Can you take a musical child to a grown up concert?
Yes. I took my son, John, to a Deftones concert in Sydney at the age of 8. At the time, the Deftones were his favourite band, and (let’s be honest) who knows how many more times a band from the 90s would tour Sydney? If your child is truly passionate about music, then what is stopping you - aside from the price and venue restrictions? We have subsequently taken our children to see many bands, and have enjoyed it every time. Here are some pro-tips for taking your child to a rock concert, based on our experiences.
Age does not equal maturity
How old is the ideal age to take your child to his or her first ‘real’ concert? There’s no set rule, but there are lots of variables to consider. Common sense definitely applies to this decision, and as you know your child the best, no one should tell you what to do. For me, knowing my son could tolerate the sound, stay up late when needed, and take himself to the bathroom (with supervision of course), were the biggest considerations. Knowing he wouldn’t complain or get bored, was a close runner up.
John (age 8) at the Deftones concert in Sydney (Hordon Pavillion)
Venue considerations:
There is a big difference between bringing an 8 year old to a park concert versus a huge stadium show, versus a tiny, heavy metal mosh style club. We have done all the above with our kids, and some were much easier than others. Day-long outdoor festivals with kids’ areas tend to be safe spaces, but these are quite rare in Sydney. You will of course need to bring all the usual essentials (Don’t forget hats and sunscreen!).
Gigs at arenas can also be manageable, and we have seen a number of big concerts with the kids including Muse, Gwen Staffani, the Foo Fighters etc. The best option is to book early, and get some good assigned seating. If your children are not used to late nights (our kids go to bed at 8pm), then I would strongly recommend driving to the venue.
Smaller venues, like some of the heavy metal places around Sydney, are harder. More often than not, gigs are for over 18s, so it is nearly impossible to get in without some kind of backstage pass. The volume in these venues also tends to be challenging, and without quality ear protection I would not advise going.
Ear protection, and other concerns
All parents should be concerned about their child’s hearing, and the impact even a single concert can have. Do not take your child to a concert without quality ear protection, ever! Even as an adult, protect your ears - it is a no brainer.
For children, foam ear plugs will not work well. They will fall out, get lost, and frankly cause nothing but sadness and distraction. The easiest (and cheapest) option, is to go to your local hardware store and purchase some gardening ear protection headphones. These will absolutely cut the damaging high end sound frequencies, and stay securely on your child’s head. Better yet, you can get them in all sorts of bright colours - so it’ll be easy to spot your child if they get lost in a crowd.
Aside from hearing safety, you’ll also want to think about other things that can be dangerous at a show — think unruly, drunk attendees, to the crush of people filing out once the concert’s done. If you have a seat, stay there until things clear out a bit, otherwise move towards the back during the encore - just keep out of the way. Better yet, and it may seem like sacrilege to some, it is always a good idea to skip the encore and exit before the masses. Get out, get to the car, and get on the freeway before anyone else does!