Peter Davis's Gig Pose paintings capture the phones-in-the-air moment at every concert

There is nothing more depressing or infuriating than going to a gig, only to see everyone hold up their phone to record it. I get Millennial/Gen X rage when I see it happening. I've got no children on purpose, but it's in those moments that I want to tell off every last one of them and remind them that things are better enjoyed "in the moment". But it's no use. The virus has spread, and there's nothing I can do but bite my upper lip and wish for the '90s again.

The total disregard for other people's experience of such events winds me up just as much as people not sharing pavements, but artist Peter Davis is less grumpy about modern life than I am. We first wrote about him back in 2017, when his portraits of people lost in their devices painted an unnerving picture of our relationship with technology. Back then, Peter described the head-bowed, screen-lit stance as "the most ubiquitous pose on the planet". Nearly ten years on, he reckons not much has changed. If anything, it's got worse.

"My paintings tell stories about our time," he says. "I've been painting portraits of people on their devices for over a decade now, and they all began in response to me seeing a seismic shift in our technology addiction."

'Gig Pose' picks up the same theme but widens the lens to take in music and fashion, too. "It's essentially a continuation of my social commentary on how we're experiencing the world today," he says.

So why gigs? "There's a lot of talk at the moment about analogue escapism and the importance of experiencing real-world moments. But our online lives have become so intrinsic to our IRL identities that I don't think we're good at taking a digital break," he says. "Even at live gigs, arguably one of the last bastions of being physically present, our devices have become the intermediary. We are increasingly distracted from the experience itself, turning our attention to filming it for social rather than simply enjoying being there."

And he's not alone in thinking this. Peter points to Eventbrite research that found nearly two-thirds of gig-goers felt using their phones made them miss out on the live experience. He also mentions artists like Harry Styles and Madonna, who have nudged audiences to be more present, whether through phone-free shows or calls for better etiquette.

But ok. Even those of us who hate this cultural phenomenon are guilty of taking the odd snap. I went to see my teenage hero Evan Dando at Stoke's Sugarmill last year, and couldn't help but grab a quick snap. Guilty as charged. And even though I do get annoyed with others who hold their damn phone up the entire time, I'd never dream of saying anything.

Just moaning about it all can feel negative. But Peter says it's a modern problem that we're all guilty of sometimes. "I'm not saying I'm perfect, and I certainly don't want to come across as preachy. I sometimes film at gigs too," he says. "What I'm really interested in are the contradictions in our behaviour. We talk about wanting to be present, and most of us deny being addicted to our phones, but we're also compelled to record and share everything. I think that's a fascinating tension."

"My paintings aren't intended to tell people what to do or how to behave," he adds. "They're simply observations of the world around me."

The other obvious theme in this series is the band T-shirt. "I am really interested in the semiotics of clothing, so this series also explores the overconsumption of the iconic band T-shirt," he explains. "Take Nirvana's yellow smiley face tee, which is one of the best-selling band T-shirts in the world. As a result, classic tees like these are now mass-produced as fast fashion and worn for their aesthetic appeal rather than musical allegiance."

Again, he's not here to sneer. "Fashion has always borrowed from music and culture, so I'm not necessarily saying that's a bad thing. A lot of them, like the Ramones one, for instance, take us back to a vinyl, pre-digital era. So even if the person wearing it isn't into that band's music, I think they're picking up on the nostalgia it evokes."

And yeah, you've got to feel sorry for the younger generations. They'll never know what it's like to go to a gig and let go. They'll always be worried someone might film them. And many of them don't know a life without phones.

Looking at this series of paintings, the compositions are tight and very graphic. The detail is impressive. Each one comes from a reference photo that he works from in his studio. And while the theme is about our digital lives, the method is anything but. "I like that my work is grounded firmly in traditional practice, using real paint, brushes and canvas," he says. "There's a nice dichotomy too that my paintings, which are documenting our digital story, are painted traditionally."

Want to see them in person? Gig Pose will be on show at The Manchester Contemporary from 19-22 November 2026 at Manchester Central. Peter is also exhibiting with Bury Art Museum. If you do manage to bob along, do try and keep your phone in your pocket, will you? There are some grumpy, older sods who will very much appreciate it.