Heart’s Ann Wilson doesn’t like concertgoers having their phones during the shows.
On the Broken Record podcast, the singer was asked how seeing phones in the crowd impacts her performance. Wilson responded by saying:
“It does change things, especially when [fans] come up to the front of the stage and they turn around so that you’re in the backdrop and they want to take a selfie with you as a background. I mean, that’s really distracting, because you just want to sort of jump out of the way.”
Maynard James Keenan Also Hates Phones At Live Shows
Later, Ann mentioned that she understood why fans want to take photos to remember the moment. But she doesn’t like being treated like a background for selfies. Tool’s Maynard James Keenan has a harsher attitude towards cell phones during the concert than Wilson. In a chat with Phoenix New Times last month, Keenan talked about why he doesn’t allow phones at his gigs:
“It’s rude. Not to us, I mean, I just did a whole photoshoot. I’m not afraid of cameras and I’m not afraid of phones. I’ve got mine right here. It’s a very useful tool.”
He further explained that when people record the whole show, they miss out on the real experience of the performance:
“There’s no way you can actually capture what’s happening in that live moment on a phone. You’re missing the opportunity of actually absorbing in real time what’s happening. The art of storytelling. Being able to actually recount what you saw without having to record it. Training your brain to live in the moment and see the thing, but more importantly, stop annoying the person behind you. It’s annoying, it’s distracting and it’s distracting for us, too. So put it the f*ck away, grow the f*ck up. It’s only two hours. And at the end of the show, we usually let you film a song, so you get your souvenir.”
Keenan also scolded a fan for using their phone during a February concert in Los Angeles. A fan recorded during ‘Intolerance,’ and Maynard shouted at them from the stage. Some people supported Keenan and others were disappointed with his behaviour.
You can listen to Wilson’s full chat below.
