From Sonu Nigam to Taylor Swift, These Artists Responded Powerfully To Disrespect At Their Concerts

From legendary classical musicians to contemporary global stars, many performers have stood up against bad behaviour during their shows.

The performing arts hinge on a sacred bond between the artist and their audience. When this bond is broken by disruptive or disrespectful behaviour, it can negatively affect the artist and their performance.

During the “Rising Rajasthan” event, singer Sonu Nigam noticed that a number of politicians (including the Chief Minister) left midway through his performance. This prompted the singer to post a video on Instagram, urging politicians to either leave before the show starts or avoid attending entirely if they cannot stay until the end.

In the video, Sonu said in Hindi: “Delegates came from all over the world to enhance the pride of Rajasthan. There was a CM, a youth minister, a sports minister. There were a lot of people. I could not see all of them in the dark. There were a lot of people. In the middle of the show, I saw that the CM and the rest of the people left. As soon as they left, all the delegates also left. I have a request to all politicians, if you do not respect your artists, then what will the people outside do?”

“I have a request to all of you. If you have to leave, then do not come. Or leave before the show starts. Leaving in the middle of an artist's performance is very disrespectful. This is an insult to Saraswati. If you are leaving, then this is not the end of art. I have a request to you, if you have to leave, then leave before the show starts. Do not sit. You are great. You have a lot of work. You handle all the responsibilities. You should not waste your time in a show. You should leave early. Thank you. Very humbly, I request all of you.

Sonu captioned the video: “A humble request to all the respected Politicians of India, kindly don't attend any performance of any artiste if you have to abruptly leave mid way. This is disrespect to Art and Artistes and Maa Sarasvati.”

Whether it's a globally celebrated musician like Adele or a classical maestro like Ustad Zakir Hussain, every artist deserves respect during their performances. Here are 8 times artists experienced interruptions, disrespect, or unruly behaviour during their performances, leading to powerful responses.

1. Arijit Singh

On May 7, 2023, popular playback singer Arijit Singh was performing at a live concert in Aurangabad, when an incident with a fan left him injured. During the performance, a woman in the front row grabbed his hand so tightly, it twisted his arm. The rather calm singer paused the show to address the situation politely.

In the video, Arijit is seen saying, “You were pulling me. Please come on stage. Listen, I have been struggling, okay? You have to understand this.” After the fan replied, he added, “You were pulling me. Listen to me, I am not somebody who's going to blame just like that, okay? I am struggling.”

He also said, “You are here to have fun, no problem. But If I am not able to perform, you are not able to have fun, that's as simple as that. You pulling me like that…now my hands are shaking. Should I leave?” Responding to his words, the crowd shouts 'no'.' He further repeated, “Why did you pull me like that? My hand is shaking right now. I can’t move my hand.”

Despite being visibly hurt, he continued the concert after a brief break. Fans praised Arijit online for handling the situation gracefully.

2. Iman Chakraborty

On December 3, 2024, National Award-winning singer Iman Chakraborty found herself at the centre of controversy during a concert in Rajarhat, West Bengal. An audience member persistently interrupted her, demanding that she sing Hindi songs, seemingly dissatisfied with her current track list.

Iman paused to address the situation. “How can you say that? 'I will not listen to Bengali music' is unacceptable. You live in Bengal, you earn in Bengal, and yet you say you don't listen to Bengali music!” the singer said. The moment was captured on video and went viral on social media, dividing opinions. She later clarified that her response was aimed at maintaining respect for the performance and ensuring a positive experience for all attendees.

3. Nick Jonas

On October 8, 2024, Nick Jonas faced a distressing incident during his concert at the O2 Universum in Prague, part of the Jonas Brothers' 'The Tour'. While performing on stage, Nick abruptly left mid-song after noticing a laser pointer being aimed at him. The incident occurred during an emotional moment in the performance, which made the interruption even more disruptive. Laser pointers can be not only distracting but also hazardous to performers' safety and vision, and a visibly uncomfortable Nick made the decision to step off stage.

Videos of the moment quickly circulated online, showing Nick glancing toward the source of the laser before walking off. Nick later returned to the stage, but the incident reignited discussions about the responsibility of audiences to respect performers.

4. Adele

In 2016, during a concert in Verona, Italy, British songstress Adele paused mid-song to confront a fan who recording the show. Adele asked the fan to stop filming her concert with a video camera and tripod. She told the fan, “I'm really here in real life, you can enjoy it in real life, rather than through your camera.” The Rolling In The Deepsinger's reaction earned her praise for standing up for herself while maintaining her professionalism.

5. Lata Mangeshkar

In 1951, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar experienced an incident in Nagpur that left her deeply upset and resolved never to perform there again. She had traveled to the city for a free concert organized in memory of her father, classical vocalist Dinanath Mangeshkar.

Legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar (file photo) (ANI Photo)

However, Jivan Vikas Pradarshan which organised the event decided to cash in on her popularity and make money for themselves by charging a fee to the huge crowd that turned up. When Lata did got wind of their plan, she refused to go on stage. The crowd became unruly, with people pushing and shoving. The lack of decorum and the organizers' inability to maintain order left her disheartened.

What hurt Lata didi the most was the blatant lack of respect for her performance and her music. Known for her humility and dedication, she had always held her audience in high regard. She was so hurt by the experience that she vowed never to perform in Nagpur again.

6. Pandit Ravi Shankar

The late sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar often expressed frustration when audiences left during his performances. One such instance occurred during a prestigious concert in the West, where attendees, unfamiliar with the nuances of Indian classical music, started exiting the hall mid-recital. Panditji remarked that this behaviour displayed a lack of patience and understanding of the art form.

7. Ustad Zakir Hussain

Tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain is known for his captivating performances, but he has also faced moments where audience behaviour disrupted the sanctity of his art. In one instance during a concert with Remember Shakti in the early 2000s at Rang Bhavan in Bhavan, the multiple Grammy winner couldn't stand the disruption that attendees were causing trying to get parking. The band didn't start the show until they had stopped honking. Addressing the audience with calm authority, he requested silence, saying, “The music we’re creating here needs your full attention.”

Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain (ANI Photo)

8. Taylor Swift

During her recently-concluded Eras Tour in May 2023, Taylor Swift stood up for a fan in the middle of her concert in Philadelphia. While performing her hit song Bad Blood, Taylor noticed a security guard being overly aggressive toward someone in the audience. Without breaking her flow, she repeatedly paused to call out the guard, saying, “She wasn’t doing anything!” and “Hey, stop!” Videos of the moment quickly went viral, with fans praising her for standing up for them.