D/SLR Cameras Not Allowed on Concerts... Why?

Camera deposit at Yas Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi during F1 after race concerts

This is the most frustrating fact. You have a DSLR camera, spent a lot on accessories, fascinated to take beautiful snaps, yet come your favorite concert, you're not permitted to carry it with you. But you are just a passionate hobbyist.  How bitter could that be?

Why are these concert organizers stiff on this policy? Is it simply defending the copyright of the performance? They don't want the audience to capture high quality photos and videos and reproduce 'pirated' CDs or DVDs huh (?) They don't allow us to make high resolution photos that we'll publish online with our logo/name watermark in it; or they avoid us making unauthorized 'merchandise' like shirts, mugs and other prints of the artists or the concert - and monetize from it (?) What else?


Apparently, capturing our experience in high quality outputs isn't included in the ticket price we pay.  I asked Think Flash Abu Dhabi on Facebook and they replied, "No professional cameras are allowed. Only personal pocket cameras."

We may have 'professional' cameras, but we're not professional photographers.  How do they classify 'professional' cameras anyway - anything big is one? As I understand, a good professional photographer could still take a quality photo even if he's using a point and shoot.

I hope this policy would soon be scrapped. For now, it would take a genius to hide and get his D/SLR in.