From bra-tossing to flower-throwing, concert-goers have long made a difference by showing their reverence for their beloved artists, but in recent times there are a number of artists who have done so being hit by heavier projectiles raises concerns about extreme culture of fans and security.
Country singer Kelsea Ballerini became the youngest artist to be hit by a flying object at a concert in Boise on Wednesday night. In the moment captured on video, Ballerini plays his guitar on stage when a bracelet hits her in the face and she resigns.
Ballerini, obviously unprepared, takes a moment before going into a short break.
“Hello, I’m fine,” he later said on Instagram. “Someone threw a bracelet, it hit me in the eye and it scared me more than it hurt.”
Ashley Highfill, 30, was at the exhibit at the Idaho Botanical Garden and said Ballerini seemed visibly upset. Highfill, who often attends concerts with her friends, said it’s become normal for fans to throw objects on stage at concerts.
“Things like that can be very dangerous”, called. “It’s disheartening to see that when these people put on a show, when there’s no malicious intent, people don’t think about the consequences.”
On the same day, rapper Sexyy Red interrupted her own show when fans refused to stop throwing water bottles on stage.
Morgan Milardo, executive director of the Berklee Institute of Popular Music in Boston, said some venues will have signs saying “No Moshpits” or “No Crowdsurfing,” but perhaps signs specifically saying “No Throwables” are now required”. which are added to protect the artists.
“Everyone who attends a concert is responsible for mutual safety.“, called. “Concerts are meant to provide a community where people can come together to share the magic of live music without fear of getting hit in the eye with a chicken nugget.”
Gone are the days of in-person fan clubs, but social media users can always join Swifties or Beyhive online, or get daily updates from accounts owned or dedicated to celebrities. Social media has created a deeper sense of connection and emotional closeness among fans, said Laurel Williams, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine.
That sense of closeness was evident at a recent concert where a fan threw her mother’s ashes onstage while Pink was performing.
“That’s your mother?” Pink asked the fan. “I don’t know what to make of that.”
David Schmid, a pop culture expert at the University of Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, said the idea of throwing objects on stage historically goes back to the etymology of the word “fan.” The abbreviation for “fanatic” was a term originally associated with religious devotion. And many tend to view celebrities “as if they were gods, or at least semi-divine beings,” he said.
“From that perspective can you read the scenario as a kind of altar and the objects that are thrown onto the stage as devotional objects,” said Schmid.
The role of social media has also changed the types of objects that are thrown on stage. Instead of throwing a note, some throw heavy cell phones on stage hoping the artist will pick them up and record a moment for them. In some cases, it represents a dangerous demand for attention.
A man was arrested after throwing a mobile phone in pop star Bebe Rexha’s face on June 18. According to a criminal complaint, the man later told a third party that he hit the artist because he thought it would be “fun.” After the concert in New York, Rexha shared a photo of her black eye and bandaged face on Instagram, giving her a thumbs-up.
“I’m fine,” he said in the post.
“Although the show sadly ended, it was a great show in my hometown,” he wrote in a subsequent post.
While female artists have been targeted this month, including singer Ava Max, who received a slap in the face at her show in Los Angeles, even male artists like Harry Styles have been faced with projectiles heavier than underwear. At a concert in November 2022, Styles was seen throwing his head back in pain after a projectile hit him in the eye.
Taunts from fans in the middle of a concert aren’t exactly new: Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne bit off the head of a live bat after a fan threw it at him on stage. Some punk fans may remember the days when concert-goers spat at artists to show their appreciation.
But since such behavior seems to be becoming more common, Venues, organizers and artists could try to tighten security measures.
Paul Wertheimer, founder of Crowd Management Strategies/Crowdsafe, said artists often have security contracts with the promoter that detail what type of security the artists pay for or want at the show. Venues may also choose to limit what can be brought or sold into the venue.
“You need proper security to protect the artist”said Wertheimer.
Safety protocols at concerts have been called into question following the deadly surge in crowds at Astroworld in 2021. With recent advances in surveillance technology such as facial recognition and AI-powered crowd surveillance, fans may no longer be able to disappear into a crowd after throwing a personal item at their beloved artist, even if they’re doing so in jest.