IN PHOTOS: Indian musicians, fans dive into unruly fan behaviour and its effects during music festivals

Most recently objects were thrown at Nick Jonas, Cardi B and even Harry Styles while they were performing on stage. While it has always happened, musicians say it is increasing and not good to be at the receiving end of it

Updated On: 2023-08-24 09:41 AM IST

Compiled by : Nascimento Pinto

Most recently, Mumbaikar and avid festival and concert goer Schubert Fernandes witnessed a fan throw her mothers's ashes on the stage at the Pink's concert at Hyde Park in London. Photo Courtesy: Schubert Fernandes

Fernandes, who has been attending concerts for more than 20 years now, says while it earlier seemed a part of the fandom, it has now gone out of control. While he has seen people throw flowers and soft toys, the one's like the ashes are bizarre. It is also why he believes strict action should be taken and organisers can do their part by adding clauses in their guidelines. Photo Courtesy: Schubert Fernandes

Delhi-based musician Subir Malik, founder and organist of India's iconic rock band Parikrama has seen this over 32 years and has personally experienced it himself, and such behaviour is not acceptable because it spoils the vibe of everybody around including musicians on stage and fans too. While organisers have taken corrective measures by replacing glass bottles with plastic cups, there is not much they can do otherwise because no performer wants the audience to be 30 feet away because musicians get the energy from the crowd. He advises that musicians should just let the security handle it, and continue with the concert because there are many other fans who have come to watch them. Photo Courtesy: Amit Sharma

Mumbai singer-songwriter Nikhil D'Souza says unruly fan behaviour isn't justified and action should definitely be taken because the stage is an exclusive and sacred space for the artist, and only they and the organiser get to decide what is on it. He says the organisers should take strict action against the person, and announce that any further disruption will need to the cancellation of the show. Photo Courtesy: Nikhil D'Souza 

When D'Souza has performed in the past, there were some attendees threw small stones at the band members, so the Mumbai singer took matters into his hands. They stopped the show and got the organiser to announce that further disruption would cause show cancellation, and then continued after he personally addressed the audience requesting them to respect their time and effort. Photo Courtesy: Nikhil D'Souza

Brennon Alexander, another regular music festival attendee says fans need to understand that when people have paid to see their favourite artist, it's essential to express love and respect. Disrupting their performance can lead to frustration and even their departure from the stage. Not all artists appreciate items like bras, shoes, phones, and drink containers being thrown at them. If fans are unruly, then that may discourage the musicians from returning to the country and that is not good. Photo Courtesy: Schubert Fernandes

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