FANS GONE CRAZY

IT’S a sickening trend which threatened to overwhelm Zim dancehall shows – fans raining missiles on the stage.

It led to a number of promoters, notably Chipaz Promotions, to plead for sanity at such shows.

Now, if you thought the madness was confined to our borders, then think again because it has just spread around the world.

Cardi B became the latest star to be hit when someone threw their drink at her at a gig in Las Vegas at the weekend.

But the rapper took matters into her hands and reacted by throwing her microphone at them from the stage.

It wasn’t that long ago that pop-star Bebe Rexha was injured and taken to hospital after being hit by a phone while performing.

The man charged with the incident said he thought “it would be funny,” but it’s no laughing matter for many artists.

Harry Styles was hit in the eye with a sweet at a gig in November and more recently Pink looked uncomfortable when a bag of human ashes was thrown on stage.

Sweet but Psycho singer Ava Max has also been slapped on stage and someone threw a bracelet at country singer Kelsea Ballerini.

The Kelsea incident led singer Charlie Puth to plead with fans on Twitter saying “the trend… must come to an end” and that it’s “disrespectful and very dangerous”.

So why are some fans paying money to go and see musicians, only to start chucking things at them?

Dr Lucy Bennett is a lecturer at Cardiff University who looks into the relationship between fans and their favourite singers.

She says that collective action by fans can create a sense of “belonging” within their community and lets them “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 tells BBC Newsbeat.

She also says people’s attitudes may have changed since the Covid pandemic “where we couldn’t be physically present at concerts”.

And, Dr Bennett thinks some people are doing it because it’s harder to be seen by artists on social media.

“If you’re in the same physical space as them, and you’re throwing something, then you’re going to get noticed,” she says.

Throwing things on stage is not the only thing that crowds are doing to annoy artists either.

Lucy May Walker is a singer whose songs have been featured on Love Island, but at her gigs she finds fans aren’t paying enough attention.

“I have always hated playing music, where I’m pouring my heart out and I’m just listening to the sound of people chatting over it,” she says.

“You have to tell them off very politely without them hating you.

“If all of the audience are just talking through my set, I promise you I would rather just play to an empty room.” – H-Metro Reporter/BBC.