QUIET RIOT Guitarist 'Loves' The Fact That Artists Are 'Banning Cell Phones At Shows'

March 10, 2018

QUIET RIOT guitarist Alex Grossi says that he "loves" the fact that several major artists have banned cell phones at concerts, explaining that he wants to see people "appreciating what's in front of them, not living through their phones."

During his tour this summer, Jack White will require concert attendees to put their cell phones in locked Yondr pouches for the duration of his show. It's a tactic that's previously been used by GUNS N' ROSES, MISFITS, Alicia Keys, CAGE THE ELEPHANT and the comedian Dave Chappelle.

Through the use of technology like Yondr, fans are able to place their phones in a pouch that unlocks only after they leave the no-cell-phone zone. The pouch can also be unlocked at specific cell phone stations inside the venue.

Asked by Buzz for his outlook on the future of rock and roll, Grossi — who also plays in Dizzy Reed's (GUNS N' ROSES) HOOKERS & BLOW — said: "I like to look at where music is going technology-wise, and I love that people are banning cell phones at shows. Jack White just announced he was doing it, the MISFITS are doing it. You have to lock your phone away in a pouch and don't get it back until the end of the show.

"I'm sure it'll happen [at that night's HOOKERS & BLOW concert]. When we go out onstage, everybody in the audience will be watching the show through their phone. Put it away and enjoy what's in front of you! I want the future to be people appreciating what's in front of them, not living through their phones."

Phone-free concerts are touted as a way to cut down on illegal filming, non-stop selfies and other distractions that can take away from the performance.

When Axl Rose reunited with his former GUNS N' ROSES bandmates, Duff McKagan and Slash, for the first time in 23 years at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in April 2016, the concert was phone-free.

"God, it was wonderful," McKagan told The New York Times. "It was the old-school feeling, where people were dancing and getting down. It was really cool."

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