Beverley Knight weighed in on the recent fan encounters that have made headlines (Picture: Getty Images)
Beverly Knight pleaded with fans and urged them to have more respect for artists during their live performances.
The 50-year-old singer shared her opinions on the recent incidents that left hitmakers scarred after fans threw things at them on stage.
She sympathised with chart-toppers like Bebe Rexha who was left black and blue after a fan lobbed a mobile phone at her head during a show and warned that behaviour would not be tolerated at any of her upcoming tour dates.
Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk at the O2 Silver Clef Awards, the Wolverhampton native expressed her concern at the behaviour of fans.
She exclaimed: ‘What are we doing? What is going on, what are we doing? Are we feral now is that how we’re being?
‘It feels like we came out of the pandemic and people forgot how to human. We’re literally forgetting ourselves – in what world is it acceptable to launch a phone at someone’s head, in what world is it acceptable, tasteful – all the words, superlatives, I can think of – in what world is it right to launch ashes at someone? It’s crazy!’
The star warned she would not tolerate things being thrown at her on stage (Picture: Getty Images)
Naughty Boy joked he wanted roses thrown at him during his own tour (Picture: Getty Images)
The star made reference to Pink’s fan encounter during BST Hyde Park whereby an eager concertgoer threw her mother’s ashes at the singer while she was belting out her bangers.
‘Stop, stop fans stop, please, please, enjoy the music, listen to it, appreciate it but can we please get back to being human beings again? Beverly begged.
Issuing a firm statement that would hopefully deter aggressive behaviour at her own shows, the veteran hitmaker insisted she would stop singing if anything landed at her feet on stage.
She explained: ‘Swear to god, if someone throws something at me I’ll stop the concert, leave the stage until said person has been removed or reprimanded or whatever and we’ll carry on but we’re not doing that – no!’
The Shoulda Woulda Coulda chart-topper wasn’t the only one at the awards – held in aid of Nordoff and Robbins music therapy charity – who felt it necessary to comment on the ‘peculiar’ behaviour being exhibited by fans.
Biffy Clyro admitted they were used to having things flung at them (Picture: Getty Images)
Stormzy was honoured at the O2 Silver Clef Awards (Picture: Getty Images)
Naughty Boy – real name Shahid Khan – was flabbergasted as to why fans would do such a thing, especially to the ‘lovely’ Bebe.
He questioned: ‘That’s not fair on Bebe Rexha, she’s lovely why would anyone want to do that?’
The British DJ, 42, continued expressing: ‘I can’t make no sense of it because if you’ve paid and you’re there as a fan to see an artist perform then why would you do that?’
Despite his condemnation of the act, he added a jovial sentiment when he uttered: ‘I’m about to go on tour this year because I have my new album coming out so I’m looking forward to having whatever pelted at me – hopefully roses – but I guess it’s not a nice thing to experience as an artist.
‘We put our lives into making music and making songs that they remember, not to be pelted at.’
Last to throw in their two cents, winners of the best live act gong Biffy Clyro admitted that they were used to odd fan activity but accepted it was part of their ‘baptism of fire coming up in heavy metal music’.
Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer of N-Dubz also received a gong for their work as a group (Picture: Getty Images)
The three-piece Scottish band said: ‘Lots of bad things have happened to us, we’ve had worse than phones thrown at us.
‘I really find it peculiar that it’s happening post-pandemic, you’d think we’d just want to celebrate and cherish each other.
‘I think maybe some people just get so excited and they don’t know how to express themselves – it’s peculiar I hope people consider the folk on stage.
‘They are human beings, they’re not target practice but I think it’s just excitement but people shouldn’t be getting injured.’
Elsewhere at the prestigious awards show, hip-hop trio N-Dubz took home a clef for best group and celebrated rapper Stormzy was honoured with the flagship O2 Silver Clef award.
The 29-year-old was recognised for his influential work within the music industry and gladly accepted the accolade labelling himself as ‘just a music man’.
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He thanked the star-studded crowd for their applause and credited his love of music for his ongoing success, saying that it was at the ‘core of who [he] was as a human being’.
The ceremony was a fundraiser for Nordoff and Robbins – the UK’s largest music therapy charity that helps supports some of the country’s most vulnerable children and adults to connect and communicate through music.
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MORE : Bebe Rexha being hit with a phone proves fan culture has gone too far
‘Stop, stop fans stop, please, please, enjoy the music’.
