Totems/flags at the front of a set. Where do you draw the line?
I love the totem/flag culture at festivals. Some of the stuff people come up with is so hilarious, creative, and makes the festival experience unique. I’d much rather have a festival full of weird art, memes, costumes, and homemade totems than a sea of people just standing there staring at the stage.
But I’m curious where other people draw the line.
I was at a set where someone had a big** see-through ish **pirate flag directly in front of the stage, dead center, and kept it up for basically the entire set. I found myself getting slightly annoyed by it. However, the holy trinity “keta molly cocaine” totem depicted here was awesome, I had no issue with that.
And it got me thinking: is there an unspoken etiquette around big totems towards the front?
Personally, I think past the sound tent:
Small/medium totems = awesome.
Small Funny signs/art = awesome.
Waving a flag during big moments or to find friends = probably fine.
A giant totem/flag that’s constantly above everyone’s heads = that’s pushing it
A big flag dead center, right in front of the stage, for an entire set = crossing the line for me.
I don’t think the answer is “no flags/totems.” The culture is part of what makes festivals fun. I just think there has to be some consideration for the people behind you.
Curious what everyone else thinks. Am I being unreasonable, or is there a point where your festival expression starts interfering with everyone else’s experience? Where would you draw the line?