Mitski asks fans to reconsider filming entire songs at her live shows: ‘It makes me feel as though we are not here together’

Mitski has shared a note with her fans asking them to consider not recording entire songs or sets at her live shows.

The Japanese-American singer is currently on tour in support of her latest album, Laurel Hell. On the evening of 24 February, after her performance in Houston, Texas and ahead of one in Dallas tonight, she shared her thoughts on filming live concerts with fans.

“Hello!” she began in a series of tweets. “I wanted to speak with you about phones at shows. They’re part of our reality, I have mine on me all the time, and I’m not against taking photos at shows (Though please no flash lol).

“But sometimes when I see people filming entire songs or whole sets, it makes me feel as though we are not here together. This goes for both when I’m on stage, and when I’m an audience member at shows.”

Mitski, full name Mitski Miyawaki, explained that she loves shows for “the feeling of connection, of sharing a dream, and remembering that we have a brief miraculous moment of being alive at the same time, before we part ways”.

“When I’m on stage and look to you but you are gazing into a screen, it makes me feel as though those of us on stage are being taken from and consumed as content, instead of getting to share a moment with you,” she confessed.

“Ultimately it’s your night, and I want you to enjoy it as you like. I don’t want to be greedy, I’m fortunate to get to play! Just putting out there that sometimes, if we’re lucky, we can experience magic at a show. But only if we’re there to catch it.”

Mitski is scheduled to tour Europe, including Germany, France and Sweden, after the North American leg of her tour concludes.

Laurel Hell received mostly positive reviews from critics. In a four-star review for The Independent, critic Helen Brown praised the “free-sounding” nature of the record.

“The tension between that craving for dance and the yearning to walk away dominates,” she wrote.

“Tendon-snapping beats on bangers such as ‘Love Me More’ are balanced by sulky dirges such as ‘I Guess’ and ‘Everyone”’ on which Mitski sounds (relatably) like she’s shut herself in the bathroom while the party outside rages on. She owns her contrariness.”

Read the full review here.