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Concertgoers, stop throwing objects at performers, PERIOD
Your Guide to the Big City
Your Guide to the Big City

Concertgoers, stop throwing objects at performers, PERIOD

by
July 15, 2023

As crowd interaction in live performances is making a comeback. But out-of-control concertgoers, sadly, take the once-playful banter between artist and audience too far. 

For those at the back, there is an alarming trend of concertgoers hurling random objects on stage. The intentions always vary. But one thing is apparent, to get their favorite artists’ split-second attention while competing with a crowd of hundreds or thousands. 

Concertgoers, stop throwing objects at performers, PERIOD

Recently, Bebe Rexha hogged the headlines after someone from the crowd catapults a cell phone at her, simply thinking, “It would be funny.” In the aftermath, the identified assailant was charged with assault, and Rexha had to get multiple stitches and was left with a black eye. Shortly after this happened, a fan rushes to the stage and scratches Ava Max in the eye mid-performance.

After a week, Kelsea Ballerini joins the list and is hit with a friendship bracelet in the eye, forcing her to pause mid-song. In the same week, Pink was taken aback by bizarre gifts on stage, including a massive wheel of Brie cheese and the ashes of someone’s mother’s remains enclosed in a zip-lock bag.

INSTAGRAM | Bebe Rexha

Getting artists’ attention one way or another

However, these attacks are not isolated events. After rapper Kid Cudi replaced controversial artist Kanye West on short notice as the headliner for the 2022 Rolling Loud Festival, water bottles spur from the crowd and hit him square in the face.

After multiple warnings, he later walks offstage. While a fan of ‘Motomami‘ star Rosalía tosses a bouquet of roses that directly hit her in the face.

Although, there are times this disruptive habit eventually backfires to the audience. Steve Lacy smashes a camera that hits his leg and storms out. While Rapper Lil Uzi Vert throws a phone back to the crowd at Wireless Festival and left a woman with a head injury.

British Pop star Harry Styles is also not a stranger to dodging objects coming in his direction (get it?) from his former band and now as a solo artist. It progressively becomes his whole shtick collecting mementos from the crowd that had been thrown on stage. Such as feather boas, cowboy boy hats, and pride flags alike. Styles even went viral when a fan tossed a stale chicken nugget to the stage, and fans chanted “eat it” multiple times. But sometimes, the running gag goes too far. A tampon hits his face, pelted with Skittles, leaving him temporarily blind and having to wear an eye patch. 

To dial back a few years, in 2018, rapper Swae Lee got the same scenario as Rexha while performing in an opening set in Dallas. The “Black Beatles” rapper had to get multiple stitches for his bloodied and swollen lip after someone chucks their phone at him. He later took it to social media to address his injury and threatened to sue the person involved.

TWITTER | Rap Up

It is not a generation thing

Some may go on the easy route of blaming the present generation, but this has happened before. At the 2004 Norwegian music festival, a lollipop nails singer David Bowie in his only good eye, referencing his other eye damaged in a childhood fight. Bowie keeps his composure, continues his set, and jokes to the crowd since he wasn’t severely injured.

TWITTER | kennylanglea

Similarly, on the topic of sweet goods, the fans of Beatlemania continuously pelt jelly babies on stage after learning band guitarist George Harrison likes eating them. The Beatles dodges an annoying amount of jelly babies in the United Kingdom, while the US fans opted for a harder candy confection, Jellybeans.

It also turns awry for Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne when he bites the head of a real-life bat thrown by a fan, assuming it was a rubber toy.

Artists issue public pleas to concertgoers

With the string of projectiles leaving performers hurt and disrupting shows, many artists issue public appeals to concertgoers. End this insanity and mind your concert etiquette.

During her Las Vegas residency performance, Singer Adele cheekily calls out this alarming trend. “Have you noticed how people are like forgetting fucking show etiquette at the moment? People just throwing shit on stage, have you seen them?” Adele banters with the crowd.

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The pop singer jokingly warns the crowd while armed with a t-shirt gun, “I fucking dare you. Dare you to throw something at me, and I’ll fucking kill you,” as seen in the fan-captured video.

While last week, “Attention” singer Charlie Puth pens on Twitter condemning events that transpire. He begs everyone to “just enjoy the music” instead.

Tyler the Creator also asked fans the same line of message in a tweet posted on March 2022. The 32-year-old rapper wrote, “Stop throwing your shit on stage, i dont want it, now mid show i gotta move it, whats the logic fucking stop thanks b.”

He also shares a video of him pausing his live show to air his frustration. “I don’t understand the logic of throwing your shit up here. “Not only for safety reasons but bro, I don’t want your s***. I don’t want it. Like, not even being funny. Every show, someone throws something up here, and I don’t understand the logic. Why do you think I want your s***?” He continues. 

Concert etiquette

Tyler’s statement cannot be truer, and a big plus on the profanity. Sometimes fans need more than tough love if their silly ‘intrusive thoughts’ lead to performers getting hurt. It is hard enough to secure tickets considering the Ticketmaster fiasco and this unforgiving economy. Why spoil everyone’s concert experience to enrich yourself for a cringe-worthy South Korean stampede and the catastrophic Astroworld Festival. 

Adored fans throwing objects to the stage for their beloved artists is as old as time, from gifts to outdated tossing of bras, underwear, and hotel keys.

Concertgoers are expected to be a sport and exhibit proper concert etiquette to recoup what we missed on live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Aubrey is a budding writer that covers facets of the entertainment industry— but television is what she's most passionate about. She grew up watching reruns of old sitcoms like Malcolm in the Middle, Girlfriends, and Everybody Hates Chris. Aubrey also enjoys watching video essays on Youtube in her downtime.

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