So, one of your favourite artists is playing a show near you, but you have no one to go with. For many people, this would end their hopes of going to the concert at all — they’d have to resort to watching the concert through blurry videos on the internet instead. But it doesn’t have to be like that. There is always the option of going by yourself.
Whilst it’s probably a daunting prospect for a lot of people, going solo to a concert really isn’t as bad as you might think. Sure, it can be great to go to a gig with your friends, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be there for you to have a good time. From less stress beforehand to getting a better spot inside, going to concerts by yourself does actually have a lot of benefits — here are a few of them.
1) You can go to way more concerts
Unless you’re lucky enough to have a friend who shares your exact music taste, you’re going to end up missing out on so many concerts because you can’t find anyone to go with. Being okay with going to a show on your own stops this from becoming a problem — you can go to pretty much any concert you want, and won’t be missing out on an incredible opportunity that might never come around again.
2) You can choose when you line up
When one of my favourite bands is doing a show, I like to get in line early — like, 5 or 6 hours early. My friends aren’t usually up for that and, even though I’m itching to wait in line at the venue for a few hours, we usually get there just as the doors open and end up standing right at the back. When you’re the only one going to a concert, you can pretty much choose how long you’re going to brave the line for. This is especially good if the artist playing is one of your favourites, since it gives you a much better chance of standing close to the stage.
3) Your friends aren’t there to distract you
Okay, this doesn’t always happen, but going to a concert with someone who isn’t as invested in the performer as you certainly puts you in danger of being distracted. If you’re seeing one of your favourite artists live you’re going to want to be able to give them your full attention, but having your friends talking at you from either side is sure to ruin the atmosphere. You’ll probably find it far easier to fully immerse yourself into the show without your friends there to distract you, paying more attention to the artist on the stage and each and every lyric coming out of the singer’s mouth, making the experience so much more enjoyable and worthwhile.
4) You meet really cool people
Going to a concert alone often means that you start talking to the people around you, especially if you’ve braved lining up a few hours before the doors open. In my experience, I’ve found that one of the easiest places to make friends is in the line for a concert. You end up talking to and connecting with people also feel your love for an artist, which your friends might not understand. Plus, if you’re still worried about being alone inside the venue, the people you meet in the line will no doubt let you sing and dance with them once the music starts, and will make sure you’re safe as well.
5) You can let go completely
The first time I went to a concert on my own it took me a while to get over the initial awkwardness of being alone in a roomful of people, but after I was past that I ended up having the time of my life. I found myself letting go completely, singing and dancing until my heart was content, with the added benefit of not having to worry if my friends were videoing me so that they could embarrass me later. It turned out that no one else in the crowd cared that I was there alone either. Everyone just wanted to have a good time with one of their favourite bands and their fans.
So, the next time you have no one to go to a concert with and you’re faced with the question of whether you should go on your own or not at all, consider braving it by yourself — you might just find that it’s really not as bad as you first thought.
