Concert phone ban: When comedian Chris Rock says blackout, he means blackout

Former Saturday Night Live comedian Chris Rock is telling his fans to leave their cellphones behind, or lock them away, or their night out won't be so funny.

Fans heading to his Sept. 14 Total Blackout performance in Vancouver will have to stowtheir phones and any electronic devices in individual Yondrpouches, which will be locked until the end of the evening.

The soft pouch is given to each person to slip their phone inside. It is then secured by staff and can't be opened until after the show.

For those desperate to use the device, there are unlocking stations outside the main auditorium. But anybody caught cheating is ejected, say warnings on the Total Blackout tour website.

"We appreciate your co-operation in creating a phone-free viewing experience," says the written warning, under a black and white image of the comedian, framed with smoke.

Phone-free concerts are touted as a way to cut down on illegal filming, non-stop selfies and other distractions that can take away from the performance.

• Put that phone away! Locking cellphone pouch puts focus back on the live show

The Thursday night show at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports centre will be the first instance of Vancouver fan being forced to stow their electronics, but probably not the last.

Irritation created invention

LiveNation spokesperson Sandra Merz told Vancouver media that the phone-free rule is a policy on Chris Rock's tour.

But concertgoers canexpectit will become more common as everywhere from schools to theatres look for ways to get rid of the distractions ofdigital devices.

Performers including Adele, Rihanna, Alicia Keys,Louis C.K., Guns N' Roses and DaveChappelle have already used the controversial Yondr pouches to stop people from tweeting or photographing at their shows

Yondrinnovator Graham Dugoni founded his company in 2015 after developing a product that makes phone-free live events possible.

The technology gets mixed reactions from fans.

Some ticket-buyers questionwhether they should be treated like they are in a classroom at a concert, but others have welcomed the experience after finding it more pleasant than they thought to be forced to unplug.

Locking up student phones

8 years ago

Duration 2:26

Yondr, a lockable pouch that controls cell phone use in concerts, has become a tool for schools