FEATURE:
I, Object
IN THIS PHOTO: Rapper Cardi B recently threw a microphone into the crowd after a fan threw water towards her face during a gig
Why Is There a Disturbing Decline in Etiquette at Gigs?
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I have written about this before…
IN THIS PHOTO: Harry Styles has repeatedly had fans throw things at him (it is usually as a sign of admiration, it also is a very dangerous thing to do)/PHOTO CREDIT: Lillie Eiger
after there were a few incidences of fans throwing objects at artists. In baffling behaviour, some felt the need to endanger the security and safety of the artists. Recently, Las Vegas police dropped a criminal investigation into an incident involving Cardi B, in which the rapper was seen throwing a microphone at a member of the crowd at a concert after a drink/water was thrown at her. I can understand the reaction from Cardi B. That could have been acid or God knows what that was thrown! Maybe it was a violent reaction but, if you threaten an artist like that, then they need to defend themselves. I know, during that set, Cardi B encouraged fans to throw water at her p*ssy - but she threatened when someone threw water towards her face. It also, hopefully, sends a message not to do it in the first place. Sadly, I do not think we have heard and seen the last of it. I am going to offer some thoughts as to why this new trend (if that is the most appropriate word!) is happening. First, The Guardian reported on a rising number of cases where artists are being attacked by fans:
“Concertgoers have been sharing footage of numerous artists falling victim to unruly fans. Harry Styles was hit in the eye with a sweet in Vienna, Bebe Rexha received stitches after she was hit in the face with a mobile phone in New York, and Pink was left stunned when someone threw their mother’s ashes on stage in London. In perhaps the most extreme incident, Ava Max was slapped mid-song by a concert-goer in LA.
The man charged with assault over the Rexha incident later said he threw his phone because he thought “it would be funny”.
“This kind of disrespectful behaviour has become the new norm at live performances, but it must stop for the sake of an artist’s and crowd’s safety,” Sam Allison, the head of events at independent music store chain Rough Trade, said this week.
IN THIS PHOTO: Bebe Rexha
Some believe that the rise in incidents may be driven by social media, with fans trying to become a part of the show, in order to post videos of stunts that could potentially go viral.
In response, Allison has shared his advice for concert etiquette “so all fans attending feel safe, secure and most importantly, continue to enjoy live events”.
“Never throw anything on to a stage or at an artist while they are performing,” Allison said. “Phones, soft toys, food, drinks, flowers, and clothing are some of the most common items thrown by fans on stage, but when thrown in proximity and at a fair speed they can cause injury and also be a major safety hazard on stage.”
Alongside throwing items on stage, Allison said, other behaviours deemed distracting to an artist were flash photography, shouting and attempting to engage a performer in conversation.
Footage from the Cardi B concert last weekend showed the rapper taking matters into her own hands after a member of the audience threw a drink over the performer.
According to Las Vegas police, a concertgoer had filed a police report for battery after being hit by “an item that was thrown from the stage” – though it was unclear whether it was the same person accused of throwing a drink. But the Grammy-winner will face no charges due to “insufficient evidence”, police said.
The spate of incidents has prompted a number of performers to speak out. Last month, during her Las Vegas residency, Adele told her audience: “Have you noticed how people are like, forgetting show etiquette at the moment? People just throwing shit on stage, have you seen them? … Dare you to throw something at me and I’ll kill you.”
IN THIS PHOTO: Charlie Puth
The singer Charlie Puth has also urged concertgoers to cease the “disrespectful and very dangerous behaviour”, while Tyler the Creator urged his fans to “stop throwing your shit on stage”, and Kelly Clarkson told an audience they could only throw diamonds at her.
Some fans exasperated by other people’s behaviour have taken the matter into their own hands, posting advice on how best to deal with antisocial behaviour during concerts. Taylor Swift fans have even created a concert etiquette guide.
Dr Lucy Bennett, a lecturer at Cardiff University who studies the relationship between fans and musicians, said collective action by fans could create a sense of belonging within their community and allowed them to express their identity.
“However, I think something is changing more recently and we’re seeing more isolated, disruptive, individual physical acts such as throwing items,” she told the BBC.
Bennett also said people’s attitudes might have changed since the Covid-19 pandemic “where we couldn’t be physically present at concerts”. Organisers of other live performances, from musicals to stand-up shows, have long complained of rowdy or misbehaved crowds since the isolation of the lockdowns.
