It sounds like a fun night, and it's mad that everyone can get just as hyped up to a recording haha, but in a way, the excitement is probably infectious. One person cheers, and automatically everyone follows.
Yeah, I know what you mean about people using phones during entire sets. I'm pretty guilty of this though, usually I'll get one full song when at a gig and then I put the phone away for the rest of the time.
You know, for all the gigs I've been to, I'm not sure what my favourite is. Maybe seeing Bad Manners last year. My band supported them on their Irish tour, and when we played Galway, since it was the last night we were all able to go wild after our set. In general, the band were great, but I think the fact that we could relax was the biggest reason it's memorable. They're such talented musicians, and had the whole place moving from start to finish.
Sounds like crazy fun! I have zero experience on the stage and would never get up there, The only thing I can do on a guitar is play a single pentatonic scale, and I can't sing for shit :D
The best live acts I've seen are Machine Head and Halestorm - on separate occasions, but at the same venue, and they both brought the freakin' roof down.