John Mellencamp had some choice words for rowdy fans during his May 25th concert at Cleveland's Playhouse Theatre. Clevescene.com reported that it was clear that some concert goers chose to ignore the signs in the venue's lobby declaring, “This show respects theater etiquette.”
When a member of the crowd became too boisterous, Mellencamp snapped: “I don’t like people screaming from the f***ing audience.” Later on during the show, when Mellencamp was frankly discussing the state of America today, someone yelled: “Play the f***ing music,” to which, Mellencamp said, “Listen, hey, you guys, if these people don’t shut the f*** up I’m just going to leave, O.K.? Because I’m not used to this crap. Look, guys, if I wanted to play in this type of drunken environment, I’d play outside or I’d play in an arena.”
Regardless of some of the high-class venues he performs at, John Mellencamp always hopes that his audience acts with the proper decorum befitting any live show he performs these days: “People that come to my shows are, y’know — I hope — are a bit more elevated in their music taste and know that they’re coming there to hear music and not coming there to fight or get drunk or to party. Y’know, don’t get me wrong — I have nothin’ wrong with people havin’ a drink, or, y’know, bein’ stoned a little bit, but I don’t want fights breakin’ out. I don’t wanna have to stop the show ‘cause people people are jumpin' off the stage. I just can’t deal with that. Y’know, that was all really fun when you were 28 — it’s silly now.” SOUNCUE
John Mellencamp next performs on June 2nd in Baltimore, Maryland at The Lyric.
