TikTok VS. The Music Scene

Over the pandemic many people found comfort in social media and streaming services, with Tiktok being the main one. Artists and bands learned that if they post their music or past show clips, that they can receive new monthly listeners and new fans. Through using the app as a marketing tool it gave new and upcoming bands a way to massly promote their music, but that of course came with unforeseen issues.

Tiktok has become one of the number one apps to find new friends, hobbies, and music. During the pandemic many people were exposed to new genres of music. For example, people whose main genre was midwest emo are now diving into more pop punk and emo music, and that is perfectly fine. The problem began once concerts and festivals came back. All the artists that were trending on Tiktok are now back and able to perform in person. Not only are people antsy because they have been in their homes for years, but there are new people in the scene that do not understand the culture or concert etiquette. Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival was a very famous example of this. Astroworld left nine people dead and many others injured because of improper crowd etiquette, excessive pushing, and lack of trained and effective security guards (USMagazine).

In the rock and metal scene this is now becoming a trending topic on Tiktok. Bands such as Pierce the Veil, Motionless in White, Ice Nine Kills, and Bring Me The Horizon have very iconic songs that have begun to trend, but this has led to new fans going to their concerts. Rock and metal concerts/shows have a very different culture than for example hip-hop shows. Alternative shows have crowd surfing, mosh pits, headbanging, and dancing whereas hip-hop shows just have jumping and a slight head nod. New listeners have not learned much about this which has led to crowd surfers being dropped on their heads, people trampled in mosh pits, and even people kicked out of concerts for just enjoying the show. Concerts and shows have ended early because people are passing out, breaking bones, and overall being harmed in the crowd because of the pure negligence of other fans in the crowd.

Many pre-pandemic fans of these bands/ artists have taken to Tiktok in order to voice their serious concern with fans in the crowd and the way people are behaving. They are explaining that it is perfectly fine that new people are joining the scene, but they have to learn etiquette and how to be respectful to everyone. In order to fix these problems bands, artists, and frequent concert goers need to take to social media and voice what happens at shows and how to keep you and your fellow concert goers safe. Satin.ams on Tiktok took it upon herself to explain what happened at Pierce the Veil’s concert and how things should have gone. In the end, be safe and considerate of others around you, enjoy the show but do not be a nuisance to others that are just trying to enjoy the show.