Saw one of my favorite bands. Should I have talked?

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I went to Austin to see one of my favorite bands, the Melvins, at a club called The Mohawk with my cousin and his girlfriend; I see a lot of bands with them. We arrived at around 8:00 since that is when the club's doors opened and we went in though we left the building twice to both put our t-shirts that we bought in the car as well as get some food to bring back with us. The place was getting packed and it felt kind of cramped being around the sea of bodies. My cousin and his girlfriend both got beer but I didn't since I just can't handle how beer tastes. We went up to the upper floor of the club and sat on one of the benches while we waited for the Melvins to come on (There was an opening band but I only cared about seeing the Melvins). My cousin's girlfriend encouraged me to get up and go watch the opening band so I did. As I walked around, I saw that pretty much everyone was either in a talking circle or getting loaded up on drugs or alcohol. I didn't really try to strike up a conversation due to how disappointing my social experiences this year have been as well as the fact my voice is hard to hear in loud places.

When the Melvins came on, I was trying to get a good look but it was hard due to the people crowding around the balcony and someone noticed me trying to do so. He took me by the shoulder and pulled me to where he and his girlfriend (?) were standing saying something like "Don't worry, dude. We're gonna watch the band together!" which was nice. I did mention I could play one of the songs the band was playing on my guitar and he said something like "Oh, wow, dude!" but that didn't really count as a conversation. I just focused on watching the band after that since I was glad to finally see a band I wanted to see after waiting for so many months. I rejoined my cousin and his girlfriend and left for home since it was pretty late and we were all getting tired.

Should I have tried talking to people or was it for the better that I stayed in the present moment?

I'll say that you could have talked, but it was by no means mandatory. I for one never go into concerts with a socializing mindset, but rather to simply enjoy the band(s) that perform and possibly a few drinks.

I would say no. You were there to watch the band. Don't worry about it, you did fine.

I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like you had a good time at the show and that's all that really matters. You'll have more opportunities to interact with people. Just don't force it. Only do it if it feels right and you're comfortable with the people around you.

I saw the Melvins a few years ago at an indoor festival here in London. They were quite fun live. They're playing a club near my home on Halloween. I might go along to it. How are they sounding these days?

They sound tight as ever. They still have a lot of energy and put themselves into their playing 100%. They played a lot of their 90's material, the best Melvins era, IMO, but I was also glad to hear them play "Euthanasia" off of their new album since that's such a powerful song.

1) Like others are saying, sounds like you were just fine and had a great time.

2) You've now gotten me curious about the Melvins ...

Cool. I also think that their 90's era was their best. I really like songs such as Night Goat, Honey Bucket, Revolve and The Bit. If they're playing those songs, that definitely makes me more interested in seeing them.

Do you go to shows often or do you only go if it's someone that you really like?

You should check them out, especially if you like 90's era music. If you like chunky guitar tones and unconventional song structures, they'll be up your alley.



They played Night Goat with their opening band, Helms Alee, when I saw them last year and I know they played Honey Bucket when I first saw them but my older brother made me leave because he and his girlfriend at the time couldn't handle their music.
They aren't an extreme band but they aren't conventional either.
They played The Bit when I saw them this time around which was awesome. I wish they played some songs off of Honky since that album is now 20 years old and is a classic album now but they didn't.

I only go when there's a band I really want to see. Austin is still a long drive and my finances are limited.

If you are thinking about your demise, you would miss moments like these......

If you mean talking during the music NO. At least in the musical world I come from which is "Jam" music that is very frowned upon. People came for the show not your conversation. Anything beyond a brief sentence or two explaining the situation like "want a drink?" for example is not tolerated. I bet at this show it would have also annoyed people.

Talking before the show? Yes, you make friends that way and that is the social normal time to do it as you probably noticed.

For me, that's one of the great things about live music- it's a social thing where you're NOT under pressure to keep up conversation the whole time! Just people together, feeling good about each other and the music. What you describe seems well within the norms of conversation for a gig like that. And if it was a small venue, the band were probably happier with you than with the people yelling at their friends over the music.