Gen Z's lack of concert etiquette is more dangerous than you think

Attendees at Central Cee in Sydney last week have come under fire for dangerous behaviour - and it was caught on camera. 

If you’re a millennial or above, chances are you’ve said something along the lines of ‘Gen Z just doesn’t understand concert etiquette’ recently.

I’m a Gen Z-er myself, and I know I’ve definitely said it.

We live in a time where if you didn’t film it to post on your Instagram stories, it didn’t happen, and if you’re not in the pit, you may as well stay at home.

But, there comes a point where this desperation to be front and centre crosses the line into dangerous territory, and in the wake of a disaster which cost the lives of many, it’s clear the time has come to set things straight.

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Image: TikTok / @jenny.hoang19, Instagram / @qudosbankarena, @glenn_pokorny.

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“Central Cee [isn’t] even out yet”

With the release of the new documentary Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy, we’ve all received a harsh reminder of what can happen when concerts go wrong.

The annual festival, headlined by Travis Scott, tragically led to the deaths of 10 concertgoers in a crowd crush back in 2021.

Though many parties have been blamed, including Scott and his tendency to encourage aggressive, riled up crowds, a recent show in Sydney has proven that it can truly happen anywhere.

Last week, Central Cee took to the Qudos Bank Arena stage as part of his ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ tour.

The British rapper, who you probably don’t know, but who your teens likely would from his songs ‘Doja’ and ‘Sprinter’ - or from his very public online drama with ex-girlfriend Madeline Argy and Ice Spice - is known to have a young audience, debuting in the TikTok era.

But, what shocked some concertgoers last Wednesday was the behaviour from fans - even before Central Cee was on stage.

Attendee Jen Hoang shared a video of the pit on TikTok, showing just this.

“No please no,” she wrote in the video.

“Central Cee [isn’t] even out yet, I’m concerned…”

In the video, you can see waves forming at the front of the pit, as young fans push one another to be as close to the barricade as possible.

@jenny.hoang19

@CentralCee not even out yet I’m concerned… #cench #centralcee #sydney #mosh #crowd #foryourpage

♬ original sound - Jen Hoang

“Did we not learn from Travis Scott?”

Commenters on the post agreed that the environment felt unsafe as a result of the actions of other concertgoers.

“Girl it was literally bad, I had to reiterate mosh etiquette to at least 6 different people it was beyond disappointing,” shared one commenter.

“I was at the second stage he was on and it was still so bad, the amount of people vomiting and getting dragged out was insane,” another person said.

Others agreed that it was a bad sign, following what happened at Astroworld.

“Did we not learn from Travis Scott?” one person said.

“Not enough ppl fear crowd crushes and it shows,” said another.

And some blamed it on the lack of etiquette of Gen Z-ers in general.

“Why does no one have any concert etiquette anymore?” one commenter asked.

“Everyone’s for themselves/a couple of likes,” said another.

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Image: Supplied / Cassidy Pearce.

What can we do?

There are plenty of things you can tell your kids when it comes to safety in a mosh pit - particularly if they’re seeing an artist like Travis Scott who’s known for having more intense crowds.

But, here are my favourite pieces of more general advice.

Stay hydrated: One of the most important things to do at any concert is stay hydrated. In all the excitement and movement, it’s easy to forget to drink water, or to think that you don’t need it just because you don’t want to hold onto it the whole night. If you can, buy a bottle of water, or take the water security offers you if you’re near the barricade. What’s worse than holding onto a water bottle is fainting or feeling sick due to dehydration, and missing the concert entirely.

Camp sensibly: I feel as though I missed the boat entirely when it comes to camping, but I know many people who would happily line up for days if it meant they had a chance to graze fingers with a former One Direction member. If you are going to camp out, making sure you’re eating properly, sleeping and drinking enough water is incredibly important. All those hours aren’t worth it if you’re feeling weak and exhausted once you get into the venue.

Dress appropriately: I know your thick velvet cape matches Taylor Swift’s in the ‘Evermore’ set perfectly. I totally understand why you’d want to wear platform heels to Sabrina Carpenter (if she ever releases Australian tour dates). But, when you’re going to be standing in a pit the whole night, sometimes the aesthetic isn’t worth it. Wearing uncomfortable, heavy or hot clothing is only going to harm you if things start to go awry.

Make sure your phone is charged: This one is tricky because we all want to record at least part of the show! If you know an artist is going to perform a song in full, my tip is to record the second chorus instead of the first - and only that chorus - because it saves your battery, there will be fewer phones in the way of your shot, and you’re not annoying the people around you. I also make sure I have at least 50% battery left at the end of a concert just in case of an emergency - if this means you need to bring a charger in your bag, do that!

Don't push: My friends know that I have been one to put my elbows out and yell "I'm just getting to my friends!" in an effort to get closer to the front. If there's room, there's no harm in finding those gaps and moving forward. But, if it's already looking squishy, you don't want to be there.

Get out if you feel unsafe: There’s no shame in leaving a pit or standing further back if the front is feeling a little bit much. Even if I stay up front the entire time, I like to drift towards the back during the encore to beat the crowds - but maybe that’s just a sign I’ve entered my mid-20s.

Originally published as Gen Z's lack of concert etiquette is more dangerous than you think