---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There used to be a time when people used…"
description: "\"There used to be a time when people used to hold up cigarette lighters and candles at concerts, and the place was aglow to celebrate the end of the eve..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/ian-gillan-4769_celebrate_there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used_2224376.jpg"
---

#  There used to be a time when people used to hold up…

![“There used to be a time when people used to hold up cigarette lighters and candles at concerts, and the place was aglow to celebrate the end of the evening, or during a slow song, there was this congregational euphoria that used to exist. It still does, but now it's a question of iPhones being…” quote by Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/ian-gillan-4769_celebrate_there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used_2224376.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/ian-gillan-4769_celebrate_there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used_2224376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/ian-gillan-4769_celebrate_there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used_2224376.jpg)

> “There used to be a time when people used to hold up cigarette lighters and candles at concerts, and the place was aglow to celebrate the end of the evening, or during a slow song, there was this congregational euphoria that used to exist. It still does, but now it's a question of iPhones being held up.”

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Live shows once used candles for communal joy; now phones dominate, changing atmosphere.

**In simple terms:** Concerts shifted from candles to phones.

Key Takeaway

Preserve shared experiences.

Themes

music culture technology

Mood

nostalgic thoughtful

Type

observational reflective

When to use this quote

- concert planning
- venue design
- audience engagement

Key Concepts

collective euphoria digital distraction

Questions to Reflect On

- How can live events foster real connection?
- Can tech enhance rather than replace?

A Different Perspective

Digital screens can fragment unity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Evening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evening/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“That there are such devices as firearms, as easy to operate as cigarette lighters and as cheap as toasters, capable at anybody's whim of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/that-there-are-such-devices-as-firearms-as-easy-to-operate-as/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [My journey has been a very slow build-up. Each year has been a step upward. I've never actually gone backward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-singh/my-journey-has-been-a-very-slow-build-up-each-year-has-been-a-step/)

[Vijay Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-singh/)

> [I was nervous about writing Slow Regard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-nervous-about-writing-slow-regard/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I did nothing but international liberation politics for ten years, and usually it was like, you gain an inch, you lose a half an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/i-did-nothing-but-international-liberation-politics-for-ten-years-and/)

[Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/)

> [I love my slow jams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-yarde/i-love-my-slow-jams/)

[Anthony Yarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-yarde/)

> [You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/you-know-how-this-is-if-i-look-at-the-crystal-moon-at-the-red-branch/)

[Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/)

> [I'm not one of those James Joyce intellectuals who can stand back and look at the whole edifice... It was a slow process for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-m-not-one-of-those-james-joyce-intellectuals-who-can-stand-back-and/)

[Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/)

> [Slow buds the pink dawn like a rose From out night's gray and cloudy sheath; Softly and still it grows and grows, Petal by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-chauncey-woolsey/slow-buds-the-pink-dawn-like-a-rose-from-out-night-s-gray-and-cloudy/)

[Sarah Chauncey Woolsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-chauncey-woolsey/)

> [The reason we have not gone to newspapers is because its a slow growth industry and I think they are dying. I'm not sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/the-reason-we-have-not-gone-to-newspapers-is-because-its-a-slow/)

[Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/)

> [To bring the benefits of the digital age to all Americans, the FCC needs to make it easier for companies to build and expand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajit-pai/to-bring-the-benefits-of-the-digital-age-to-all-americans-the-fcc/)

[Ajit Pai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajit-pai/)

> [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/)

[Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/)

> [“A brick could be used to slow down time. Sort of like a camel in a wheelchair pushed by a thirsty Arab. Hey, Khalid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-used-to-slow-down-time-sort-of-like-a-camel-in-a/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“The phrase “low and slow” was coined to describe the relatively low temperatures used for smoking and the lengthy amount of time it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-reader/the-phrase-low-and-slow-was-coined-to-describe-the-relatively-low/)

Ted Reader

> [I like Sam Smith and Taylor Swift. I love pop music, but I also like Sam Smith's slow songs. That would be more to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maddie-ziegler/i-like-sam-smith-and-taylor-swift-i-love-pop-music-but-i-also-like/)

[Maddie Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maddie-ziegler/)

