Why I hate participatory clapping

What is participatory clapping, you may silently ask? I haven’t found the best phrase for it, but this is the closest I have come across. It is when the audience claps along to a song being played, in time to the music, while the musicians play their riffs. Clap, clap, clap, clap. One, two, one, two. Audience members build up to clapping in time to the beat, one clump after another between each clap, until it makes a deafening thump, thump, thump, thump.

It's senseless. For one thing, I came to watch skilled musicians play. I didn’t come to have their songs drowned out the thumping claps of audience members, attempting to keep beat until it does a whimper with the same gravitas of a socially awkward person falling silent. I want to hear the songs, not the drowning claps.

For another, it’s rarely on time to the beat. Sure, the CENTER of a clap is broadly on time, but there is a little pitter patter up to the beat, and a little patter shortly after. It’s a rolling clap, not a single twinkle tone.

Other participatory actions are fine – I am not fully the Scrooge McDuck of the music world. I am fine with a “whoop” at the beginning of a song (like when Wonderwall played with Oasis live in Wembley), or the cheer and claps at the song’s conclusion (same with Wonderwall). And I don’t mind the audience singing along to a song in a concert – that’s the only time that works fine, while you’re in a mosh pit.   

What I don’t like is the constant clap, clap, clap, clap in time to a song, where people fall into rank like sheep to follow along. Then the song become a nursery beat for people to play along with (poorly), before it does a whimper over time as the less socially aware people fall into the necessary silence. Just enjoy the music.