Is it rude to sing along at concerts in Japan? We ask a pro musician for his take

A recent online debate has sparked some fierce opinions about whether it’s OK for fans to sing along at concerts.

There’s nothing like a good online debate with strangers to fuel some fires, especially when it comes to personal passions. The most recent debate that’s ruffling some feathers in Japan relates to concert etiquette–specifically, whether it’s OK for fans to sing along at live musical performances.

Discussion was initially sparked by one fan’s viral social media post about their experience at a recent concert of the best-selling Japanese rock group B’z. At that show, an older man behind them loudly sang about six songs in full to the point that they couldn’t focus on lead singer Koshi Inaba’s vocals at all. When the fan confronted the older man about it, the latter laughed it off by replying that concerts are a place for people to enjoy themselves freely, which only served to make the fan feel more frustrated. Subsequent net user reactions were hotly divided, with some expressing sympathy for the fan and others referencing plenty of concerts where fans are encouraged to sing along from the start.

We were curious to hear the take of a pro musician and so spoke with guitarist K, who’s an active guitar recording artist and songwriter who takes on commissioned backing band work and more while continuing to play in his own band. We’re not going to reveal his full name or face so that he can provide his unfiltered opinion on the subject.

SoraNews24: From the perspective of those on stage, is it a nuisance when audience members sing along?

Guitarist K: First of all, singing along in itself is not bad manners. I appreciate when fans want to sing along and call out to me. This is coming from someone who primarily plays at live music clubs and started with zero recognition, when no one would do such things for me.

There are many bands that start and end at that zero recognition mark, so thinking about it that way, I feel blessed that people want to sing along. I really appreciate it. However…

SoraNews24: ‘However’?

Guitarist K: With that said, I sometimes find that voices that interrupt the flow of a song are distracting, regardless of the song. For example, if I’m playing a relatively quiet song and hear completely irrelevant loud chatting or heckling from the crowd, then it’s going to be hard to perform, right? I think a lot of people would feel that way.

But if I can really speak my mind, I don’t think that the act of heckling should stop. Live music clubs that host multiple acts where each artist/group plays a set are full of concertgoers who appreciate different genres of music and have different ways of listening to it. Ultimately, I think it’s all about how you get through it. Being on stage is a kind of battle, and I think that’s something that any alum of a live venue recognizes.

SoraNews24: So you’re of the opinion that concertgoers should freely enjoy themselves?

Guitarist K: In the case of live music clubs with multiple artists, yes. The structure of such a performance schedule is already a little bit chaotic, so the listeners should also be able to be a bit chaotic. My opinion changes if we’re talking about a single artist/group who’s performing solo.

SoraNews24: What do you think in that case?

Guitarist K: People who go to see a single performing act are those who like that artist/group specifically. That’s why the artists themselves are highly conscious of creating their own unique image and want to give each and every fan a reason for being there.

Put another way, it becomes a place where the fans become part of the artist’s worldview and help to build it together. That’s also why the way fans enjoy a performance becomes important to the artist’s identity and the worldview that they want to express. The artist plans their performance with an understanding of that principle.

SoraNews24: So your sense is different if it’s a concert featuring multiple artists vs. one featuring a single artist.

Guitarist K: Yes, it is. I originally started making music not because I wanted to sell a lot, but because I wanted to find friends who resonated with me. It’s OK for fans with similar interests to come together at single artist performances, and conversely, it’s OK that others don’t come. I think of concerts featuring just me and my band like my secret base.

To sum it up, there are no concert etiquette rules that are universally expected of fans, but I think there are practical considerations such as time, place, and occasion [in Japanese, these are shortened to “TPO”] to take into account when creating a space together.

SoraNews24: I tend to think that the TPO are the most difficult things to judge.

Guitarist K: I think the crux of the current debate has more to do with the TPO than concert etiquette. For example, in cases of fans singing loudly along overseas, you’re actually honoring the TPO by singing along with everyone else.

I think the reason that there are so many differing opinions is because people are equating things that are different depending on the place. There are differences between multiple-act shows and single-act shows, as well as between live music clubs and stadium tours. It’s destructive to ignore the type of atmosphere and performance by indiscriminately stating that yelling and singing along are forbidden.

SoraNews24: OK then, in the case of the recent B’z stadium concert where one concertgoer sang six straight songs out loud, what do you think about the issue from a TPO perspective?

Guitarist K: First, if I share my opinion from the perspective of someone who makes music, I like that enthusiasm–regardless of what that looks like. However, at the same time, if I think about it from the perspective of a fan when taking the audience makeup and those around me into account, singing along like that wouldn’t be a total no-go, but maybe something I’d be careful of. The only time that it would be totally OK is if all six songs were “Komachi Angel of the Sun” [B’z’s fifth single and the first to reach number one on Japan’s Oricon music chart, making it particularly sentimental to fans].

In any case, the atmosphere of a single-act stadium concert is orderly and B’z themselves can perfectly control the flow of their performance. It might feel unpleasant to me to be standing next to that singing older man. It might be like secondhand embarrassment or a feeling like we’re from different planets.

At a concert with as big an audience as B’z draws, there are probably lots of people attending for the first time and it’s a bit freer than at others. Therefore, there are people present with different backgrounds–some who have attended concerts at live music clubs and others at stadiums.

It’s not that the two approaches are both negative, but there are different cultural vibes attached to them. The audience is supposed to be full of people who like B’z, but for a group with as many fans as they have, it’s hard to please everyone.

It’s clear that Guitarist K takes plenty of contextual factors into account when determining the proper etiquette for a particular performance. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt for concertgoers to be a bit more aware of their surroundings in general as well–or, get all of their singing energy out at a private karaoke session beforehand.

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