Myah Elliott recently told her nearly 500k followers on TikTok: “We need to normalise calling out toxic fan behaviour, when people at concerts are doing things they’re not supposed to be doing that affects other people’s experiences.” This included shoving to get to the front, she said. “Do not be afraid to shame them”.
@weweregolden THI IS NOT OKAY! STOP THROWING THINGS @ ARTISTS ON STAGE, wtf is wrong with y’all?! 🎥 @Kelsea Central @Kelsea Ballerini #kelseaballerini #heartfirsttour #stopthrowingthingsonstage ♬ original sound - kelsea ballerini fans 💛
Whilst some of the things thrown at artists has been unusual and has a slightly odd edge – like P!nk being handed a wheel of Brie! -, you have to ask whether it is this escalating thing where fans are seeing stuff happen at other gigs where artists are getting things thrown at them, and that sort of provokes a copycat reaction. It has happened in the past, though I am not sure that we have seen so any cases where the boundary between fans and artists is being violated in a very dangerous and real way. I think there might be a general anxiety and stress building. Maybe political events and the general state of the world means that, in the heat of a moment at a gig, some fans are finding ways release some of that tension. I feel social media playing into this. If someone can make a viral moment by lobbing water or an object at an artist, then that gets in the news – and, with it, gives that fan a sense of brief and peculiar notoriety! Not only is it disrespectful to artists by risking their safety and mental health. Where does it stop?! What is a fan goes even further and hospitalises an artist…or even worse. There should be a basic code of conduct at gigs. Etiquette that everyone should abide by. When attending gigs, fans should respect the rules and guidelines set out by a venue. By throwing an object at the stage, it disputes the gig and annoys other attendees. It also could escalate one time where someone attacks someone attacking an artist. Before you know it, you have a real problem on your hands!
Cardi B’s no-nonsense approach to a fan throwing water at her should let other fans know that artists will react strongly and fiercely if they are threatened. In a wide sense, it makes artists fearful of going on the road. It is hard for artists to ensure so many gigs to please fans and make a profit for it. Thrown into the mix is this new and peculiar habit of throwing objects at the stage. Maybe it goes beyond attention-seeking and social media focus. Some sites have theories as to why this aggressive and needless trended is happening. Following the Cardi B indecent recently, new theories have come out as to why fans are blurring lines and creating hostility. Billboard are among those who investigated a series of fans-vs-artists interactions that are dangerous and disturbing. Billboard spoke with John Drury, who is a Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Sussex. He noted how it is not only music where certain member of the public see fit to outrage and scare artists (it is happening in theatre and other areas of the arts). We do not want to get to a point where physical barriers are put in front of the stage! Extra security is expensive and, to be fair, impractical. No venue can monitor and police every inch of a venue:
“The incident is just the latest in a recent spate of similar occurrences. Among other episodes, fans have thrown a sex toy at Lil Nas X; a teddy bear at Lady Gaga; and a cell phone at Bebe Rexha — the latter of which caused visible injuries and reportedly led the 27-year-old man who hurled it to be charged with a felony. It’s enough that some event security professionals are worried the trend could tarnish live music’s post-pandemic comeback.
“People have been talking about changes in fan behavior since the return of live events in 2021, and it’s not just in concerts but at sporting events, theater and live comedy as well,” says John Drury, a professor of social psychology at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. Widely recognized as one of the leading experts on crowd behavior at concerts, Drury says that high-profile examples of rule-breakers experiencing the consequences of their actions can serve as an important deterrence against boundary-crossing that can go “beyond throwing things on stage…includ[ing] rudeness, aggression and dangerous behavior.”
Earlier this year, Drury and his colleagues at Sussex’s department of social psychology received funding from concert promoter Live Nation to study the causes of negative behavior at concerts and develop potential strategies for reducing instances of fans acting out. While the visual of Cardi B hurling a microphone at an unruly fan might serve as an important reminder that actions have consequences, it’s unreasonable to expect artists to physically enforce conduct rules at their shows.
It’s more reasonable to task venue personnel with identifying and deterring bad actors from engaging in bad behavior — but that, says Drury, is only slightly more effective. Most venue staff members are responsible for different elements of show production, while security staff is often tasked with defensive objectives like keeping fans out of dressing rooms, enforcing credentials and controlling access to meet and greets. But fans behaving badly in the audience is largely a blind spot.
