I read recently that at a recent A Perfect Circle show on their US tour up to 60 people were ejected from the venue for photographing/filming the performance despite warning signs displayed around the venue (and that it has been a long standing position of all of vocalist Maynard James Keenan's various bands).

Is this going too far? To eject paying customers from the venue because of a bad phone pics from the back of the room?

The only instance of taking a quick snap that has gotten me in lukewarm water was at the Opera House here at a Wayne Shorter show, where an usher came and told me to 'delete that' (which I of course did not do because I'm a bad person). Though they seem to be a lot less strict on that these days with the number of rock shows they have there now.

Nothing wrong with one or two pics, but when some cunt has their phone in the air for the duration, and you're stuck behind them, it's incredibly annoying. No sympathy for people whose phones are slapped out of their hands, TBH.

Cameras/phones > Crowd crashers

Anything more than a "look where I am" snap is fucking shit. I hate APC, but good on them for kicking those cunts out. If you're in a crowd and some fuckwit hold their phone up the light coming from it is really fucking distracting.

I watched the taping of Smackdown at the Manchester Arena last week and I feel they had the right attitude.

A message before hand came on and basically said whilst they encourage the taking of photos for personal use, they ask that you don't film or record the event. 3 times I saw a security guard come down to the front and get the attention of someone filming and motion to them to stop.

They weren't thrown out or made to delete it or anything. But it sent a message out to others that it is being monitored.

I think that sounds like a reasonable approach. You can kind of live with a few quick pictures for the social media account, but the last thing you want to do is to watch a whole gig through someone else's 15cm screen (and seriously, who ever watches that footage - it's usually so poor quality that it is hardly worth it).

I think in the case of APC/Tool that it is a policy they have had in place forever, but it is certainly a lot harder now that everyone effectively has a camera in their pocket.

If I'm stood on the barrier or one row behind (which is more often than not), then I'll usually take loads of pics because I don't have to hold my camera up in the air obscuring anyone's face. If I'm further back, then I'll usually only take a handful.

The only time I film anything is when I want to show my daughter an act playing a song she likes. So, not very often.
In fact, I think the last time I filmed at a gig was one Misfits song in 2014.

My missus really shits me when she's constantly asking me to put a hold on my enjoyment of an outing in order to take photos that we'll never look at again. I can't stand being forced to participate in or take photos & would prefer it if everyone could just enjoy the experience instead of trying to justify their attendance with photos that are really just being taken to impress their friends.