'It Eliminates Connection With Fans': Aus Artists & Promoters On Calls To Disable iPhones At Gigs

News that Apple are working on a patent which would effectively disable people’s iPhones when trying to record a video or take a picture at a live event has been met with a wave of feedback, both positive and negative.

The concept isn’t a newly adopted one, though. Artists such as Jack White, Bjork and the late Prince have all been advocates for banning phones at their shows in the past. R&B singer Alicia Keys recently implemented the use of a pouch that punters are given at the door and are asked to place their phone in, which has also been trialled at Guns N’ Roses first reunion gig in Hollywood this past April and at a number of Dave Chappelle’s comedy shows.

While many fans are understandably frustrated by the idea, it can be argued that the show itself is meant to be an experience for the people there. For example, fans have taken to Twitter recently to reveal that UK singer Bat For Lashes current tour also has a phone ban, which isn’t THAT shocking, given that the concerts have been performed in churches with Natasha Khan donning a wedding dress. This past May, Adele ripped into a fan who whipped her mobile phone out during a show.

"Yeah, I want to tell that lady as well, can you stop filming me with a video camera because I'm really here in real life," she said.

"You can enjoy it in real life, rather than through your camera. Can you take your tripod down? This isn't a DVD, this is a real show. I'd really like you to enjoy my show because there's lots of people outside that couldn't come in."

Aussie hip hop artist L-FRESH The LION for one is extremely against the idea of a complete ban on recording at live shows.

"My first response is how sad because one of the amazing things when you finish a gig as an artist is reliving those moments that you just had on stage," he told theMusic.

"Not just within your own crew, but with the people who were actually at the show. One of the most amazing ways to be able to do that is social media…it just allows us to continue conversations after a show and build connections with fans," he said, adding that Apple's proposed system would "eliminate" that connection.

Meanwhile, Dead Letter Circus’ Kim Benzie believes the system would put an end to "unfiltered information".

"This is absolutely a stepping stone to being able to shut down people's cameras at protests and other sensitive events and has nothing at all do to with copyright protection," Benzie said.

"It needs to be addressed and reported as exactly what it is before it is simply implemented and we have no choice…personally, I am a massive fan of the truth."

Melbourne rapper Ivan Ooze has a more balanced approach to the idea, acknowledging that there are a number of pros and cons.

"To be honest, I don’t really film at concerts that I go to so it wouldn’t affect me that much. I like to take the whole show in whilst I’m there and keep it in my memory bank," he said.

"From another perspective, it’s a really good tool for me as an artist to have marketing wise I feel. You’ll always have fans filming your show and posting it on social media which can influence people who haven’t seen you live to buy a ticket for the next show."

Ultimately, Ooze believes recording live concerts isn't "harmful" because it isn't as memorable as a live event. While Sydney post-rock outfit Sleepmakeswaves have quite the morbid stance on the subject ("Ultimately it doesn't matter because we're all going to die anyway!") Perth rockers The High Learys say you can't fight the digital age.

"It's a hard one because for us we aren't too bothered about the issue personally, but we aren't playing to a sea of people every night," the band said.

"The odd photo or video someone posts on their social media of us at a show is quite a nice thing really but we can see where the bigger artists who are raising the issue are coming from, but hey this is the modern day and age and most people's phones are their best friends."

The system would not only have a huge impact on performing musicians, but also venues and how live music is operated, however many promoters believe it should only be implemented when an artist requests it.

"We have all been stuck behind that person who has their camera out and I can understand why some people think its a good idea, but ultimately I think it has to be worked out by the artist and the punters as technology is such a big part of how today’s kids interact with music," Mat Everett of Melbourne’s Corner Hotel said.

Meanwhile, head of publicity at Brisbane’s Mucho Bravado, Viv Mellish, believes the idea should be used strictly as a "case to case" basis.

"It all depends on the type of artist and it should be something that can be implemented on a case by case basis," Mellish said.

"From an emerging artist’s perspective, they need all the exposure they can get and whether it be a Snapchat video, Facebook live content or something else, it's all extremely valuable.

"Peer-to peer-recommendation of a new artist is the most powerful marketing tool around. However as an artist gets bigger, they may not want amateur footage being sent far and wide, especially if they're trialling new songs live that aren't released yet."

Beloved SA venue The Gov agree that a balance should be struck between the artist and venue if such a system is put in place.