If that is the tale on those advanced in years, The Man from Madras Musings now speaks of those who are advanced in technology. This variety comes armed with not just a cell-phone but also what is known as a tablet. And these are not the tablets you found in the antediluvian’s purse but those of an electronic variety onto which you can record just about anything. Owners of these are obsessed with leaving behind evidence for posterity and they capture onto the i-pad/tablet anything and everything – the sky, the earth, the traffic and, when in concerts, the music.
There was a time, MMM remembers, when artistes would strongly object to them. Some used to stop mid-performance to make some stern observations to those attempting to record. But now, it appears, they have given up on such blatant trespass of copyright. The recorder, therefore, does this brazenly. But it is often forgotten that it is an unfortunate distraction for everyone, artiste and audience. The device is held up like a mirror, obscuring the stage from view for several among the audience. But all this does not matter to the recorder, who is quite oblivious of the nuisance caused. He/she continues and ever so often keeps making minor adjustments. All this really means that he/she hardly listened to the performance. MMM is of the view that some of them might not even be aware of the concert in progress, such being their absorption in their gadgetry.
A sub-category among the recorders is even more advanced. This one sneers at the use of something so obvious as a massive i-pad. They instead have a cell-phone that does it all – from recording to photography to texting to tweeting to… Seated next to this kind, you are not disturbed by any sound other than the music, but there is so much going on by your side that it almost gives you the impression that you are with a one-man mobile office. It makes you quite tired just to watch it.