To stand, or not to stand?

What is music concert etiquette?

... last night I saw 'The White Album' concert. This seminal Beatles album was performed by a bunch [well, four] of talented Australian rockers, performing the entire album, with the backing of a killer band including strings and brass section.

It was Fab, just like the original Four. But [there's always a but ...] the concert was in a theatre, and the whole audience was seated.

Seats are nice. Seats are comfy. Yet they're awfully constraining when you just feel like grooving to the music.

I wanted to stand. To me, it can be the only way to truly enjoy the tunes - especially when it's Back in the USSR for example! The thing holding me back was: the other patrons.

Sure, there was clapping and tapping of feet. There was enthusiastic cheering between songs. But if everyone else is sitting (and has many feel they pay for the privilege), you need to be pretty darn brave to stretch your legs.

I wasn't so shy during the Foo Fighters concert last year. Now, that was an out-n-out rock show and I had [sadly] only snaffled tickets for the seated area, not general admin, where I could have happily moshed along with the crowd. And when the Fooeys hit the stage, I stood up. I danced and had my arms in the air and yelled [and tried to get Dave Grohl's attention, like any sane girl would do].

And you know what happened? The hip young things seated behind me, asked me to sit down! You'd have been proud of me though ... I refused. I pointed out to them:

• it's an insult to the Foo Fighters to sit down
• if they wanted to sit down the whole time, they should sit at home and watch their Fooeys DVD
• I am a huge Fooeys fan and there was no way they were going to dictate my concert experience for me!

p.s. There's a long list of people's gripes about other concert goers in an MSNBC forum here. Hilarious.