Tori Amos Yells at Fans, Then Kicks Them Out of Show

Last week, Tori Amos was performing in San Diego and got a bit agitated at a couple of fans whom she didn't feel were paying as much attention like they should.

Video is below.  It happens around 2:25.

In my opinion we've certainly come to a place in this country where people don't really know how to act in movies or other performance situations.  It's common to see people take phone calls and otherwise interrupt the show for others.  But is getting up out of your seat to get a drink something that warrants this kind of abuse?

I've always thought that the show needs to go on, regardless of who is in the audience or how they are behaving.  In other words, you can't blame people for being bored.  Keeping the audience entertained is the performer's job.  And these two people paid a premium price for these seats.  Last time I checked, that was Tori's qualification for obtaining the tickets...she didn't limit buyers to "people who appreciate music." If you're paying for a show, it's obvious that you appreciate it on some level.

I've never seen something like this happen with an independent band, but I've certainly seen examples of acts who expect to audience to behave a certain way.  Again, it's the performers job to make this happen.  If the audience isn't standing up and dancing, as the guy with the mic and PA system, that's your responsibility.

Take a look and let me know what you think...

Opinions? What do you think of the general situation?  And what do you think about this specific incident?  Did Tori help or hurt herself?

Comments

[Bob]

For one she ought to be happy someone wants to see her lame act. Second, she should be more pissed at the person illegally taping her show. Third, if she wasnt up there pretending, she wouldnt even have noticed what the crowd was doing. When I'm in the zone on stage It doesnt matter if theres a million people or no one. What a self absorbed bitch

[charles faris]

first row probably didn't pay for the ticket...probably didn't even know who she was...that said i'm not a fan or tori and find her to be pretty boring...the bouncer was on it pretty quick, tho, so it probably was somehting more than texting or getting a drink...

[Graham English]

I think you're on the money with this one. If you're not eliciting the behavior you want, it's up to you to adjust until you get it right. But if one or just a few listeners are hurting the experience for everybody, then I think it's okay to say something, because you'll have the support of the entire room.

[eRock]

Apparently, she forgets who's supporting what's left of career.

[Brandon Brophy]

Nah, she's just trying to be a rockstar. Frankly, if she wants to kick someone out of her show, and her fans think it's funny, then who cares? We don't have to like her, what she does, or buy the music she writes.

Rockstars have done much worse.

[Jessica]

I think Tori is awesome. If they were acting out and being disruptive, it ruins the experience for everyone else around them. I feel maybe they could have been embarrassed with a warning... but either way I still think she is amazing.

[Darren]

Good for Tori. People messing around should be thrown out. I applaud her courage for doing it and maintaining the integrity of the show. She didn't yell at them. She spoke calmly the whole time. Also, your statement... "But is getting up out of your seat to get a drink something that warrants this kind of abuse?" How do you know they were just getting up out of their seat to get a drink? The video is taken from 50 seats back and you can't even see the offenders until Tori stops. Abuse? Dude, do you have an agenda? Were you the one kicked out?

[Mike C.]

It's hard to comment on the specific behavior of the people Tori tossed out. Maybe tossing them was in order, maybe not. It would have (should have) been some really offensive behavior to warrant the manner in which she handled the situation--she certainly could use a lesson or two on tactfulness. Seems if the behavior of those she had tossed was illegal all she had to do was point it out to a bouncer. Looked more like she was pissed because some people in the front row were having a moment where their world wasn't revolving around her as she thought it should. What a twat!

[Adrian J]

Lets put our biases on her music aside. Mixing issues only makes the chat degrade into bickering.

No one has mentioned that she and the band have to maintain focus to perform - for all the people who paid. These people had to be really outlandish to even get her attention in a loud auditorium. Likely warranted – tho she might have been more tactful.

[Megan]

How do you know they were just "getting up to get drinks?" Maybe they were talking loudly as well. Who knows? All I can say is I've seen Tori yell at people in her audiences before...namely a couple of males who were laughing during her song about her personal rape experience. Her audience overwhelmingly approves of her outburst. The fact is, a show like Tori's is a give and take experience. She's not a clown, up there to entertain people for the sake of entertainment. People come to her shows, generally, because they love her music, not because she's an "entertainer." You don't go to a Yo Yo Ma show to be "entertained," do you? What's the difference? Nope, I don't think Tori hurt herself at all. She knows her fans. People who don't respect her music are not of interest to her. She's not out to convince people to like her music. You either do you don't, and if you DO, you behave properly in her show so everyone can enjoy the experience, and you don't get up and run around like a couple of teenagers at movie theater.

[J]

Honestly, it doesn't appear to me that it was something as simple as a drink, or her feeling slighted by their lack of attention... she says 'it's a privilege to sit in the first row', and I agree. Any concert with a first row ticket would lead to an amazing night. It's possible that they attempted crashing the seats, or yes they were being disruptive, but who knows? We'll never know what really happened, and regardless of that the fans didn't seem bothered by Tori's comments. So the question is, did it hurt her? Absolutely not. Say what you will, but the woman talent. I'd like to see some of the 'artists' of today accomplish what she's been able to accomplish with zero radio play and little 'Pop' marketing.

[Timothy Merkley]

As someone who supports Tori, as well as many others-most musicians lose sales as their career moves on (must be someone who only listens to Britney). If these idiots were making a nuisance of themselves, she should have kicked them out. I'm sick of audience members who feel they have to act out to get attention, whether it's by distracting others or the act. I paid good money to see and hear the show not to listen to morons.

[Scott Kingsley Clark]

I'm not going to comment on the rest, except to say that Tori Amos front row seats are notoriously not sold to the public. She gives them to random audience members usually from the back rows.