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I’m starting to wonder if 2023 is the last year we’ll have live concerts. The behavior being described in the venues is increasingly taking on last-days-of-Rome vibes. In June we were reporting on singers being pelted on stage with items ranging from hard metal to the macabre. For July the emerging theme seems to be The Artists Strike Back, with Adele shooting threats (and t-shirts from a gun) out into her audience, Billie Eilish saying we love you, but stop, and now Miranda Lambert stopping her own show in Vegas this weekend to tell some fans to get off their dang phones:
Miranda Lambert inadvertently waded into the ongoing discourse surrounding live performance etiquette when she halted a recent concert to reprimand a group of audience members for taking selfies.
Video footage shared on TikTok shows the country singer-songwriter beginning a rendition of her 2017 hit, “Tin Man,” before instructing her band to stop playing after she notices the group.
“I’m gonna stop right here for a second, sorry,” Lambert explains to the crowd, as seen in the clip. “These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the songs, [and] it’s pissing me off a little bit. I don’t like it–at all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country dang music!”
After taking a second to compose herself, she added, “Shall we start again?”
Vegas resident Adela Barnes, who was one of five women in the group singled out by Lambert, told HuffPost that she felt like she “was back at school where a teacher calls me out and tells me to sit down because I did something bad.”
She estimated that the whole ordeal lasted about 20 seconds and noted that she didn’t think she and her friends were being distracting while taking the photo.
Immediately following the incident, Barnes said she and one of the four friends decided to stay behind and try to enjoy the rest of the concert.
However, she no longer considers herself a fan of Lambert.
“It would kind of be awkward to go to another concert of hers,” she said, adding that she paid a few thousand dollars for her seat in the VIP section of Planet Hollywood’s Bakkt Theater.
To start, every quote from the reprimanded concert-goer is precious, bless. Second, Messy Miranda is back! It was only a matter of time before she entered this conversation, right? I mean, she once popped a fan’s beach ball that landed on stage. And in true Miranda fashion, her actions are leaving a wake of bitter divide in opinion. Some are coming down on the side of the fans, saying that for the amount of money they forked over on tickets, they should be allowed to take selfies. (On that note: who has “a few thousand dollars” to buy concert tickets? I’m really asking, I need data so I can go back and rethink all my life choices.) Then there are others, like Whoopi Goldberg on The View yesterday, who chimed in with “If you’re going to spend $750 to come to my concert, then give me the respect of watching me while I do my thing, or don’t come.”
Since two things can be true at once, my takeaway is that Miranda Lambert has a brash personality and a history of acting in her own interests regardless of others around her. AND I agree with her in this instance, put the phones down and be at the live concert you chose to attend. Call me old school, but I think it’s disrespectful to the performers–and to the other audience members–to be on your phone, even in a concert setting. And in a pinch, if you’re unsure about proper concert etiquette, most of what you learned in Kindergarten should help you out: no hitting, throwing, or name calling, and the seating is in order of the ABCs.
@nypost #MirandaLambert ♬ original sound – New York Post | News
Different view of the Miranda Lambert show-stopping moment at her show at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood on Saturday. Six women, taking multiple selfies, with flash, VIP section, backs to the stage. I get her frustration. This is ridiculous. #RJNow @reviewjournal pic.twitter.com/vZcMDIsH9p
— John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) July 18, 2023
*in my Suge Knight voice*
“If any fan that wants to be a fan and wants the artist to be all up in your selfies, all in your videos, come to #WeekendsWithAdele ✌🏾”
I crack myself up 😂
On a serious note, I highly suggest Miranda Lambert attend an Adele show. pic.twitter.com/GK4oZxlxL6
— Michele (@Mich_ele19) July 19, 2023
Why on earth would anybody pay that much to see her? Let me rephrase that, why would people spend that much money to see any artist? Is that really what tickets cost?