“Fans are a venue’s most effective resource for preventing show stoppage and disruptive behavior,” says Drury, who advocates for greater resources to train venue staff. Through training and education, Drury wants to see venues develop fan communities that police themselves and deter bad behavior.
Drury’s theory that fan behavior can be externally formed and channeled in a way that encourages self-policing comes from a career spent studying crowd dynamics. Unlike traditional crowd control, which he says was initially created to understand the “madness” of the crowd, crowd dynamics looks at the beliefs and values of crowds. Even an unruly crowd like the one that took part in the Watts Uprising in 1965, Drury says, can help academics understand the dynamics drawing them together.
“While the dominant representation of [those who took part in the Watts Uprising] wasn’t positive and from the outside looked like chaos, violence and disorder, if you look closely, you can see there are limits,” says Drury. “[They] picked only on certain targets … there are limits that serve as a function of who they are, in line with their social values and identities.”
Drury also utilizes historical research, survivor interviews and sends researchers to observe festivals around the world to shape his models on what he calls “the power of the crowd.” That can be critical when dealing with issues like a spike in cell phone throwing that Drury says feels driven by a need for individual attention. After all, fans and bands have famously thrown things at each other for decades. Underwear was tossed at crooner Tom Jones, mixtapes and CDRs were frisbeed at mashup DJs like Girl Talk and millions of bouquets were thrown on stage for legends like the late Selena Quintanilla and Jenni Rivera. Alice Cooper once had a live chicken thrown at him on stage while performing in Toronto, leading the shock rocker to cup the chicken with both hands and throw it back into the crowd, thinking it would fly off. It didn’t”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Wendy Wei/Pexels
Last month, Los Angeles Times wrote about a series of events where fans threw various objects at artists. Even though this ‘Rock & Roll behaviour’ is old and has happened for decades, there seems something more sinister and unmotivated when you look at why fans now would behave like this and the type of artists being targeted. This is not a case of wild fans reacting to the energy of a gig and rebelling. Many incidents seem to suggest, after social distancing during the pandemic, people seem unsure where the boundaries are now between fans and artists:
“We knew at the beginning of this concert season that crowds were more rambunctious,” he said. “Young people want to get crazy. They lost a huge part of their lives during the pandemic.”
Carla Penna is a psychoanalyst and crowd researcher in Rio de Janeiro, and author of “From Crowd Psychology to Dynamics of Large Groups.“ She said that social media and fan culture have shifted the borders between fan and artist, and that influences the sense of physical space at shows.
While throwing a cellphone at an artist seems irrational, the object could carry a psychological meaning for fans.
“With the support of unbounded social media, the real or fantasized distance between the fan and the artist diminished,” Penna said. “Thus, in a show, the audience might feel entitled to join the artist in person on the stage or join the artist in a symbolic way by throwing objects that represent or symbolize themselves.”
Penna agreed that “misogyny is a possibility” when it comes to the recent spate of attacks, saying, “Female artists have always been targeted as victims of criticism or violence.” But she also cited changing consumer expectations and post-pandemic rage as reasons why the border between fan and artist is deteriorating.
“After 2½ years of lockdown and social distance, people changed their behavior, and many still feel uneasy in crowded or confined spaces. Domestic violence, self-harm, intolerance to noise, feelings of disrespect and invasive behavior increased,” Penna said.
Simultaneously, “Audiences became more demanding and assured of their rights as consumers,” she said, citing a recent instance at the Rock in Rio festival where fans threw bottles of urine at metal bands they didn’t care for. “Crowds are demanding. We should never ignore for good and for worse their power.”
There may not be much a venue or an artist’s crew can do about a fan who really wants to throw a phone — or a relative’s remains — from the distance of a pit seat. (Rexha has since taken to wearing protective goggles onstage.)
