Got a Light?

Over the holiday weekend, I was lucky enough to catch Adam Lambert and the rest of the American Idols on tour. Heather, Eric and I had a good time - but anytime Adam is involved, fun is a must! Adam sang the hell out of "Whole Lotta Love," "Starlight" (by Muse), "Mad World," "Slow Ride" (a duet with Allison Iraheta), and a David Bowie medley. Basically, it was all over-the-top Glam.

During one of the songs - and I think it was "Starlight" - Adam asked everyone to get out their cell phones...or lighters. When did lighters become the second choice for giving props during a concert?

Now, I get that everyone has a cell phone these days. I also definitely agree it's way more safe to pull out a mobile instead of a lighter...and yet something seems so wrong about this. Now, I'm not a smoker. I've never even held a cigarette, let alone smoke one - but I still think it's cool to flick a lighter during that oh-so-important power ballad.

Does flashing a cell phone instead of a lighter during a show mean losing part of the Metal experience? I say yes.

When I saw Van Halen in 1996, I definitely remember Sammy Hagar saying "Get Our Your Lighters!" during "Why Can't This Be Love?"

Back to the American Idol crowd. I'm sure you're thinking the entire audience was comprised of teens and tweens. You would be wrong. Sure, there were plenty of young kids there - but from my vantage point there were tons of people way older than me enjoying the show. These people were old enough to buy cigarettes. I'm sure some of them smoke - but I didn't see one lighter in the crowd. To me, lighters and Heavy Metal go hand-in-hand. Maybe I'm wrong, but my Verizon LG cell (despite the fact that it is very pink) doesn't exactly scream Glam or even METAL!!!

Thoughts?

Comments

[crüe düde]

i think the reason you didnt see any lighters is because it wasnt a METAL concert

[metallion]

I agree on the lighter/cell phone bit - but I don't get what American Idol has to do with Heavy Metal???

[looksthatkill]

I go with lighter, hard rock invented it :)

[Snoot]

Ozzy screams "Show me your cigarette lighters!" on the Live & Loud album and that's what you should use.

[Xandra73]

Since I'm not smoking, I don't have a lighter. But I don't have a cell-phone either. :p So I'm usually out of light during concerts. 0_o

But other than that I agree with crüe düde. ;)

I'm also not surprised about the fact that older people were there. AI has such huge numbers in viewers and when you look at the latest numbers regarding the average customer of FOX? The average viewer has the age of 45 to 50, so there can't be just young kids watching the show. More the contrary. TV is not really the media for the young generation anymore.

[Valentine]

Lighters during power ballads = cool and timeless, like an old pair of levis.

cellphones during power ballads = cheesy as fuck, like well... holding up a cell phone during a power ballad at an American Idol tour stop.

[Liam]

American Idol is not hevay metal dude!

[Valentine]

American Idol is not even aluminium... Still entertaining, though.

[britt harlow]

Saw Def Lep, Poison and the mighy CHEAP TRICK at Irvine, CA (packed house for the whole nite, GLAM LIVES, Yeah!!!)and there was a dude there whith both.

[devin]

this pop fashion, go with the crowd band played at my school, and kids took out their cellphones and waved when they played a song, im like what the fuck???? give me a lighter and some maiden, motley, van halen!!