I guess I’m just being a cheapskate. : – )
Like everything else fun in life greed takes over and it becomes something only the privileged can enjoy (or those willing to put themselves in debt for it). As far as this selfie story goes I actually side with Miranda. Those women’s actions were rude to the people around them (who also paid a pretty penny to be there) and to the performers on stage (apparently taking selfies in flash mode so I can definitely see how distracting that could be). Just another case of people’s entitled behavior because it’s all about *them* and *their* experience.
Makes sense. Wish I had that luxury. : – )
I’m on Miranda’s side. It’s rude for the artist and for the other concertgoers that paid to go too. It causes a distraction. I hate this generation of selfie addicts. Not everything needs to be documented.
I get this. What is the difference between taking some pictures before the concert outside rather than during? They were being distracting to those around them, and to Lambert. People have no respect anymore, and no etiquette. If you’re not interested in watching, leave?
Setting aside the fan’s ridiculousness in their comments, I was almost on the fence about this until I saw that they were using a flash. I can see where that would be super annoying and distracting… not just to the person trying to perform, but to everyone in your airspace
I had been on the fence until I saw another view of it showing them standing up, blocking other people, with backs to the stage. The narcisism is strong with these women.
Yes this, 100%. Please watch the 2nd video guys. They are standing in a row in the middle of the seating area with their backs to the stage and the flash going off several times.
Also, this wasn’t like some mega stadium show. This looked rather small (maybe in a theater?). What those women did was pretty disrespectful, to the artist but almost more importantly to all of the other concert goers around them just trying to enjoy the show they paid for!
I think they are in a private box, which is why the tickets were so expensive.
and I think that is where MIranda could have handled it better. If she would have stopped the concert and complained purely about the flash repeatedly going off and being a distraction, I highly doubt it would have gone as viral as it did. Most people do know not to try to use a flash.
Backs to the stage is narcissistic? Huh? Adele’s fans do that but she joins in the selfie. The selfie isn’t the problem here the flash was. Miranda is not warm enough or good enough to her fans to do what Adele does clearly.
I’ve been to country music concerts with beach balls, the artist joins in -it’s fun.
She popped a beach ball at a show while looking at the fans. Miranda sounds like a party pooper.
She sings about women doing their own thing so rules don’t apply but only when it benefits her but no one else apparently
@ Meg
Why should she have to stop her concert and. join in on the photo because Adele did it. Also why should she be judged as “not warm enough” or “good enough” because she didn’t do that.
@Meg, why should she have to do something because Adele did it? You’re venturing into “she needs to smile more” territory.
When I saw the picture of the women shared in this post, I got it. That looks distracting and annoying. And my guess is that it wasn’t the first selfie they took all night.
There are a few artists (I think Billy Joel is one of them) who are known for filling in the first few rows with fans from the cheapest seats (as upgrades) in order to make sure the first few rows are full of happy and excited fans. I think Billy is the one who said that he was sick of looking at the audience and the first few rows were just the people who paid the most, and didnt know any of the songs, etc.
Same. At first, I thought a person had just taken a quick selfie and it seemed like an overreaction but when I saw it was a big group looking like they were at a photo shoot, I was like yeah I get it.
Exactly !!! That was not a quick selfie that was a bunch of women positioning themselves for a photshoot and it IS rude and distracting. And who says just because you have spent a lot of money on something you should lose basic decorum.
TikTok account Brandis Bradley covered “Mirandagate,” and she had an interesting take. The selfie woman “Lifestyles with Adela” is…really something. Uber wealthy husband and her whole schtick is how she owns all the Chanel bags etc., etc. It is possible that these women were just showing off and disrespecting the fans and Miranda and she (in her style) called them out.
I don’t agree with that at all. There are hard core fans who save a long time for expensive tickets because they like the artist so much and others who are not particularly interested but see cheap tickets and say why not go.
It’s especially disrespectful considering the angle needed for a selfie/ tiktok from the crowd with the artist in frame generally means you’re turning your back to the stage. It makes me cringe for them, but then it makes me annoyed that they don’t have the self awareness to be embarrassed of their behaviour.
