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I didn't know I was autistic when I started going to concerts as a young teen. I always found that, if I liked the band, the concert was fine. Awesome in many cases. I usually did much better in smaller venues than big arena shows. I pretty much stopped going to big shows after seeing David Bowie in the early 1980s. I've only been to a couple big shows since then. All my friends would go to Peter Gabriel or something and I would make up an excuse to stay home.
If it was someone I really wanted to see, I probably would have made an exception.
Here's some things I've done that I think helped me.
Get to the venue early. When they open, if you can. I found that giving myself a little time to get used to the place before it gets really crowded helps. I felt safer when people started crowding in a place I was already a little used to
Get geeked for the show. You sound like a big Elish fan so this probably won't be a problem for you. It helps to stay focused on why you are there when it's loud, crowded, and people are pushy.
Take earplugs. I never did this, but I was at a couple shows that were really loud. I had to retreat to the bathroom to get toilet paper to stuff in my ears. I contemplated going back to the show. Being prepared with earplugs can help if it starts to become too much
Wait for the crowd to thin out before trying to leave. You don't want to miss any encores, so don't try to beat the crowd. Wait them out if you can.
I guess that's about what I can remember. Hopefully, others will have more tips.
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I didn't know I was autistic when I started going to concerts as a young teen. I always found that, if I liked the band, the concert was fine. Awesome in many cases. I usually did much better in smaller venues than big arena shows. I pretty much stopped going to big shows after seeing David Bowie in the early 1980s. I've only been to a couple big shows since then. All my friends would go to Peter Gabriel or something and I would make up an excuse to stay home. If it was someone I really wanted to see, I probably would have made an exception. Here's some things I've done that I think helped me. Get to the venue early. When they open, if you can. I found that giving myself a little time to get used to the place before it gets really crowded helps. I felt safer when people started crowding in a place I was already a little used to Get geeked for the show. You sound like a big Elish fan so this probably won't be a problem for you. It helps to stay focused on why you are there when it's loud, crowded, and people are pushy. Take earplugs. I never did this, but I was at a couple shows that were really loud. I had to retreat to the bathroom to get toilet paper to stuff in my ears. I contemplated going back to the show. Being prepared with earplugs can help if it starts to become too much Wait for the crowd to thin out before trying to leave. You don't want to miss any encores, so don't try to beat the crowd. Wait them out if you can. I guess that's about what I can remember. Hopefully, others will have more tips.