Are we likely to see more phone-free concerts in 2025 and beyond? It certainly looks to be the case, as metal band Ghost are set to implement Yondr magnetic-sealing phone pouches to their forthcoming gigs this year.
In a new interview with Audacy, the band’s frontman and mastermind Tobias Forge explains why he’s forcing fans to attend his concerts phone-free.
“If you have 10,000 people at a concert and 8,000 of them are holding a phone, there’s something deeply disconnected,” Forge says, at the same time aware that fan videos can serve as free publicity for a tour.
“The whole thing in the business is, basically, ‘Yeah, we want people to film because we want people to see the show, and that will sell more tickets.’ Fine. I understand that there’s a promotional tool with social media.”
Forge says that while the sharing of gigs on social media has been integral to his band’s growth, fans spending too much time on their phones at concerts diminishes the experience he has worked hard to curate.
“I’m not saying that all social media is bad. I’m just saying that when it comes to the actual live show, my calling, my reason for being there is the connection between myself and everybody that I brought with me that are working in tandem to give you an experience,” he says.
“I really wanna underline that the ban has nothing to do with, let’s say, copyright control. It’s not that we wanna sit on all the material and we don’t want anybody to monetise [Ghost videos]; it has nothing to do with that.”
Upon entering the venue, attendees will be required to seal their phones in Yondr pouches that are magnetically sealed. Should they need to use their phone, they can leave the main showroom and unseal the pouch in the lobby and other designated areas.
“You don’t give it away. You have your phone; you don’t have to worry about that. If you need to call, you can go out. If you need to take a photo, you can take a photo of yourself out in the lobby; that’s fine,” Forge says.
Forge’s decision to implement Yondr pouches at Ghost’s 2025 concerts stems largely from the filming of Rite Here Rite Now, the feature they filmed across two shows at the Kia Forum in LA in 2023. Both events were phone free.
“We had such an engaged crowd that seemed joyous in a way that… I had to go back years and in time since I last saw a fully engaged crowd where everybody’s actually watching [the show],” Forge says.
Recently, MusicTech’s 2022 Producer of the Year, TSHA, made her Jackfruit Tour phone free, announcing the stipulation with a satirical Instagram reel.
“Phones have taken over the dance floor in recent years. So I’m bringing a no phones dance floor with non-stop dancing,” TSHA wrote in the caption. “Dance music and clubs are a place for you to escape your phones and the outside world and just focus on connecting with each other through music and movement.”
While taking videos to relive it is arguably integral to the concert experience, the thinking behind Yondr pouches is to encourage gig goers to be more present and enjoy the concert there and then. Are phone-free shows likely to become more prevalent? Only time will tell, but more and more artists seem to be adopting them.
The Ghost Skeletour world tour begins April 15 at the AO Arena in Manchester. It then runs through September with dates in the UK, Europe, and North America.
For tickets and info, head to Ghost’s official website.