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

## More by Ian Gillan

> [I love Buffalo. The people here are wonderful, genuine; they look you straight in the eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/i-love-buffalo-the-people-here-are-wonderful-genuine-they-look-you/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [I've been in music all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/i-ve-been-in-music-all-my-life/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [If you think of a solo artist, you normally know them by their name; you don't normally describe their kind of music. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/if-you-think-of-a-solo-artist-you-normally-know-them-by-their-name/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [I've consciously avoided actually reading anything about Wikipedia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/i-ve-consciously-avoided-actually-reading-anything-about-wikipedia/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [No matter what I do, I've always recognized that Deep Purple is primarily an instrumental band. That's where all the music comes from in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/no-matter-what-i-do-i-ve-always-recognized-that-deep-purple-is/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [We soaked up everything from Beethoven to Chopin to Jimi Hendrix to Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/we-soaked-up-everything-from-beethoven-to-chopin-to-jimi-hendrix-to/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [When I picked up my guitar, I spent the first day learning the chord E, the second day A, then B7, and all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/when-i-picked-up-my-guitar-i-spent-the-first-day-learning-the-chord-e/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [Deep Purple was sinking with Ritchie. We were playing to quarter houses in Europe, which is one of our strongest territories - in Germany.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/deep-purple-was-sinking-with-ritchie-we-were-playing-to-quarter/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [My first contract was in 1965. There were six of us in this band - my band before Deep Purple - six in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/my-first-contract-was-in-1965-there-were-six-of-us-in-this-band-my/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [In the early Seventies, I bought a dilapidated hotel in north Stoke for about £100,000 and spent the same amount again renovating it, putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/in-the-early-seventies-i-bought-a-dilapidated-hotel-in-north-stoke/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [I was an avid collector of Elvis' early stuff; for a young singer, he was an absolute inspiration. I soaked up what he did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/i-was-an-avid-collector-of-elvis-early-stuff-for-a-young-singer-he/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [The people who come to Purple shows are there for the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/the-people-who-come-to-purple-shows-are-there-for-the-music/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [How could I resist? Look, I love that record and have nothing but great, great memories of my time with BLACK SABBATH . Tony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/how-could-i-resist-look-i-love-that-record-and-have-nothing-but-great/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [If you've got a wound, and it's just about to heal up, and it's got a nice scab on it, and you think in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/if-you-ve-got-a-wound-and-it-s-just-about-to-heal-up-and-it-s-got-a/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

> [The band's a really close-knit family. We've got fantastically good friendships and relationships that have developed after all these years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/the-band-s-a-really-close-knit-family-we-ve-got-fantastically-good/)

[Ian Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

[Explore all 106 Ian Gillan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/)

## More Celebrate quotes

> [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/)

[Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/)

> [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/)

[Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/)

> [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

> [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/)

[Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/)

> [Trying to find this industry's tendency to celebrate the physical is a waste of time. So I'm happy to play the game. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/trying-to-find-this-industry-s-tendency-to-celebrate-the-physical-is/)

[Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/)

> [On Valentine's Day, couples in Calgary can celebrate their love for each other with couples' nude yoga - great way to get in shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sagal/on-valentine-s-day-couples-in-calgary-can-celebrate-their-love-for/)

[Peter Sagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sagal/)

> [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/)

[Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/)

> [No matter what day we celebrate Australia Day, let's celebrate it together and give thanks to the original inhabitants of this vast country. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/no-matter-what-day-we-celebrate-australia-day-let-s-celebrate-it/)

[Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/)

> [I'm not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-mekas/i-m-not-so-much-in-the-future-as-always-in-the-present-the-future/)

[Jonas Mekas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-mekas/)

> [Birth, life, death is a cycle. And they're all beautiful, you celebrate all of them. Animals do grieve, but they move on. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/birth-life-death-is-a-cycle-and-they-re-all-beautiful-you-celebrate/)

[Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/)

> [I just wanted to jump into the stands and start celebrating with those wonderful fans. (on reaching the Champions League final)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gerrard/i-just-wanted-to-jump-into-the-stands-and-start-celebrating-with/)

[Steven Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gerrard/)

> [What I have found is, so much of that is like a Chinese finger trap: the more you play to the dark, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-palmer/what-i-have-found-is-so-much-of-that-is-like-a-chinese-finger-trap/)

[Amanda Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-palmer/)

> [Undeniably, character does count for our citizens, out communities, and our Nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/undeniably-character-does-count-for-our-citizens-out-communities-and/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/while-we-celebrate-our-diversity-what-surprises-me-time-and-time/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I feel like the downfall of any person is the second an artist starts celebrating their work themselves, that becomes problematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/questlove/i-feel-like-the-downfall-of-any-person-is-the-second-an-artist-starts/)

[Questlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/questlove/)

Browse all 2,313 Celebrate quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There used to be a time when people used to hold up cigarette lighters and candles at concerts, and the place was aglow to celebrate the end of the evening, or during a slow song, there was this congregational euphoria that used to exist. It still does, but now it's a question of iPhones being held up.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ian Gillan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used-to-hold-up-cigarette/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Celebrate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used-to-hold-up-cigarette/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/ian-gillan-4769_celebrate_there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used_2224376.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/ian-gillan-4769_celebrate_there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used_2224376.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c9/ian-gillan-4769_celebrate_there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used_2224376.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There used to be a time when people used to hold up cigarette lighters and candles at concerts, and the…” — Ian Gillan",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ian Gillan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-gillan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There used to be a time...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used-to-hold-up-cigarette/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-gillan/there-used-to-be-a-time-when-people-used-to-hold-up-cigarette/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
