no flash then how is it hurting anyone else ?( not counting getting in people’s way which you can do even without a camera ).
Brandon Leow

If it’s a paid concert, then you shouldn’t film it unless you’re hired to do so.

Aside from that, it kinda ruins the mood as the performer would prefer to see his/her audience enjoying the music instead of busy trying to film. It’s the same thing at weddings. Don’t whip out your phone to Snapchat or Instagram, hired professionals are there for a reason.
Charlie Muller

Didn’t seem like he was annoyed – just filming for his own POV- more annoying was to see it was nothing – glad I was only dropping trowel
Gilded Ryan Beckenbaugh

And the event was captured by people filming from the crowd with their phones hahaha
Klaus Plathan

I just recently went to a concert at the Hard Rock Cafe and you would just see phone screens up in the air… unfortunately, unless the venue or artist states no photo. It will be a free for all. These are the cons of technology
Terence Pereira

It’s just horrible being at concerts now. Crowd full of phones in the air so you can’t enjoy the moment.
Reed Radcliffe

It has gotten so I will not go to a concert for my own enjoyment unless I can attain first or second row tickets because so many people are so incredibly rude to stand up and film the entire concert with their phones. When you try to tell them they are causing the obstruction of many people’s views they look at you dumbly, as if they don’t understand you, as if you are speaking a different language. If you get any response at all it is usually “I paid for this ticket, I should be able to do what I want”. I can’t enjoy myself, I just get pissed off and one day will cause my wife to have to bail me out of jail when I lay one of these people out in the aisle.

I remember some time ago when there was talk of technology to disable cell phones in venues. This should be considered again.
Richie Mariano

stay home and watch the others tape .. then maybe the performers will get it .
Richie Mariano

B s ” Makes his fans STAND for 4hrs . I walked out . He should tell them to sit once in a while . JERK
Richie Mariano

It’s bad for business if they support political things . They insult half their fans .
Richard Jackson

The killer is the footage will be crap too.
Sheldon Reich

The last concert I attended at MSG was quite the eye opener for me — our seats were up a bit and from our vantage point all we could see were thousands of screens. People were too busy looking at their screens to sit back and enjoy James Taylor and Carole King! Why bother? If you’re not at the concert, for the concert, then why not stay home and listen to the act on Pandora? At least flickering Bics went out eventually…