The pricey reality of celebrity on-stage meltdowns

Back in the day, being a wild rock star used to be cool. Smashing guitars, destroying hotel rooms, being rude to fans: it was all part of the schtick. 

But recently, when country star Morgan Wallen flipped a piano on stage, the online reaction told us everything we need to know about the shifting attitude toward stars. This behaviour is no longer considered cool; instead, it’s simply throwing a tantrum. 

Now, it’s not just Wallen who’s shown this behaviour on stage recently; there’s a string of stars who, over the past 10 years, have had public meltdowns mid-performance, just look at stars such as Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and Kid Rock. 

But the difference between these names and the rock stars of decades past is that they can no longer get away with it. 

There’s been a shift over the past decade or two in the way we view celebrities. The mess is no longer considered cute, and the tantrums are no longer considered cool. The public has begun to hold stars to a higher standard, and there are a few reasons why. 

Perhaps the biggest reason behind the shift is the economic change in how we view our stars. 

Read more

'He launched it': Morgan Wallen yanks phone off security and throws it into the crowd

Back in the ’70s and ’80s, concert and cinema tickets were a mere fraction of the cost they are today. It made fans feel closer to stars, like perhaps they weren’t so different from us, which allowed us to justify their flaws more. 

But today, when people pay hundreds of dollars for a concert ticket, they’re expecting a premium experience.

So, when an artist gets on stage and flips a piano, goes on an unhinged tangent, or storms off mid-set, fans feel as though they’ve been robbed of an experience they paid good money for. 

There’s also the case of social media. Back in the days of smashing guitars and chaotic concerts, word of these events got out through carefully crafted PR plans. 

There used to be a certain level of mystique around these kinds of events. The night Axl Rose dove headfirst off the stage and tackled a fan, inciting a venue-destroying riot in Missouri, is today known as a “legendary” incident, all because the tale was told through carefully worded PR statements and fans who felt as though they were lucky to be there, because otherwise they never would have seen it. 

Today, an incident like this would be captured from 50 different angles on hundreds of different smartphones, only to be circulated on the internet and criticised by millions around the globe for poor behaviour. 

Stars can no longer get away with these stunts in hopes that their PR team can spin it in the right way. Today, everyone is always watching and filming. 

The world is in its wellness era, which means that in the eyes of the masses, sobriety and professionalism are the new “cool”.

Classic rock star behaviour is no longer laughed off. It doesn’t go down as legendary anymore. Instead, it’s recognised for what it really is, messy, unacceptable behaviour – and ultimately, a waste of fans’ money.