Having flashing smartphones around you can be pretty annoying at concerts – not only for the artists themselves, but also for the visitors. One lady was particularly annoyed for this reason during a Pearl Jam concert.
Singer Eddie Vedder had to interrupt his concert in Zurich (June 23rd): Vedder observed a woman in the audience who hit a man on the head. Apparently she was angry because he filmed the show with his smartphone. Vedder was forced to interrupt the show and said: “Please turn on the light. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey – I saw the whole thing, I know it annoyed you. You were annoyed because he was filming all the time. Was it the whole show or just now?”.
He tried to mediate the incident, going on to explain, “The thing is, I know it upset you, but you can’t smack him on the back of the head even if you’re a woman. I appreciate the fact that you can be strong. Stop hitting him – you’re out. Violence is not allowed. I’m sorry ma’am, violence is not allowed. You could have waved at me, I looked straight at you. Sorry that’s just not cool, we don’t hit people here.”
Eddie Vedder may also be so mindful of audience dynamics because Pearl Jam had a bad experience. In 2000, nine fans died during their performance at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark – the reason was a crowding due to insufficient barriers. Nine fans were trampled to death and many more were injured. The following shows were canceled and the festival was put on hold. After this misfortune, it was initially not clear whether the band would continue their career.
Fans recorded what was happening in Zurich. Vedder’s statement can be heard clearly – it is unclear whether the woman actually left the concert. Her departure cannot be seen on the recordings. See for yourself: