THE DARKNESS's JUSTIN HAWKINS Is 'Not The Greatest Fan Of Phones At Concerts': 'It's Boring To Sing To A Load Of Lenses'

In a new video on his YouTube channel Justin Hawkins Rides Again, THE DARKNESS frontman Justin Hawkins addressed alternative singer Phoebe Bridgers's recent announcement that her upcoming "The Lost Tour" will be a phone-free experience. Attendees will put their devices into their designated Yondr pouches. This will allow people to have possession of their phones, but not be able to use them in order to heighten the concert experience.

Justin said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We talked about doing this for THE DARKNESS stuff, but it's a little bit impractical. I know it's actually quite expensive to do that. But it would make a huge difference to the atmosphere of the performance itself.

"I remember one time I played a gig in Luxembourg, I think it was, and I did my usual... I was doing antics, and I think I was up on the barrier, and I was gonna do some stage diving, such as my want on occasion," he continued. "And people were sort of filming me like that. And then because they were filming, they didn't catch me, so I just sort of fell.

"In general, I've often stopped songs because, for me… Well, I'm not in the position that Phoebe Bridgers is in — she's obviously taken over the world, really, with her music — and I still like a bit of filming and stuff on the Internet of us, because I think it brings more people to the shows, really," Justin explained. "We're fabulous live, and I think that it's important that people see that. But in terms of the actual atmosphere there, when we play, like, [THE DARKNESS's hit song] 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love', then all the phones come out, and so often I have to stop the song because it's, like, 'Fucking hell, where's the vibe gone?' Actually take part in the experience of it, connect with the band that you've paid that money to go and see."

Referencing other phone-free concerts, such as was the case with Swedish metallers GHOST, who instituted a no-phone policy on their recent tour by also utilizing Yondr pouches, Justin said: "I went to see GHOST, actually, and it is a really spectacular viewing experience. The only thing I filmed was my daughter doing somersaults at the back. She was the only person dancing because it was in Zurich, so nobody dances at a Zurich concert… Another artist who is famously against phones at concerts and actually does not even own his own phone is one of my favorite musicians, Jack White. I think he's got a landline, to be fair."

Circling back to his opinion of fans using their phones to film concerts, Justin said: "I've been in an audience before and I've been watching something and thinking, 'Oh my God, this is amazing. I've gotta film this.' And then I can feel myself sort of going for my phone and then thinking, 'Hang on a minute, I really hate it when people do that at my gig, so I'm just not gonna do it.' But you do feel the urge, especially when you see everybody else doing it. And then, actually, when there's a huge saturation, a huge percentage of the audience is filming stuff, then you think, 'Yeah, fuck that. There's enough perspectives of this particular performance being captured by all of these other complete assholes here. So there's no need for me to do it.'

"Anyway, yeah, I'm not the greatest fan of phones at concerts," Hawkins added. "It's boring to sing to a load of lenses. It would be a better world without mobile phones at concerts, I think. For me, it's boring to play to them. And I can imagine that standing in an audience and having to look over the shoulder of somebody who's filming it on, like, an iPhone 17 Pro Max or an iPad or somebody who wheels in like a — I don't know — a Dell PC computer, which probably I've never seen that, to be honest. I've never seen anyone with an actual desktop computer filming. But big cameras. I think last time we played in Frankston in Australia, there was a bloke there with an old camcorder, and I thought, 'That's bloody rude, isn't it?' But, yeah, what do I know? I've only been doing this for 30 years, and I've seen the whole thing change from people being in the moment to watching stuff on their phones, and it's a little bit sad. In my view, it's a little bit sad. But that's just my opinion."

GHOST made its entire 2025 and 2026 tours phone-free experiences — with attendees maintaining possession of their phones at all times, secured in Yondr pouches — after playing a pair of phone-free shows in Los Angeles in 2023 for the filming of the "Rite Here Rite Now" concert film. IRON MAIDEN asked fans to put their phones away while attending concerts on the British heavy metal legends' recently launched "Run For Your Lives" world tour. Other acts, such as TOOL, have also employed a similar approach, requesting fans stay off their phones until the final song of their set.

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.

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

Yondr founder Graham Dugoni said his company's pouches were created for "phone-free spaces" where "creativity and productivity could flourish in the absence of technology."

Phones, Apple watches and other communication devices are placed in the pouch and sealed using a magnetized lock, which can be opened with an unlocking base.