Singers continue to be attacked on stage in a dangerous trend

The line between fan and artist has never been so fine as a worrying trend is causing celebrities to injure themselves live on stage.

In the last year, Harry Styles, Ava Max, Bebe Rexha and more artists have been hit by projectiles thrown at them by alleged fans. Lil Nas X and Pink have also been filmed reacting to having unusual objects thrown at them during live performances.

Charlie Puth told his fans Twitter: “The trend… must come to an end,” adding that “it is disrespectful and very dangerous.”

A 27-year-old man was accused of assaulting pop star Rexha in New York in June after he allegedly threw his phone at her on stage. She canceled the show and later revealed the extent of it injuries on Instagram.

Nicolas Malvagna reportedly confessed to officers at the scene that he threw the phone and told police officers, “I was trying to see if I could hit her with the phone at the end of the show because it would be fun.”

While the number of reported incidents of musicians being hit by objects thrown by the crowd seems to be on the rise, there doesn’t seem to be a specific reason. There’s no online challenge, nothing linking the attacked artists to each other, and there’s been no fan announcement explaining why.

Frank Salzano, managing partner of Salzano Ettinger Lampert & Wilson, LLP, a Manhattan-based sports and entertainment law firm, believes the rise in violence against performers at live events can be attributed to the close “access” that fans feel today. .

“Fans have 24/7 connectivity with their favorite celebrities through social media platforms, which is what drives this phenomenon,” Salzano said. Newsweek. “This ‘access’ gives fans the false belief that they have the right to act as they see fit, often crossing a clear line of decency, including, in some cases, criminal behavior. Such acts of violence will likely result in increased security and more restrictive rules during concerts”.

In the last 12 months, the following high performers have been affected by something thrown at them:

• Harry Styles was hit in the eye by a piece of candy while performing in Sweden in November 2022.
• Bebe Rexha was hit in the eye by a phone thrown at her during a concert in New York in June.
• Kelsea Ballerini was hit in the face with a bracelet during a concert in Idaho in June.
• Ava Max was slapped by a male fan who stormed the stage during a Los Angeles show in June.

Recent clips have gone viral of musicians having unusual objects thrown at them on stage, but they weren’t quite getting hit. Lil Nas X stopped his show and reacted after someone threw a sex toy on stage, while Pink didn’t know how to react after someone apparently threw human ashes at her during a concert in London.

Adele addressed the ongoing issue during her weekend residency with Adele Las Vegas on Saturday. In a shared clip on social media by @Adelettes2 and shot by @mikesnedegar, she talks to the crowd while holding a t-shirt gun.

📹 Adele @Adele talk about fans throwing phones and stuff on stage at other artists’ shows
“Have you noticed how people are forgetting show etiquette right now by throwing crap on stage? I daresay…these people have lost it”
©️Ig: mikesnedegar pic.twitter.com/9G6pPyFT7M

— Adelettes (@Adelettes2) July 2, 2023

“Have you noticed how people are forgetting show etiquette right now and just throwing crap on stage?” he asked his people. “Did you see that? I dare you, I dare you to throw something at me, I’ll kill you,” he joked.

The surge in fans pushing boundaries with artists can be attributed to an infamous moment at the 2022 Academy Awards, according to media psychiatrist and author Carole Lieberman, MD.

“The current trend of attacking artists is on the rise, from stand-up comedians to singers. It can be traced back to Oscarswhen Will Smith He surprisingly took the stage and attacked Chris Rock, with the slap heard “around the world,” Lieberman said. Newsweek.

Lieberman claimed that society is “regressing” into “primitive behavior,” blaming COVID-19, lockdowns and divisive news channels.

If the current trend of fans throwing objects at artists continues, Lieberman admits it could have “major” repercussions for the entertainment industry.

“Putting up a Plexiglas screen would be an unfortunate solution because the audience likes to feel connected to the performers, and it would also dull the performer’s experience. One idea is to create a master list of names of the perpetrators that all the performers (singers, standup comedians, etc.) can be referred to as a check against ticket buyers. This is not foolproof, but a start,” Lieberman said.