weezy:

I don't use flash at concerts generally, and my camera instructor told me that flash only works at 9 feet anyway, so it's not worth it, unless you're really close.

Exactly! All the flash does is illuminate the back of the head of the person in front of you. Digital camera party/night settings don't work in my experience, either. The best way is to use a regular setting with no flash while steadying the camera on something (with the longer exposure, any movement of the camera will blur the picture). Then the lighting should be even.

Adding my two cents to this thread:

a) I'm a musician and camera flashes distract the heck out of me. I had to stop playing during a REHEARSAL once because the flash was driving me crazy.

b) if it's really dark, as Jefe says, all the flash does is illuminate the head of the person in front of you.

c) I find what works really well is to let the flash go off when it's covered up with something like a Band-Aid (capitalized correctly?!).

d) yes, the performers can see the people in the first few rows, and I know this from tons of personal experience. I'm not sure how far back they can see, but I once got a sign read in a foreign language from the fifth row.

What used to work quite well with my old camera was to cover the flash with duct tape. Worked like a charm.

Anne

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

HOB does say no to cameras as a rule, but they don't rifle through your stuff... and as a result I got some awesome Hanson shots there last September. 

My new camera lets me take good pictures in low lighting without a flash, which is really exciting.

 

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~Squeezy~
Bobby loves me, this I know, because my Seannie tells me so...
"Alan's true calling [is] to be a whacko percussionist... to hit things with mallets." ~ Sean McCann