Article Take A Ways: You Should Have Been There Man

You Should Have Been There, Man A Concert Experience

This week I read “YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE, MAN: LIVE MUSIC, DIY CONTENT AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES” by Jessa Lingel and Mor Naaman. Here are some points that caught my attention:

Thesis:

1. We argue that do-it-yourself (DIY) YouTube videos generate tension between increased labor in the moment of attending concerts balanced by an archival artifact for later reference; are valued as a replication not only of the music recorded, but of the experience of attending shows; and offer a point of connection within fan communities.

Theoretical Frameworks:

1. Thus the production of videos of live music events on YouTube by fans should not only be seen as a cultural phenomenon interesting for its technological newness, but also because this technology carries with it implications for how we construct notions of participation, labor, authorship and agency. (3)

2. The constructs of gift and sharing economies describe the social contours of sites like YouTube, where users post content in order to share, without expectations of tangible compensation. (3)

Methodology:

1. We sought to address differences in the experience of taking videos at huge arenas versus intimate concert halls, as well as investigating any differences in the value or popularity on YouTube of videos taken at large versus small venues. (5)

Experience of Taking Videos:

1. A point of general agreement among participants was that as a process, recording reduces enjoyment of the show. (6)

2. Decisions about what to record are thus informed both by personal preferences and (related) assumptions about what will be of interest to YouTube viewers. (7)

3. DIY videos generate viewers with feeling of genuine authenticity, contrasting with professional film of concerts

4. DIY videos the purpose of videos was to describe them as memory aids. (8)

5. Videos are here constructed as lasting documentations of ephemeral experiences, as well as memory aids providing proof of attendance. (8)

6. Youtube allows for the formation of relationships between fans and YouTube posters through videos. 

7. DIY videos can sustain media circuits between fans and bands, whereas for mainstream fans, media circuits operate within the fan community. (13)

When I think about my work as filmmaker, DIY videos are artifacts useful for reimagining concert spaces. I recall the experience of being on the concert floor surrounded by people who loved the same sounds as me. There is power in remembering those moments. These films are displayed and edited down to recreate experiences to be relived forever. By looking at the ways concert/festival footage is captured, circulated, and discussed amongst fans on websites like Youtube, and social media platforms I can build a theoretical and methodological foundation for exploring how positionalities of concert goers, artists, bands and the like, shapeshift as voicing human and post-human subjectivities.