Famous singer John Mellencamp was involved in a tense exchange with concertgoers in March when fans became irritated that he paused his concert.
Mellencamp used his time on stage in Toledo, Ohio, to discuss an encounter he had with a homeless woman and his grandmother, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but was met with immediate backlash. People in the crowd began to heckle the star, which seemed to trigger him to get caught up in a negative exchange with his fans.
One person could be heard shouting, “Play some music,” in a viral video of the moment that has been posted on social media. “What do you think I’ve been doing, you cock-sucker!” Mellencamp replied.
Not sure if he went back on stage but what a total dick move.
UST IN — John Mellencamp storms off stage after fans did not want to hear him promoting Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/I5UAkJGjev
— 🇺🇸Land Of ILLUSION🇺🇸 (@Landofillusion1) April 16, 2024
As soon as the male audience member urged Mellencamp to get back to performing, others in the crowd shared the same sentiment. Loud boos and murmurs could be heard from the crowd, as fans pressured the star to put on the show they were expecting to see.
The pressure continued to build, and Mellencamp addressed the hecklers head-on.
John Mellencamp performs at the Ryman Auditorium on May 08, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
“Here’s the thing, man. You don’t know me. You don’t fucking know me!” he said.
“Hey Joe, find this guy and let me see him after the show,” Mellencamp shouted.
Musician John Mellencamp at the Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center on October 21, 2010 in New York City. Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Someone from the crowd shouted out, requesting the famous singer play “Authority Song” and get back to the tunes.
The barrage of comments from the annoyed crowd set the singer off.
“Guys, I can stop this show right now and just go home,” Mellencamp said.
John Mellencamp performs at Northrup Auditorium on February 11, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images
“Tell you what I’m going to do. Since you’ve been so wonderful, I’m going to cut about ten songs out of the show. Here we go,” he said, before starting to strum his guitar.
A brief moment into his first song, Mellencamp declared his show was over and abruptly walked right off the stage.
He reportedly returned later and finished his set for the night.
Mellencamp spoke about the matter during a recent interview with The Washington Post.
Singer/Songwriter John Mellencamp performs at the Farmers for Climate Action: Rally for Resilience in Freedom Plaza on March 07, 2023 in Washington, DC. Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
“I do expect etiquette inside of the theater, the same way you would at a Broadway show,” he said.
“My shows are not really concerts anymore. They’re performances, and there’s a difference between a performance and a concert. Look, I’m not for everyone anymore. I’m just not,” Mellencamp said. (REPORT: ‘Barbie Girl’ Singer Lene Nystrom Leaves Fans Shocked After Bizarre Performance In Pajamas)
“And if you want to come and scream and yell and get drunk, don’t come to my show.”
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that Mellencamp was urging concertgoers to vote for President Joe Biden. However, the musician was only discussing an encounter he had with a homeless woman before he moved on to talk about his grandmother, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.