This concert season may be remembered as the Summer of Hurling Objects. Over the past few months, several music artists, including Harry Styles, Bebe Rexha, Drake, and Kelsea Ballerini, have been hit or interrupted by concertgoers throwing items at them onstage. These items range from beverages and vape pens to cellphones. The most recent incident involved Cardi B, who had liquid thrown at her face during a performance in Las Vegas. In response, she threw her microphone in the concertgoer’s direction, leading to the filing of a battery report. Due to the increasing number of incidents, some artists are warning attendees in advance to keep their belongings to themselves. Adele, during one of her Las Vegas residency shows, mentioned the lack of show etiquette and dared anyone to throw something at her, jokingly threatening to shoot them with a T-shirt gun.
Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, a professor of communication at the University of Arizona, believes two factors contribute to this trend. Firstly, after a long break from public events due to COVID, people’s behavior has noticeably deteriorated in terms of manners and etiquette, extending beyond concerts. The consumption of alcohol and other substances further inhibits their behavior. Secondly, the strengthening of parasocial relationships during the pandemic plays a role. Fans and audiences feel like they know these performers, creating a sense of friendship in their minds. Therefore, they may expect an actual two-way interaction with the artists, which can lead to ill-advised acts such as throwing objects.
David Thomas, a professor of forensic studies, suggests that the anonymity provided by dark concert venues and large crowds encourages bad behavior. He also believes that clout chasing on social media contributes to this trend, as people seek to go viral. Misogyny may also be a factor, as many of the artists who have experienced object-throwing incidents are women. Fan culture and the need to document everything on social media might play a part as well.
Throwing objects at performers is not a new phenomenon. It has happened in the past, such as fans throwing panties onstage at Tom Jones and Teddy Pendergrass concerts. The Beatles experienced a similar situation during their U.S. tour in the 1960s when fans pelted them with Jelly Babies, their favorite sweets, as an act of affection. However, some artists also encourage these interactions, either throwing items into the crowd or actively engaging with them.
While it’s difficult to speculate on the reasons for the recent increase in this behavior, it highlights the ambivalence and sometimes antagonism that characterizes the performer-audience relationship. It is unclear who started throwing objects first, but it seems to be an ongoing aspect of live performances.