The art of eavesdropping on concerts and how to enjoy a gig without a ticket
Catrin Stephens
While some complained about the noise, I grabbed a drink and soaked up Cardiff’s summer soundtrack from the outside
Despite living in the city where the first gig of the tour was taking place, I initially rolled my eyes at the Oasis reunion announcement.
The idea of facing the war that is buying from Ticketmaster really didn’t thrill me even if I had the money to splash. When asked about if I was going I told people I was more of a Blur fan anyway
Oasis where one of many huge concerts to take place in Cardiff this summer, Cardiff Music City bragged that there would be over 30 headline gigs across Principality Stadium, Cardiff Castle, and Blackweir Fields calling it Cardiff’s Summer of Live Music.
This summers calendar included artists varying from Tom Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Stevie Wonder and Sting to Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Catfish & the Bottlemen, Fontaines D.C and Alanis Morrisette.
When tickets for Oasis’s long-awaited reunion tour went on sale in August 2024, fans were stuck in long virtual queues, with many standard tickets priced around £150 but “platinum” tickets listed at nearly £350.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) later investigated Ticketmaster over concerns about misleading pricing and ticket availability. They also raised concerns as there we’re no benefits provided for a customer who bought the higher tiered tickets versus the tickets not listed “platinum”.
I moved into the city centre a couple days before the big gig this year, and everyone warned me the noise would be hell.
It is relentless but there was an unexpected joy in hearing the Manchester bands music spill into Cardiff’s streets. I spent the morning people watching from my window the crowds of people dressed like they’d raided the Adidas clearance bin, singing their hearts out.
By the evening, just when I thought I couldn’t bear to hear another song I heard the rumbles of the stadium as the concert started. I realised the bitterness I was feeling over the reunion was pure jealousy. I felt a my heart sink as I heard the crowd erupting at the electric guitar coming in of the appropriately named opening song ‘Hello’.
It hit me how a historical moment in rock and roll history was just outside of my window, I had to get involved somehow. I looked up what time the fans would likely come out of the stadium and me and my housemate Thomas Greenwood grabbed out cameras and waited outside The City Arms pub looking upon the Principality’s exit.
The gig outside the gig
A conversation with Thomas Greenwood on capturing the crowd
Me: I think we both felt a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) hearing about all these expensive Cardiff concerts this summer and being creative with it and documenting it felt like a way of combating that right?
Thomas: Part of going down to such a crowded street with our cameras felt like, in the way that going to a concert feels like, you've just experienced something and it's energetic and it's like a moment in the communal. And I think when we went to take photos and videos, it very much fulfilled a lot of that need to be apart of something.
Obviously it's different for you or someone who likes Oasis. I have such intensely neutral feelings about Oasis that I would never feel like I'm missing out going to the concert for their music specifically. But there something about live music itself, especially big, high-energy, crowded events that is such a thing to experience. Living in the centre and being able to just sit in my window watching things happen is great. Even though I’m not participating in it, it feels nice and fulfilling to get to observe, we just did a more active version of that using the cameras.
Me: I suppose since you're not an Oasis fan, you maybe wouldn't share the same joy the fans have for the music. I can’t really think of another way you could’ve connected with the band more than through doing this, it’s interesting.
Thomas: I think it's a thing with music where there are a number of artists I’m obsessed with because of seeing them live and having those associations. Experiencing things live is such a powerful connection to an artist or art.
The funny thing about seeing concerts is that you can pay £7 and see a band you don’t know, you can’t spend hundreds to see a band you feel neutral about. There’s almost this boring commercial thing where you have to relate to the art on your own before you can then go. And it’s weird because I do like Oasis more conceptually now, because I experienced this.
Me: Were you surprised by the demographics or the vibe of the crowd, especially with the reputation Oasis fans have for being too laddish or acting like “hooligans” ?
Thomas: I wasn’t surprised about the vibe being good, I have a pretty optimistic view about live music people. I don’t know how you can come out of such a big experience and not feel good and happy. I think I always forget how big the stadium is it’s so massive and fills every part of the centre when it kicks out.
Me: Was it cool to capture that element?
Thomas: Yeah, it was so cool. We stood right at the exit, it was really busy and then wandered off, walking past so many different packed gatherings of people.
Me: It’s quite a big history thing in a way, and if you can contribute to the comprehension of how big it was with photos spilling out onto the streets, that’s really cool.
Thomas: I also really enjoyed the photos of individuals experiencing it. It’s a nice way to do street photography, because I feel awkward taking photos of strangers normally. But here, everyone’s part of this thing and no one’s wondering why you’re taking their photo.
Me: I was going to ask about how people reacted to you having the camera in front of them, even sometimes in their faces a bit.
Thomas: People broadly didn’t react, especially in crowded moments. I think I saw more people reacting to you, I think video feels more intentional. What surprised me was that people seemed happy to be part of the photography and filming. I’d be a bit annoyed if people filmed me to be honest, but everyone seemed delighted. It probably helped that there were big media crews around and it felt funny to be next to the Sky broadcast team.
Me: True they loved it. I suppose the people that bought those tickets wanted to be part of history as well, so they’d be enthusiastic about being documented.
Thomas: Especially Cardiff night one. That’s why you wanted to go because it felt historic, especially since Cardiff was first on the tour and is apparently “the bollox”. But also, it was just a good place to take photos of people. There were so many people having intense positive experiences so much human experience to capture. The amount of good stuff we got just standing in one place for half hour was incredible.