While I completely agree that it was distracting, Miranda could have handled it better. She comes off very unlikable. Tell your fans before you start and then make an ass out of them. This behavior is nothing new. People are so obsessed with selfies that they focus on them and do not enjoy their present environment. But I still stand by my comment she could have handled this way better than how she did.
It’s not about being a fan of Miranda—it’s about “see, I’m a VIP.”
Billy Joel has the right idea.
If you look at the selfie, it looks like they are right in front of her. Distance is hard to make out, but they are standing, and it does seem disruptive to other audience members. It’s one thing to take one while you are sitting in the seats, but standing up and turning around to get the artist in the pic is a bit much. Those women sound very entitled.
I will say Miranda Lambert should probably make people put their phones in those locked bags they give out sometimes. My husband and I went to go see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler recently, and they banned cell phones altogether, but they didn’t make you put it in one of those locked bags. Instead, there were just signs that we didn’t really see, and so we almost got thrown out taking a selfie BEFORE the show even started. Thankfully the usher was nice and agreed the rule was ridiculous. It left a really bad taste in my mouth
I was telling my coworker the other day that I wish I had pictures from every concert I’ve ever been to
This situation is making me rethink that. There’s something nice about living in the moment with the collective joy of fellow fans. The good ones live on in my memories, so I guess it’s not that important.
Concerts exhaust me the older I get, and people like this are one of the reasons.
I don’t think this (selfies, flashes, violence against the musicians) is that much of a problem at smaller, more independent concerts. People don’t go there to post on social media how cool they are to visit the concert of a mega star, but actually there to witness the music and fully emerge in it. Whenever I’ve been to a more mainstream concert I’ve witnessed a crowd that was using their phones way more and also kind of aggressive and careless towards the other concert goers. All in all not a great experience.
And yes to be really sucked in and fully dive into the songs and the performance you can’t be on your phone. You also don’t to that in a cinema.
Adele has the right attitude, screw Lambert. Where we are right now wrt social media it’s silly to think attendees wont be taking selfies.
Completely disagree the group was being rude and disrespectful to not only Lambert, but others around them with their flashes going off.
Agree with Cody(?) Selfies indoors during a show always use distracting flashes, plus the posing blocks views of others who also paid to be there to see the artist. It’s beyond rude to everyone but the egotists who want to document their own presence.
It’s much worse than texting during movies, which distracts nearby viewers with the lighted phone screens.
If Miranda doesn’t want phones at her shows she can not allow them like other artists do. If she doesn’t want to do that she should calm down.
The woman that got reprimanded is a TikTok creator who is marrried to a much older wealthy man. Her content is mostly showing off her Chanel purses. She goes to a lot of concerts and is those expensive seats. Miranda is Miranda. But this woman is obnoxious on a lot of levels.
$750?
Who has that kind of money for a concert ticket?
I get that people are excited at concerts but the flashes make me team Miranda on this.I was in a Salt cave at a spa – dark, relaxing, soft music – and a group of women came in, wouldn’t shut up and started taking flash selfies. Are there any authentic experiences for these people?
Miranda seems like a miserable soul. Everything I’ve learned about her points to that. Just sad.
I’m a big fan of artists who outright ban photos during the show. Tool does this — they have one song where they let people take their cell phones out, and the rest of the show is no phones allowed. They enforce it too; security escorted out anyone taking pictures when they weren’t supposed to.
Speaking as someone who used to perform onstage – there is nothing worse than spotting a triple pirouette and then having a flash go off in your face. It can legitimately be dangerous! It’s distracting, if it’s too close it can temporarily blind you, and it’s just plain rude. Live performance should be enjoyed in the moment. If you want to take a selfie, do it before or after the show. Want to record a bit? Eh, it’s the world we live in, but try to be polite (I’ve had phones literally blocking my view of the stage at concerts). But remember some basic consideration.
Watching the second video from the other concert goer, I fully understand why Miranda called them out. The whole group stood up, blocking everyone else’s view, their backs to the stage and the performer, flash going off repeatedly in a smaller, dark theater? Hell no. I don’t care if you don’t pay attention to the concert, but as soon as you start impacting those around you? No.