Still, artists should be vocal about demanding venue safety and crowd control, Wertheimer said. After the mass shooting at Las Vegas’ Route 91 Harvest festival, the deadly crowd crush at Houston’s Astroworld concert and last month’s fatal shootings at Beyond Wonderland in Washington state, any chaos in the crowd is cause for fear”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Taylor Swift/PHOTO CREDIT: Beth Garrabrant
I am going to end with an article that suggests there is a two-way street here. If artists throw stuff to fans during a gig, then why can’t fans do the same?! I would argue that, for the most part, artists throw souvenirs and their clothing/instruments as gifts. This is a loving gesture and a way of artists showing their appreciation to the audience. Sure, there is a melee when fans all try and grab the item that has just been thrown. That quest for unique memorabilia can turn a bit ugly! I do feel that that response of chucking something at an artist is not the same. That is more aggressive. It is not a fan thanking an artist or showing them love. It is assault and a very stupid thing to do! Also, artists throwing instruments and objects to a energised crowd does not stop gigs. If an artist is injured or they feel vulnerable, then that could mean a gig is cut short – which then negatively impacts everyone there. Journalist Sinead Butler looked at this problem for an article last month. She noted how Taylor Swift has beefed up her security because fans were throwing friendship bracelets at her. Whilst this may seem cute and non-threatening, it is distracting for artists to face that. Also, what if something other than a friendship bracelet was thrown too?! I can respect fans who want to show love like this, yet they need to be aware of the implications and possible psychological and physical harm it can cause to artists:
“Paul Wertheimer, a crowd safety manager believes the increase in this kind of behaviour stems from post-pandemic aggression as we continue to simulate back in life without lockdowns, after being stuck inside for three years when nobody could go to gigs.
“We all said that crowds would be more rambunctious, disorderly, and energetic after people came out of being cooped up,” Wertheimer told The Guardian.
“When crowds get rowdy, people can feel anonymous, and that leads them to do antisocial, dangerous things."
Music fans have also reflected on this point with people criticising concert etiquette post-pandemic, with people sharing their rules on the do's and don'ts when attending gigs.
However, performers also interact with fans in this way too as we have seen Beyoncé throw a pair of sunglasses into the crowd on the second night of her 'Renaissance' World Tour concert in London.
While Harry Styles often splashes water on the crowd before he sings his song 'Kiwi' and DJ Steve Aoki throws a cake at the crowd when playing his song 'Cake Face.'
“There is a long history of artists throwing guitars, bottles, and clothing into the crowd,” Wertheimer said.
“It’s a two-way street: if artists don’t want to be hit by projectiles, they shouldn’t throw projectiles themselves. There’s mutual respect there.”
Although Wertheimer believes "increase staffing" in the crowd can "help subdue antisocial behaviour," Bob Brecht, the CEO of TSE Entertainment notes to The Guardian that mass shootings and stampedes are more of a safety concern.
IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé during her Renaissance World Tour/PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood
AstroWorld in the US, Seoul at Halloween in South Korea and, Asake at Brixton Academy in the UK are some of the recent tragedies that have occurred.
"That’s where most of the fatalities have occurred, so that’s where the efforts are being made to set safety standards," he said.
All in all, there is no foolproof way to prevent fans from throwing objects on stage without creating a space big enough between the crowd and the artist to stop this from happening.
"But an artist would never stand for that, because they get a lot of their enthusiasm and excitement from a crowd," Brecht added”.
I do think that, eventually, fans throwing things at artists will fade a bit – though it is always going to happen at some point. Many of the artists being targeted are women. That seems extra-concerning, though many male artists have been on the receiving end of fans’ reckless behaviour. Artists like Cardi B or Harry Styles should not have to be on their guard whilst they focus on giving a good performance! They should not have to have a ring of security around the stage and make the set look like a fascist rally or something very cold and police. Fans, of course, can show their appreciation. They need to respect the artists, the people around them, in addition to venue rules and safety guides. Even if it is throwing flowers on the stage at the end of a gig, I think there needs to be this boundary. Artists might also feel it is cool to thrown an instrument, piece of clothing or something a fan would love into the audience. Not that interactions between artists and fans will be sterile or non-existence. It is just that the verbal interaction takes the place of physical ones. If an artist comes into the crowd to interact and bond with their fans then that is fine. I know it is a hard situation to define, rationalise and tackle, because there are so many genres and situations where physical interaction between fans and artists is always going to be different – such as a Metal act encouraging something more raucous and dangerous. In any case, recent events how that we need to respect artists and their safety! Getting to a place where artists cancel gigs through a fear for their safety would be…
A devastating and heartbreaking thing.