Fred Again and the case for the phoneless gig

I attended both Kaytranada and Fred Again’s concerts, both at Ally Pally, and the difference was remarkable. While there was still a smattering of pesky screens held aloft at any given moment, it was also very common to look ahead and see nothing but heads, arms, and moving bodies. The atmosphere was palpable: more people were chatting, dancing while facing each other (it always amazes me how dancing towards the DJ booth has become so commonplace, something which is also partially result of phone-forward experiences) and locked into the moment. I even spied a few punters with their eyes closed, fully transported.