Phones at gigs can be annoying – but they must never be banned | Ben Beaumont-Thomas

New research suggests we're getting increasingly annoyed with people taking photos and filming at gigs, but removing these rights would be utterly draconian

It reads like a particularly clumsy Black Mirror episode: a crowd at a gig all glued to the action on their phone screens rather than looking at the stage. But this is a common sight at live music events today, and one that the British public is getting more irritated by.

New research by the ticketing website Eventbrite polled more than 1,000 UK gig-goers for their opinions on using mobile phones during concerts. Of respondents, 70% said they were annoyed by people constantly taking video or photos of the show, and 69% said they would support "more than minimal action to minimise the disruption". Eventbrite's suggestions varied in popularity: "no-phone zones" and audience spot checks received less than 20% support each, but the idea of "gentle nudges to make phones more discreet" received 41% support.