US festivals Coachella and Lollapalooza ban the selfie stick
The selfie stick is generally seen as the most intrusive form of photography at events
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Your support makes all the difference.In what may come as a relief to US festival-goers, two major festivals have banned the use of the selfie stick, colloquially known as the ‘narciss-stick.’
Coachella, in Indio, California, and Lollapalooza, in Chicago, have both listed the devices as “prohibited items.”
Loolapalooza’s FAQ section says: “No GoPro attachments like sticks, selfie stick & monopods” whilst Coachella’s simply states: “No selfie sticks.”
Many artists have previously lamented the use of mobile phones at gigs.
Kate Bush specifically instructed fans not to use phones or tablets at her London comeback gigs last year and the selfie stick is generally seen as the most intrusive form of photography at events.
The American festivals are not the first to take this course of action. Soundwave Festival in America recently banned punters form bringing selfie sticks to its events, describing them as “wands of narcissism” and a distraction from the music.
They have also been banned from a number of British music venues, such as the O2 Academy Brixton, the SSE Wembley Arena and the O2 Arena.
A spokesman for Wembley SSE Arena told music magazine NME that gig-goers making use of the tool can often block the views of others at the show. Selfie Olympics
“Selfies are a big part of the gig experience,” the spokesman said. “The sticks might mean you are refused entry to the venue so our advice is don’t bring them and stick with the tried and tested use of an arm.”
Coachella’s first weekend of the year runs from 10-12 April whilst Lollapalooza takes place from 31 July to 2 August.
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