The recent increase in audience members throwing things – and themselves – on stage at concerts is a major concern for performers.
Mobile phones, friendship bracelets, sex toys … No, these are not the main answers Family Feud for, Name something you keep on all the time – these are just a small selection of things that audiences throw on stage during performances. A spate of dangerous attacks on stage performers has prompted a number of comments, most of which beg the public, you know, maybe don’t throw things at the person who dropped $200 (not including taxes…) to view.
Over the past few weeks, the trend has affected the likes of Bebe Rexha, Drake, Lil Nas X, and Pink, who have all had objects thrown at them by audience members while performing performing concerts. Yes, there is the old trope of tomato slicing – dating back to the 19th century, when disgruntled audiences would throw tomatoes at the actors – but the frequency and intensity of they worry them. Not only does it disrupt shows (Pink had ashes thrown on stage in June) but it causes serious injuries (Bebe Rexha needed stitches after hitting a phone , which the man did because he thought it would be “funny”).
But it’s not just phones and sex toys that hit the stage at concerts – it’s real audiences. In one instance from June, a “fan” came on stage while singer Ava Max was performing. The VMA nominee recalled that the man “He hit me so hard it scratched the inside of my eye.” While it happened under very different circumstances, we can easily picture Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars last year – and not being immediately punished for it . Some rightly feared that this would make such behavior normal; less than two months later, comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage.
Obviously this is a trend that needs to stop, as performers shouldn’t have to worry about silly audience members throwing kiwis (see: Style, Harry) or hands at a concert. Some have even warned their fans like Adele recently did, telling her audience, “Have you noticed how people are forgetting f*cking showmanship right now and just throwing sh*t on stage? Did you see that? I’m leaning on you, I expect you to throw something at me, I’ll kill you.” Rumor has it you’re better off just sitting down and watching the show…
Do you think it was expected to throw things at musicians on stage? Does audience behavior affect whether you attend a concert or not? Give us your take on the situation in the comments section below.
