It seems like Nergal of Behemoth isn't the only one recently expressing his displeasures with certain aspects of the metal world! Karl Sanders spoke out about fans using their cell phones for filming and texting during Nile shows recently in an interview with Metal Wani (below).
“When you are taking your cell phone or video camera whatever and you are busy filming the show, you are not in the show. You are no longer a part of the experience. When people are involved with the show, you are listening to the band, watching them, you are headbanging, you are moshing, then you are part of the similar community experience. All of us are focused on the same energy and that's an incredible experience. You can feel that, it's real, the band and fans unite, they are together. So when I see fans filming the show, texting or whatever, they are missing out on a wonderful experience which hurts me, discourages me. It’s like what if you are in bed with your girlfriend and you are making love with her and she's texting (laughs). It bothers me so much that if people do it right in front of me, I am going to take the phone from them. If they are going to stick the camera or whatever right in my face I am going to say ‘Fuck you, go away… go 20 feet back’, because that place right in the front is for someone who wants to get involved, and if you are texting then you are cheating that fan out of a place where he could be enjoying music.”
So that sex part of that comment got a little weird, but by and large I agree with what Sanders is saying in that he feels like people are more interested in having the show in (super, totally good) cell phone quality, or texting or tweeting/whatever, rather than sitting there and actually enjoying the show and being part of it. I'm not one of those people that gets mad when someone's on their phone in public because they should be "taking part in society" or whatever stupid shit floats around the Internet now, because that's a dumb thing to say. That's the world we live in and that's just the way it is… but this is essentially not paying attention to someone's performance or trying to disseminate it immediately because you want to look super cool on the Internet or show your friends.
Put the phone away. Enjoy the show.
