From showing up on time to putting your phone down — here's what the artists on stage genuinely wish their audiences understood.
Every musician has a version of this conversation. It happens backstage, in the green room, in the car on the way home. "Did you notice that guy on his phone the entire set?" or "Why does everyone wait until we're mid-song to order a drink?" It's not bitterness — it's just a gap in understanding that, if closed, makes live music dramatically better for everyone in the room.
Arriving on time is a form of respect
Support acts exist for a reason. When Andrea Keller takes the stage at The Jazzlab or Human Noise opens at the Northcote Social Club, they're not just filling time — they're part of the show. Wandering in forty minutes late, dragging chairs across the floor while someone's mid-performance, kills the room's energy instantly. The artist feels it. The audience feels it. Everyone loses.
If the doors are at 7pm, the music probably starts at 7:30. That's not a suggestion.
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Your phone is not invisible
The bright rectangle in your hand is visible from the stage. Always. Musicians aren't being precious when they ask you to put it away — they're asking you to actually be present for the thing you paid money to attend. There's a difference between grabbing a quick shot and filming an entire set through a four-inch screen. One's a memory. The other's a barrier.
"When people are genuinely watching, you play differently. You give more. The energy is a two-way thing."
Between-song silence is not awkward
Audiences have been trained by streaming to expect zero dead air. But the moment between songs — when a musician is tuning, catching breath, or just sitting in what they just played — is part of the experience. You don't need to fill it with conversation, loud drink orders, or a shout-out request. Let it breathe.
Buying something genuinely matters
Whether it's a record, a tote bag, or just a drink at the bar, small purchases at grassroots venues like The Vanguard or Settlers Tavern in Margaret River keep the ecosystem alive. Artists playing these rooms often aren't earning festival coin. The merch table isn't an afterthought — it's frequently the difference between breaking even and going backwards on the night.
Talking loudly during a quiet set is not okay
There's a version of live music culture where the room hums with low conversation and that's fine — a jazz night at Adelaide UniBar, say, or a low-key pub gig. But when someone's performing something vulnerable and the crowd is genuinely locked in, your story about your weekend can wait ten minutes. Read the room. Every musician knows what it feels like to lose a quiet moment to someone who wasn't paying attention.
The connection is the whole point
What separates live music from a playlist is human presence. The artist is right there. Something unscripted can happen. With Splendour in the Grass and BIGSOUND both on the horizon, there'll be no shortage of chances to test this. Show up present, show up curious — and watch what comes back at you from the stage.
Find your next live music experience at musick.com.au — Australia's home for live music discovery.