Immersions May Vary bring phone-free live music to the 100 Club

There’s always something wonderfully nostalgic about watching old concert footage on TV. Beyond the hairstyles and fashions that instantly date an era, one thing stands out above all else – the absence of a sea of glowing phone screens. Instead, you have a sea of people singing every word, completely immersed in the moment, experiencing the performance together in real time rather than through a device.

While the idea of banning phones at gigs can be divisive and in many cases difficult to enforce, there is something appealing about the prospect of simply being present. For a couple of hours the distractions disappear, allowing audiences to reconnect with the music, the atmosphere and the shared experience around them. In an age where so much of life is filtered through a screen, there’s a compelling case for putting your phone away and living the moment rather than recording it – and it’s a concept that’s slowly creeping forward.

London’s legendary independent music venue The 100 Club will be hosting a phone-free gig this coming Sunday night with performances from brilliant bands VLURE and Big Truck. Produced by Immersions May Vary, Please Put Your Phones Away is the first in a bold series of gigs around the UK championing live music without smartphones, and how much better the experience is for both the artists and the audience. On Sunday (12th July) Oxford Street’s iconic basement venue will be headlined by Glasgow’s euphoric rave punks VLURE supported by Big Truck, the new project of Soft Play guitarist Laurie Vincent.

“Phone culture is killing the magic of experiencing live music,” says Benjani Lowe, Creative Director & Founder of experiential creative company Immersions May Vary. “No phones and being truly present creates a way more powerful connection. If you take a digital brick out of your pocket and hold it up in the air, you’re blocking what we can enjoy together with our eyes and ears. Ultimately it’s selfish to damage the gig experience for the people around you and everyone in the room is instantly less immersed than they should be”.

“Global icons Jack White and Bob Dylan have pioneered the return of shows without phones for a few years now – the electricity I experienced in the crowd at Jack White’s phone-free gig at Hammersmith Apollo was goosebumps good and transported me back to my youth. More recently it’s been cool to see pop artists like Harry Styles and Phoebe Bridgers announce special phone-free shows and tours, alongside legends like Iron Maiden who made their name before smartphones and social media became so dominant in society. They are top tier acts performing at major venues, so economically this choice is possible for them and their audience online around the world is already massive, but our hope is artists at all levels will soon embrace phone-free environments as the best way to play their music. We believe our phone-free gigs can positively contribute towards changing live music culture from the grassroots up. The purpose of Please Put Your Phones Away is to collaborate with great venues and great acts to show the experience of live music is immensely better for everyone when you put your phones away”.

Anyone seen using a phone during any performance will be asked to put their phone away and may be escorted out of the venue. Guests are encouraged to bring a bank card for purchases inside the venue. Immersions May Vary appreciate your co-operation in creating a phone-free viewing experience that is better for both the artists and the audience.

Remaining tickets are available on Dice – grab one while you can.

Published 7th July 2026