Artist’s poster on ‘gig etiquette’ goes viral, stirs debate

11 September, 2023

The crowd for Foals live at Glastonbury 2022. Credit: Andy Ford for NME

An artist who shared a poster of ‘gig etiquette’ they would like fans to abide by has gone viral and stirred a debate online.

Last week, singer-songwriter Lucy May Walker shared a photo of a series of rules she wanted fans to stick to on her upcoming tour of the UK.

“After my many interviews with various news outlets about gig etiquette, I’ve decided to print these off for my upcoming solo tour,” she wrote on X/Twitter.

“I’ve not seen this done before (& I’m sad it’s come to this) but I’m hoping it will encourage people to behave. Thoughts?”

The stipulations include asking fans to “read the room” and not sing along too loudly if no-one else is, and to “keep your flash off” when taking photos, trying “not to watch the whole thing through your phone”.

See the rules below.

In response, Walker has been widely criticised online and in the media. In an appearance on Good Morning Britain, Happy Mondays singer Rowetta hit out at the poster, saying: “To have a set of rules for a gig when they’re paying, I think that’s really awful, honestly. You should be a teacher or a prison officer.”

Others hit out at the poster for being entitled, and suggested that fans should enjoy live music however they wish.

The original tweet has been quote tweeted over 1,000 times, with one writing: “imagine someones having a panic attack in pit or something and they need to leave but lucy may wants u to wait until the end of the song to go.”

Another wrote: “you’re out of your goddamn mind if you think i’m paying to watch a show where i’m being treated like a damn toddler, if i want to scream my heart out i’m going to scream my heart out, if i want to record i’m going to record!!!! this new wave of concert “etiquette” is astonishing.”

However, Midge Ure was one agreeing with Walker’s stance, writing: “It is sad it’s come to this Lucy but I totally stand with you on talking issue. It’s difficult to understand why some people pay for tix then watch Netflix or talk/text/light up the room with their screens/spoil it for artists/audience alike during the show.”

Another added: “PLEASE follow this etiquette at every single gig folks! Doesn’t matter if it’s a 50 – 200 – 2500 venue everyone deserves to enjoy the show & the artist deserves to have an audience who are there with them, helping to generate that loop of connection & energy only gigs create.”

See a range of reactions to the poster below.

Across this summer, a growing trend has emerged of fans throwing items on stage at their favourite artists. One of the most prolific and dangerous cases occurred last month, when pop star Bebe Rexha was seen falling to her knees after a mobile phone struck her in the face.

The incident left her needing stitches above her eye, and it was later reported that the concertgoer who threw the device did so because he thought “it would be funny”.

The most widely reported incident came when Cardi B threw a microphone at an audience member who had chucked a drink at her on stage.

A police report was then filed that claimed a concertgoer was “struck by an item that was thrown from the stage.” Although she wasn’t named in the report, the date and location on the report coincided with Cardi B’s performance. As of August 3, the criminal battery case against the Bronx star has been dropped.

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