Chrissie Hynde has blasted concertgoers for filming and taking photos during gigs.
The Pretenders frontwoman insisted all of the musicians she has spoken to hate the increasingly-common use of phones and cameras during shows and stressed how she would prefer people to just enjoy being in the moment.
She wrote in a letter shared on Instagram: “Hi All! Question: What is it with people and their phones? Why do people have to know how many steps they take every day? What difference does it make?” she wrote. “But my real question is: why do people have to film or take pictures at concerts or museums? Why???
“I was lucky enough to have dinner with Emmy Lou Harris (Goddess) the day before her London show at the Albert Hall. Our conversation naturally turned to people on their phones at concerts.
“This is a subject that comes up every time I meet any artist. It’s become like an unpleasant fug hanging over the head of all artists.”
The 74-year-old singer praised Bob Dylan for ensuring phones are taken from his audience on admission but expressed frustration that fans can’t be trusted to simply respect a request not to film or take pictures.
She continued: “You can plaster a venue with signs requesting “NO CAMERAS” but people don’t respect it. It’s as if people feel entitled even though the artist has clearly asked them not to do it.”
“(Bear in mind I’m not taking about pop artists who encourage this practice because they want to be on social media).
“Bob Dylan ensures that phones are sealed in a bag before a show. You would think an artist of his stature could make a simple request and the audience would respect it… No chance. People will still sneak in a camera or a phone. It’s like a weird compulsion that people can’t control.
“It reminds me of monkeys w****** in full view of the people standing around their enclosure.. and frankly, in that case, people deserve to be w***** at because monkeys should not be in an enclosure in the first place.. However, an artist on a stage?
“And no one seems to be able to understand why artists don’t like it. If you’ve ever had a mosquito buzzing around your head when you’re trying to go to sleep, you will get a vague idea of what it’s like to have people filming your show or taking photos while you’re on stage.”
After having her conversation with Emmy Lou, the I’ll Stand By You singer went to watch her concert – only to have her view “obscured” by someone filming in front of her.
Chrissie wrote: “And then after having the conversation with Emmy, the minute her show started at the Albert Hall, a guy in front of me started filming it on his phone.
“The concert was obscured by the bright light of his phone throughout the whole show.. (Someone did eventually tell him that he was being rude and his filming was distracting. His response was, ‘Mind your own business.).
“It happened when I went to see Sarah Snook do her one woman show The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Chrissie has stopped going to museums because of the same frustrations.
She wrote: “And museums!I don’t bother to go to exhibitions any more after my nightmare experience at the Van Gogh retrospective. Morons holding their phones up in front of the masterpieces so that no one could see them. I wanted to cry.
“My conclusion is: If Jesus Christ were to walk into a room the first thing everyone would do would be to pull out their phone. Can someone please explain?”
