Speaking as someone who loves photography -
Steve McG - I fully respect your views and I can understand where you're coming from and well done on putting your ideas over in such a pleasant manner! - but
I - and I'm sure many others - love taking photos - for me, trying to capture a moment of a concert visually is as much about the concert experience as is the listening etc - it's trying to distill that visual essence into something else, to capture a mood or a moment - to use the experience as inspiration and to try and pass that on to others. I enjoy concerts for slightly different reasons than you and probably differently to many others and vice-versa. I appreciate what you're saying about the mass recording/photography that seems to happen everywhere though, but like it or not, it's with us - it's just changing times. I bet Shakespeare's actors were in two minds as to whether having a roof on the theatre was a good idea as it meant they had to work at nights...!
With due respect, I don't think the arguments you put forward about past artistes not being photographed by audiences en masse are particularly valid, though - if the technology had been available, then it would have been used. I've got photos taken on an old Kodak instamatic because when I went to see acts like the Smiths I could sneak it in and it gave me the best opportunity to take snaps, whereas I wouldn't have been able to take in my Olympus OM10 SLR; the difference? Just a press pass and the greater availability of better technology in a smaller form. Bootlegging presents similar issues - it's easier to do now, but it doesn't mean that people haven't always been trying to do it. (And thank goodness for the people like
Leon Kagarise who did both and created an invaluable historical archive of a time and a place) We live in a world where the impact of new technology is huge and many people now like to archive their experience so that they can share it, relive it, mix it up, send it to friends...embrace it - don't run away from it, because it's already happening. The concert experience is changing too. Watch the start of the Robbie Williams' gig on iPlayer as the camera pans around the back of the audience - the raised arms and glowing screens are beautiful in their own right!
Now, if there's someone who's pushing and shoving past me to take a picture and behaving impolitely, well, fine - that's not nice - but ordinary folks wanting to take some snaps or a bit of video - I can't see the problem if the venue doesn't expressly forbid it and make it clear beforehand. It's not a crime.
As for the Lyceum staff - your experience was not mine - verbally aggressive behaviour and using a threatening tone to people who didn't deserve it was what I saw from three different auditorium staff. There were many others who were really helpful, though and it's a shame that I remember the bad ones.
One of my many hats is that of a performer - I take the most hideous photos ever, but if I see someone aiming their camera at me, I'll play along; I might doubt the quality of what they're taking, with no flash in low light with me gurning and jiggling about, but they're perfectly allowed to do it, so I have no problem with it.
I also take photos in an official capacity for my local roots' club's club's website -
http://www.biddulphupinarms.com - and I'll always ask the artistes if it's OK to take pictures. I take as many as possible in the soundcheck and will keep out of the way in the performance and try and be as inconspicuous as I can. I haven't had one performer say no - I've had one (nationally and internationally renowned) who was a bit reluctant, but once she saw the photos I had taken, she even went as far as e-mailing me to thank me for doing a good job!
I think the issue here is not photographers - but inconsiderate photographers - and they are as bad as any inconsiderate audience member. If a venue allows photography though, why shouldn't someone (within reason) indulge their hobby as much as someone who wants to go and watch/jump around - as long as they consider others?
http://photographernotaterrorist.org/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/efsb/sets/
(That's me in a Dutch newspaper)
Just my five-penn'orth.