The silence of crowds.

⌾ : Ricoh GR IV Monochrome.⚲ : ///mock.brings.shops I travelled to watch an NRL match in Sydney last night. Australia vs New Zealand. The first time I have been to see rugby league played in such a large stadium. The thing that impressed me the most was the visceral wall of sound that was pumped into place. Thumping bass beats and an over-caffeinated announcer encouraging mass sing-alongs (Sweet Caroline is apparently the anthem for this) and kick-off countdowns. As soon as there was any break in play, it would all start up. Yet once play was underway, a weird quiet would break out. I could hear people far away talking about the action, I could hear the thumps of tackles and the sound of feet running down the turf. Not total silence, but considering the number of people in the stadium, a noticeable one. People were paying attention. And attention begat silence. Until, a try…. PS: It was an exciting, close match. Australia won.