Smartphones have completely changed the way we experience concerts today. For some people, it’s all about taking selfies and filming videos to capture the moment and share it with friends. But for others, those glowing screens can feel like they distract from the magic of being fully in the moment.
One person who has strong feelings about this is country music superstar Miranda Lambert. She’s never been shy about expressing her views, especially when it comes to concert behavior. Her bold stance on selfies at her shows has created a lot of buzz, with fans and even the internet reacting strongly.
Miranda Lambert’s take on concert etiquette became a hot topic after an incident at her Las Vegas Velvet Rodeo residency last year. While performing her hit song “Tin Man,” Miranda suddenly stopped singing and addressed the audience when she noticed a couple of girls taking selfies.
The moment went viral, and it sparked a huge debate on social media about what’s okay at live concerts.
@leejunglovesyou What’s your fantasy? dc by me with V
♬ 오리지널 사운드 – Leejung Lee
“I’m gonna stop right here for a second… These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song. It’s p***ing me off a little bit,” Miranda said, pointing to the crowd.
She was clearly frustrated and added, “I don’t like it, at all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight; I’m singing some country damn music.” She then asked the girls to sit down and suggested restarting the song.
The video, which a fan recorded, quickly spread on TikTok, and it sparked thousands of comments online. Some concertgoers seemed to agree with Miranda, but others didn’t. “Way to embarrass and shame your loyal fans who adore you,” one person tweeted.
Another wrote, “I think her reaction was a bit rude and uncalled for.” One critic even asked, “Now you can’t take pictures at concerts? These people need to get off their high horse.”
Some fans defended Miranda, arguing that live concerts are about experiencing the energy and the music, not through a phone screen. “Going to a concert is about creating a memory. If someone wants to take a picture, they should be able to,” one Twitter user said. Others agreed that using your phone during a show can ruin the authenticity of the moment.
The fan who was involved in the selfie incident, Adela Calin, later shared her side of the story. She felt “appalled” by Miranda’s reaction, saying, “It felt like I was back at school with the teacher scolding me for doing something wrong.”
Adela, who was with a group of friends, explained that the selfie had only taken about 30 seconds. “I feel like she was determined to make us look like we were young, immature and vain. But we were just grown women in our 30s to 60s trying to take a picture.”
The next day, Adela shared the selfies on Instagram, showing her and her friends smiling while Miranda performed in the background. “These are the 2 pictures we were talking about when Miranda Lambert stopped her concert and told us to sit down and not take selfies 😱,” she captioned the post.
Despite the backlash, the controversy didn’t stop there. At a later show, Miranda spotted a fan wearing a T-shirt that read, “Shoot tequila, not selfies.” She pointed to the fan, read the shirt aloud, and the crowd cheered. While some fans found it funny, others felt Miranda was doubling down on her anti-selfie stance, and they didn’t appreciate it.
“Wow! Can’t believe this was her response to her rudeness,” one person commented.
Miranda Lambert isn’t the only artist who’s made headlines over concert etiquette. Many musicians have voiced their concerns about fans being too focused on their phones during shows. In 2019, Bob Dylan stopped his concert in Vienna, Austria, after seeing a fan take photos, breaking his strict “no photos” rule.
Beyoncé, in 2013, called out a fan during a performance of “Irreplaceable,” telling them, “You can’t even sing because you’re too busy taping. I’m right in your face, baby. You gotta seize this moment, baby! Put that d*mn camera down!”
Other stars have taken even stronger measures. Cyndi Lauper, during her 30th-anniversary tour for She’s So Unusual, asked fans not to take photos or video. Alicia Keys has gone as far as requiring fans to place their phones in pouches to avoid distractions.
Jack White has been especially outspoken, saying, “If your phone is that important to you that you can’t live without it for two hours… maybe it’s time to see a therapist.”
And the trend goes beyond phones. In addition to the debate about phone use at concerts, some fans’ behavior, like talking loudly or moving around too much in the crowd, has also caught the attention of artists.
Adele recently joked about fans throwing things onstage, saying, “Have you noticed how people are, like, forgetting show etiquette at the moment, throwing (things) onstage? Have you seen it?” Bebe Rexha, unfortunately, wasn’t joking when she was hit by a phone during a show, leaving her injured.
Kelsea Ballerini and Harry Styles have also dealt with incidents involving fans throwing items.
These incidents are causing a lot of concern about the safety and comfort of performers, as the lines between fans and artists seem to blur more and more. With everyone trying to capture viral moments, the boundaries of concert etiquette are becoming unclear.
So, what’s next for concert culture? As more artists speak out, both performers and fans are reevaluating the rules of live music. Should fans put their phones away to be fully present? Or is it just part of the experience for today’s audience to document everything?
For Miranda Lambert, the debate reflects the challenges artists face when trying to connect with their audience while keeping the integrity of their performance intact. When asked about the incident, Miranda didn’t seem to regret how she handled it. “I feel like I’ve done a bunch and learned a whole lot of what not to do.
I give less of a s–t about what people that I don’t know think about me,” she said. “But I care more about what people that are in my inner circle and really know my character do think.”
She continued, “It just can bog you down, and it doesn’t mean anything. You can get really caught up about what strangers have to say about you. But it doesn’t speak to your character, because they don’t really know you. So I’m just trying to be me and be the best person I can be and learn from my mistakes.”
What do you think of this whole situation? Do you agree with Miranda Lambert, or do you think fans should be allowed to take photos and videos during concerts? Let us know in the comments below!
