Recent incidents at live concerts have raised serious concern over audience behaviour toward performers. From the shocking moment in Bengaluru where Akon’s pants were forcefully pulled down, to Karan Aujla continuing his set despite someone throwing a shirt at him, these episodes have sparked questions about basic respect and boundaries at shows.
Singer King, who has performed at multiple large-scale concerts, strongly condemned such conduct, calling it “completely unacceptable, unwanted and uncalled for”. He tells us, “Sab ke haath mein cameras hote hain. Koi na koi iss mindset se aata hi hai concert mein ki koi scenario banane ko mil jaaye — jaise ‘shirt fainki, Karan bhai ko laggi, ek scenario ban gaya’. Aise log ‘bandaron ke haath mein ustara’ jaise hote hain. But unke comparison mein kitne aise bhi aaye hote hain jo pyaar aur support se bhar dete hain.”
Performing in front of thousands comes with unpredictability, he notes: “We perform for more than 20,000 people at times. We ourselves don’t know what to expect when we step on stage.”
King also pointed out the dangerous consequences if an artist were to publicly confront someone misbehaving: “Has anyone thought what would’ve happened if Karan bhai, Akon or any performer had called out that person? Unke fan itne hote hain, woh offender ko bahut badly ill-treat kar dete. We never want that.”
{{/usCountry}}King also pointed out the dangerous consequences if an artist were to publicly confront someone misbehaving: “Has anyone thought what would’ve happened if Karan bhai, Akon or any performer had called out that person? Unke fan itne hote hain, woh offender ko bahut badly ill-treat kar dete. We never want that.”
{{/usCountry}}As someone who has performed across numerous stages, King emphasises that no artist seeks or accepts such behaviour. “This is not what we, as performers, look out for. We want respect and basic decorum.”
Asked if he has faced anything similar, he says he has been fortunate: “You never know what can go wrong on stage. No one goes with that mindset. I’ve been lucky that my audience has always been cordial and supportive.”