Of course it's not quite that simple. People using phones at a concert affects everyone's experience. This is a godsend for some of us. It absolutely detracts from my experience in theaters, concerts, shows, etc when everyone has a phone out.

My feeling is that this is a valid choice for artists to make, and if you disagree then avoid shows where this is the policy.

This is exactly why performers seek to stop video recording in the first place.

Or part of why. There are several motivators:

1) use of the recording that could cost paying attendance in the future (e.g. copyright issues)

2) damage control of statements that they regret later (e.g. Michael Richards' racist rant)

3) Protection of the interests of all the attendees positioned behind and around you. When anybody is recording, view from directly behind is outright obscured, and the experience of everybody behind you, where you are in their field of view at all, is impaired by this lit-up screen facing them. People who are recording are inflicting their choice on all others behind them.

Which is fine. You are not forced to visit a concert where you can't use your phone all the time. It's a decision from the venue host.

I don't think it is socially accepted to use your phone in the cinema/opera/theatre either, so why should concerts be any different?

Someone holding up their large, very bright screen between me and the musicians absolutely is inflicting their choice on me.

The perfect argument against allowing people access to their phones at performances.