August 10, 2022
Performing has become a bigger risk for artists than before and Lady Gaga is the latest example.
While performing during her summer tour "The Chromatica Ball", a stuffed bear was thrown onstage hitting her in the head. The singer was luckily able to shake it off and continue performing. This is not the first time for "The House of Gucci" actress as other fans have thrown objects over barriers set in place to discourage such behaviour.
A Twitter user (@_Richiiex) osted a picture of what looks like the bear thrown at Gaga with the caption "De Mexico a Toronto!".
One Gaga fan pointed out how dangerous the practice can be for the artists:
Lady Gaga isn't the only artist to be experiencing this. A container containing an unidentified liquid was thrown at rapper Lil Durk during his performance at the 2022 Lollapalooza Festival. After impressively catching the carton mid-air, he replied "what the f$ck" and calmly put the carton down.
Unfortunately, he was also hit in the with explosives while walking near pyrotechnics equipment, suffering an eye injury as a result. Durk later posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a bandage over his eye while in the hospital. He also let fans know he was going to "take a break & focus on my health." Pop group Mirror experienced a similar equipment malfunction when a jumbo screen fell on some of their dancers.
Kid Cudi had water bottles thrown at him during Rolling Loud. After giving a verbal warning, another bottle was thrown, after which he abruptly walked off stage.
These incidents raise the issue of respect and safety for artists and what protections should be put in place. Should performers be expected to shake it off and keep performing? How much freedoms power is one afforded with a ticket purchase? What additional precautions should be taken when setting up the stage and equipment?