Eminem warned those “easily frightened by loud noises” not to attend his shows during a festival appearance.
Eminem was criticised for using the sound of gunshots during his performance at the 2018 Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee earlier this month. Following Eminem’s performance of his song Kill You, many attendees took to social media and posted videos of audience members screaming and ducking when the sound effects went off.
And on Sunday, following criticism of the loud sound effects, the rapper displayed an irreverent warning from the stage at his Firefly Festival set Saturday night (16Jun18).
A photo posted by U.S. radio personality Peter Rosenberg showed the statement displayed in illuminated letters on the Firefly stage ahead of Eminem’s performance.
“If you are easily frightened by loud noises or offended by explicit lyrics you shouldn’t be here,” the statement read.
After his Bonnaroo performance a fan wrote they decided to leave the festival after hearing the effects more than once.
They tweeted: “I was having a good time at eminem’s set then he played a realistic gunshot noise. The whole crowd ducked and i’ve never felt more traumatised and ready to panic (sic). Completely inappropriate.”
While another also referenced the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, when 58 people were killed and more than 800 injured after a gunman opened fire on festivalgoers.
“Less than a year after Vegas and @Eminem thinks it’s a good idea to blast gunshot sfx (special effects) onstage at a music festival? Bad call on this headliner @bonnaroo,” they wrote.
A spokesperson for the star issued a statement to People.com following the event insisting he doesn’t use such effects in his show.
“Contrary to inaccurate reports, Eminem does not use gunshot sound effects during his live show,” they said. “The effect used by Eminem in his set at Bonnaroo was a pyrotechnic concussion which creates a loud boom.
“He has used this effect – as have hundreds other artists – in his live show for over 10 years, including previous U.S. festival dates in 2018 without complaint.”
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