That kind of group selfie is something you do BEFORE the show, or after. Not smack in the middle of it. So incredibly rude.
An artist has every right to call out people who are interfering with the performance and other people’s ability to enjoy the show no matter how much anyone paid for the ticket.
And she doesn’t have to be polite or funny. She can be as blunt as she wants. Rude people don’t deserve more than they are giving.
Yep. Miranda could have been more gracious and lighthearted about it but from what I’ve heard about her that’s not really her vibe and probably what many of her fans like about her. The sass and gives zero f**ks attitude. Also don’t get the comparisons to Adele’s huge ass stadium concerts where people taking selfies are level with her feet and are not blocking anyone’s view or causing any additional flashes of light. Anyway, also not surprised the women felt embarrassed about being called out and are no longer considering themselves fans. I wouldn’t expect them to feel contrite about it after being publicly called out, but Miranda probably isn’t sitting at home fretting losing 5 fans either.
I was once at a Josh Ritter (my favorite artist) concert in a pretty small venue and two women behind us were chatting the entire time so I couldn’t hear the songs, even after I asked them to stop. It was so annoying and rude.
I’m on the musicians side on this one. I’m tired of people talking, taking videos, and selfies during a performance. Watch the damn show, it’s right in front of you!
I feel like people have forgotten how to read a room. It’s a social skill that’s has to be developed and isn’t automatic. You wouldn’t be standing and screaming taking photos at an opera but can easily do that at an popstars stadium concert. Context really does matter when it comes to being outside in communal experiences. Sure Miranda wasn’t “nice” but those woman were rude and disrespectful to her and everyone else at the show.
I’m not sure if it’s covid or the distortion of the social media era or just me getting older but there have been so many examples both big and small of ppl forgetting how to be in community with others or actively disturbing others while thinking they should be praised.
I don’t see anything wrong in Miranda calling out those disrespectful fans and why should she be polite about it? Just because one performance artist accepts it and gets into it doesn’t mean others have to emulate that. They’re lucky they didn’t get a mouthful of Patty LuPone who stopped her performance and went off on a theatergoer not wearing a mask. I haven’t been to a concert in ages, but if I were in the audience and saw a bunch of rude people standing up, blocking my view, and taking multiple pictures with flashes that would be annoying as hell to me, let alone to the performer on stage who’s getting an eyeful of that. Since when have concerts become free for alls? And that includes throwing items at the performer. What?! I’ve noticed as well how manners and decorum have certainly eroded since Covid. I swear, some of these fans are treating these performances like they’re in their living room or at a party, and they just need to get a grip on themselves. I’m all for having a good time getting into the music and the vibe, but this is really overstepping when rather than being a participant, you become a part of the show and not in a good way.
I’m team Miranda on this because it’s about what song she was singing when they did this. She was singing Tin Man, a melancholy ballad she wrote after her divorce from Blake. It’s a beautiful, stripped-down ballad, and she is settling into an emotion, a mindset to perform it movingly. To be that close and do group selfies was so disrespectful and inappropriate. It’s not like it was one of her party-girl, hell-raiser songs.
“Whatever influenced you the most at whatever time of your life, it some way or another comes out in your art. The ‘Tin Man,’ I guess going through a lot of times where I felt pretty empty, I understood a whole new meaning,” she told iHeartRadio. “I mean, how many times have we seen The Wizard of Oz? But, something that the world shares is everyone knows what the Tin Man represents; cold, and empty, and loneliness, and heartless. And it just opened my eyes to it even more, going through pain myself. [It was] sort of an epiphany.”
What happened to going to a concert and just enjoying it? Why does everyone have to have their phone videoing the entire concert? You pay a lot of money for tickets so enjoy the show. No one cares about your video that you are posting for bragging rights. These women were taking a selfie during a performance. How is an artist supposed to feel when the audience is showing disrespect to get up during a song to take their own pics (nevermind the distraction to others who paid for tickets). Some people have become so rude and entitled lately.