80s and 90s heartthrob Richard Marx has let audiences know cellphones are welcome at his gigs.
“Been hearing about more and more artists who are trying to ban cell phones at their gigs,” The Right Here Waiting singer tweeted. “While I agree that cellphone recording is the opposite of being “present,” if you pay $$ to come see me play live, you can pretty much do whatever the fuck you want. My two cents.”
Been hearing about more and more artists who are trying to ban cell phones at their gigs. While I agree that cellphone recording is the opposite of being “present,” if you pay $$ to come see me play live, you can pretty much do whatever the fuck you want. My two cents. ✌🏻
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) December 10, 2019
A fan claimed she was told by security that “the artist has requested no photos” at a gig he played with Love Is A Battlefield singer Pat Benatar. This prompted Marx to respond with “Can’t speak for Pat but I have NEVER requested that in my entire life! I got into show business partly because I WANTED attention! Take pics. Take video. Post that shit on YouTube. I’m all for it.”
Can’t speak for Pat but I have NEVER requested that in my entire life! I got into show business partly because I WANTED attention! Take pics. Take video. Post that shit on YouTube. I’m all for it. https://t.co/PH3yGkz6TQ
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) December 10, 2019
Fans had mixed responses to the tweet, with some saying they wished people would be more “in the moment” and others lauding the move. One fan joked “Who would have picked Richard Marx as being 2019’s continual voice of reason?!”.
One of the fans inspired to respond was Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes, who said “As a fan, I HATE having to look past a top layer of cell phones, screens glowing, obscuring the show. As a performer, it bums me out because I remember looking into people’s eyes. A few pictures is one thing, but the concentration needed to film, takes you out of the room.”
As a fan, I HATE having to look past a top layer of cell phones, screens glowing, obscuring the show. As a performer, it bums me out because I remember looking into people's eyes. A few pictures is one thing, but the concentration needed to film, takes you out of the room.
— Darren Hayes (@darrenhayes) December 10, 2019
Check out Richard Marx’s hit here:
If you live in North America or Europe and really want to make your own Richard Marx phone footage, check him out on tour at one of the dates below.
Richard Marx North America and Europe Tour, 2019/20
DECEMBER
12 – NYCB Theater at Westbury, Westbury, NY
13 – Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
14 – Resorts World Catskills, Monticello, NY
15 – FM Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Wilkes-barre, PA
19 – Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers, FL
20 – Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, FL
21 – Reilly Arts Center, Ocala, FL
JANUARY
30 – Tower Theater, Oklahoma City, OK
31 – Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts, Salina, KS
FEBRUARY
1 – Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Sioux City, IA
5 – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI
7 – Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Onamia, MN
8 – Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, St. Louis, MO
9 – Club Arcada Speakeasy and Restaurant, St. Charles, MD
12 – Brown County Music Center, Nashville, TN
13 – The Clyde Theater, Fort Wayne, IN
14 – MGM Grand Detroit, Detroit, MI
15 – The Avalon Ballroom Theatre at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, ON
18 – Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
20 – The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT
21 – The Paramount Theater, Rutland, VT
22 – Tupelo Music Hall, Derry, NH
23 – Infinity Hall, Hartford, Hartford, CT
28 – Cascade Theater, Redding, CA
29 – Silver Legacy Resort Casino, Reno, NV
MARCH
1 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
9 – Alexela Kontserdimaja, Tallinn, Estonia
12 – Musikteatret Holstebro, Holstebro, Denmark
13 – Kulturhuset Viften, Rødovre, Denmark
14 – Godset, Kolding, Denmark
16 – Die Fabrik in Altona, Hamburg, Germany
17 – Passionskirche Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
20 – TonHalle, München, Germany
21 – Gibson, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
24 – Kupfersaal, Leipzig, Germany
28 – Hall 1 at the National Palace of Culture, Sofia Bulgaria
31 – Alhambra, Paris, France
APRIL
2 – Union Chapel, London, United Kingdom
3 – Union Chapel, London, United Kingdom
4 – The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
7 – DeLaMar Theater, Amsterdam, Netherlands
8 – Muziekgebouw, Eindhoven, Netherlands
16 – Zermatt Unplugged, Zermatt, Switzerland
27 – Freilichtbühne, Zwickau, Germany
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