Concert Survival

Your practical guide to surviving loud gigs, packed venues, long queues, flying pints and everything else that comes with experiencing rock and metal exactly how it was meant to be experienced: live and ridiculously loud. 🎸🔊🔥🤘

Going to a gig should be one of the best nights of your year.

But anyone who regularly attends concerts knows there’s considerably more involved than simply buying a ticket, turning up and throwing the horns.

There’s transport to organise.

Parking to find.

Queues to survive.

Merch to somehow afford.

Phones to keep charged.

Ears to protect.

And the eternal question facing every gig-goer:

“Can I risk another pint before the headline band starts?” 🍺😂

That’s where The Riff Report Concert Survival comes in.

This section is dedicated to practical advice, tips and useful information designed to help you plan better, stay safer and enjoy more live music, whether you’re heading to your very first concert or you've spent decades standing three feet away from enormous speaker stacks.

We’ll cover everything from what to take to a gig and what to wear to hearing protection, venue etiquette, accessibility, travel planning, hydration, standing for long periods and surviving packed crowds.

Because looking after yourself doesn’t make a gig any less rock ’n’ roll.

Your ears are particularly important.

Rock and metal concerts can get seriously loud, and protecting your hearing means you'll hopefully still be able to enjoy enormous guitar riffs many years from now. We’ll explore concert earplugs, hearing protection and sensible ways to reduce the risks associated with repeated exposure to loud music.

We’ll also talk about looking after each other.

Rock and metal crowds can appear intimidating from the outside, but anyone who's spent time in the scene knows there’s an incredible sense of community underneath all those black T-shirts and battle jackets.

If somebody falls in the pit, pick them up.

If someone looks uncomfortable or needs help, check they're alright.

If somebody needs to get out of the crowd, give them space.

Looking after your fellow gig-goers is part of what makes this community special. 🤘

Our Concert Survival guides will also tackle the everyday problems every music fan eventually encounters.

What happens if your phone dies?

Where should you stand if you don't fancy being anywhere near the mosh pit?

How early should you arrive?

What should you do if you're attending alone?

How do you survive an all-day concert without feeling like you've been hit by the band's tour bus the following morning?

We’ve got you covered.

Being proudly Welsh, we’ll naturally include advice relevant to concerts and venues across Wales, while creating guides useful for gig-goers travelling throughout the UK and beyond.

Most importantly, we want everyone to feel welcome at live music.

Whether you’re sixteen and preparing for your first rock show or you've been going to gigs since tickets cost roughly the same as a bag of chips, there’s always something useful to learn.

So charge your phone, protect your ears, wear something comfortable and double-check you've actually got your ticket before travelling halfway across the country.

Then get yourself through those venue doors.

The lights are about to go down.

Plan smart. Stay safe. Look after each other. Protect your hearing. Enjoy the riffs.

Welcome to The Riff Report Concert Survival – helping you make it through gig night and live to headbang another day. 🎟️🎸🔊🔥🤘