We've highlighted our favourites from the night below (Photos and Editing: Thomas Greenwood and Videos and Editing: Catrin Stephens)
Thomas Greenwood loves photography in his spare time (photo by Megan Jenkins)
Thomas Greenwood loves photography in his spare time (photo by Megan Jenkins)
We took both of our cameras on to the street and captured the atmosphere
We took both of our cameras on to the street and captured the atmosphere
People running from the stadium after the concert
People running from the stadium after the concert
People where excited to be photographed and filmed by us or the media
People where excited to be photographed and filmed by us or the media
People stood and sang outside the stadium after the big event
People stood and sang outside the stadium after the big event
After the gig many flocked to the famous "Chippy Lane" on Caroline Street for some late night food
After the gig many flocked to the famous "Chippy Lane" on Caroline Street for some late night food
Via X.
Via X.
Live Forever by the River
Still riding the high of the night before, the next evening which was night two of the Oasis reunion in Cardiff I found myself in the The Taffs Well Inn outdoor seating area. It faces the Principality Stadium on the other side of the River Taff. A friend booked a table especially to listen to the concert after also getting jealous of ticketholders the night before. Despite the roof being closed the music carried across the river and casually listened to one of the biggest rock bands ever for only the cost of our pints.
These are my highlights from the evening...
1. Singing with the strangers at the pub
Touching moments
2. How loud Noel's backing vocals were
It's so often I got to concerts and I don't think the backing vocals and harmonies are loud enough. It was extra special hearing the brothers sing together after such a long feud.
3. Watching people get kicked out
We loved the drama.
4. Slagging off people who left early
Was ungrateful if you ask us.
5. Bullying the fans by singing Blur at them
Had to be done. Luckily we were behind a fence.
6. And finally
The family who had listened to the whole gig while fishing sail away to Champagne Supernova, the closing song.
Why fans listen from afar
Blackweir Live is a new concert series that brought artists with global recognition such as Noah Kahan, Kings of Leon, Alanis Morissette, Slayer, and Stevie Wonder to Blackweir Fields in Bute Park.
Visit Cardiff said that DEPOT Live, the organisers of these events revealed that only 37% of tickets sold to date for the Blackweir Live series of gigs are to those with a CF postcode.
Two ‘CF postcode’ concertgoers who wouldn’t be included in this statistic are Emily Penny and Izzy Warren.
Living twenty minutes away from the concert they simply walked over and watched Alanis Morrisette from a bike path with a view of the performance.
“I had spent the whole day in bed feeling nauseous, so I had the window open which is how I heard the music” said Warren.
Looking for a reason to get out the house for air the GlamRadio host and their partner literally followed this music to the park where Alanis Morrisette was performing. “We we’re just like, let's have a free concert.
“There we’re about twenty people doing the same thing in the same spot, some had properly planned it out and had picnic blankets and drinks out aswell and some just rocked up like us”
Penny bragged about the sound and view they had of the concert despite not spending any money. “We could hear really well, apart from the delay but that was only because we we’re further away
“There we’re people walking past that just came out that were like ‘you got a better view and sound from here than we did in there, what a waste of money’. People seemed really annoyed about it.” said the sound lighting and events student.
They said they aren’t sure if splashing out to see larger artists is always worth the money, with mixed feelings about seeing Lana Del Rey with her sister.
“I didn’t want to fight the Lana fans on the ticket websites for a standing ticket so settled for the seats, but we still ended up paying about a 125 pounds each” they said.
Many criticized the concert for only being ninety minutes long and featuring a hologram for two of the songs. “I loved it and I loved her but it was a bit short and her pulling up the lyrics on her phone for a couple songs was a bit like ok, but that is kind of her vibe.” said the twenty one year old, unsure if it was worth the money.
Emily Penny and Izzy's view of the Alanis Morrisette concert
Emily Penny and Izzy's view of the Alanis Morrisette concert
Lucy Bennet, Lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture, provided an academic perspective on this kind of fan behaviour. She said “People gathering outside venues to listen in, is a fascinating example of how live music isn’t just about the ticketed space inside, but the communal atmosphere around it. Live music creates a shared space where people can connect through the sound, energy, and anticipation, even if they can’t see the stage.
“When ticket prices are high or shows sell out, listening from outside becomes a way for fans to still be part of it. They may not have a direct view, but they’re sharing in the moment, singing along, and experiencing that same collective buzz. It’s also about proximity, just being near the performance can be exciting and meaningful. In many ways, they’re reclaiming access to something that might otherwise feel closed off.”
Bennet noted that this isn’t a new phenomenon. “Taylor Swift fans did this quite prominently across her Eras tour, and, as ticket prices have continued to rise across the industry, we see fans do this more and more. The Oasis shows at Heaton Park recently had ‘Gallagher Hill’ where fans without tickets gathered to listen and experience the concerts with others” she said.
She also highlighted how technology interacts with these practices: “For years we’ve had fan broadcasts of live shows via social media, and we also see this currently with TikTok. But now we also have this rise, at the same time, in fans being physically there outside the show. These moments contest the boundaries of a live show, extending it further.”
Bennet said there was a significant cultural significance to this: “You could say that music ‘leaks’ into public space, and fans take that as an invitation to gather, celebrate, and make it their own. It’s a reminder that fandom isn’t only about consumption, but it’s about participation, and finding creative ways to belong to an experience.”
People on kayaks and boats to listen to the Taylor Swift Era's Tour concert last summer (video by Gan Zhen Ni)
People on kayaks and boats to listen to the Taylor Swift Era's Tour concert last summer (video by Gan Zhen Ni)
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