Filming at concerts can start with a perfectly good intention. Your favourite song comes on and you want something to remember it by. You take out your phone, find the stage on the screen and press record.
Then someone’s arm gets in the way. You adjust the angle. Check the picture. Keep holding your phone up.
The song finishes. You’ve captured it, but you barely watched the stage.
When filming at concerts becomes another job
There’s nothing wrong with taking a video. It can be lovely to watch it back or share it with someone who couldn’t be there.
But sometimes recording starts taking over the evening. You’re thinking about the next clip, whether the sound is any good and which bit you’ll post.
You paid to be there. Somehow, you’ve given yourself a filming job too.
It’s worth asking whether you actually want the footage—or whether you feel the night needs documenting to count.
Who are you hoping will see it?
Perhaps you simply love keeping memories. Perhaps you enjoy sharing music with friends.
Other times, you might be thinking about who will watch your story. You want people to see you out, having fun, being part of something.
That doesn’t make you shallow. Wanting to be included and noticed is understandable.
But there can be a quiet pressure behind it: “If I don’t post anything, nobody will know I was here.”
What would the evening feel like if nobody needed to know?
Keep a clip, then come back to the night
You don’t need to leave your phone at home or feel guilty every time you take a picture.
You could record a short clip, then put it away for a song you really love. Watch the stage. Notice the crowd singing. Turn towards the person you came with.
Afterwards, think about what you enjoyed beyond what you captured.
You might still post a video. You might decide the memory is enough.
Have you ever watched your concert videos afterwards and wished you’d spent more time watching it live?
Somewhere you can put the performance down
If you recognise the pressure to look happy, busy or successful, you can talk about it at S Rae Counselling.
Book your FREE, no-obligation 30-minute consultation.
📞 07895 843287
📧 sraecounselling@gmail.com
Understanding ourselves can start with noticing who we’re trying to impress.