Lalah Hathaway calls for ban on phones at gigs
The Grammy-winning singer has lashed out at fans who behave like ‘paparazzi’
Grammy-winning singer Lalah Hathaway is criticising fans who behave like “paparazzi” when they take photos and look at mobile phones through her gigs. She’s lashed out on social media saying she feels like she’s at the zoo, saying it’s “distracting and rude” for people to constantly film and take pictures, or just look at social media while she’s performing.
Lalah says what she creates is from the heart and is her intellectual property; she says: "If you paid for a ticket, it makes no sense to me at all why you would watch the show thru a cell phone...but that is your business. Going forward, I have a zero tolerance policy toward phones. If you need to check on your children, or look at the weather, or check your Instagram feed, or play candy crush- please step out of the venue and into the hallway or lobby."
Her full outburst can be seen below:
> I cannot communicate how frustrated I was tonight in Dallas at the HOB. Most of the audience was indeed respectful, enjoying the music and the moments, and super engaged; I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know... My people. You are not at the zoo. You are not the paparazzi. Put your phone down at my show. Please don’t record me, or take pictures of my show. Do not stream my show or instaLive my work. It is SUPER distracting, and rude to the people around you. Your flash is annoying and draws me out of my space- which I am working to create- for YOU. If you paid for a ticket, it makes no sense to me at all why you would watch the show thru a cell phone...but that is your business. Going forward, I have a zero tolerance policy toward phones. If you need to check on your children, or look at the weather, or check your Instagram feed, or play candy crush- please step out of the venue and into the hallway or lobby. What I give to you is from my heart- and is MY intellectual property. If you do NOT get it- please stay home. Your energy is not welcomed, and you will be asked to leave- and escorted out of the venue- WITH your cellphone. I am truly over it at this point. > > A post shared by Lalah Hathaway (@lalahhathaway) on Feb 21, 2018 at 12:00am PST