Eminem Faces Backlash for Realistic Gunshot Sounds at Bonnaroo Concert
Eminem may (or may not) want to rethink his use of realistic gunshot sound effects in his live performances.
The rapper is under fire for his performance at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, Saturday night, which frightened several festival-goers due to its use of the loud blasts. Less than a year ago, a mass shooting at the Route 91 country musical festival in Las Vegas left 58 people dead and 851 injured.
According to Billboard, several members of the audience screamed and ducked when the sound effects rang out during Eminem’s performance of “Kill You,” a track from his 2000 album, “The Marshall Mathers LP.”
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Social media star Andrea Russett was one of the concertgoers attending the festival who took issue with Eminem’s use of the gunshot sound effect.
“I hate to be the one to say it, but being someone who suffers from very mild PTSD, it was EXTREMELY irresponsible and distasteful to end songs w the shot gun sound effect,” Russett wrote in a since-deleted tweeted. “I have grown up loving eminem and his music but i was extremely triggered to the point of tears.”
“To hear a gun shot sound effect and see the entire crowd drop to the floor out of instinct is not funny, cute, or amusing,” she continued. “this is the sad reality that we are living. this is not funny or even something to be joked about.”
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However, not everyone is against Slim Shady — fans on Twitter point out the musician has used the gunshot sound effect during performances in the past.
“Eminem has ended Kill You with the gun shot effects for (at least) 6 years now and this is the first time someone ever complains,” one user tweeted.
“Not for nothing this isn’t the first festival Eminem has performed this year,” another wrote. “No one cared/complained about the gunshot sound effects until little miss princess andrea russett and her friend did. LMAO.”
Also Read: YouTube Grabs Rights to Eminem-Produced Film 'Bodied'
A representative for Eminem did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
See a video of the performance, in which you can hear the gunshot sound effect below, and reactions below.
#EMINEM #Bonnaroo GUNSHOT pic.twitter.com/WgIeIH3Ipd
— EMINEM_TOUR_UPDATES (@Eminemreviv1) June 10, 2018
coming from a performing stand point, i get the effect of sound effects on stage, but there’s a certain point that cross’s the line. i’m one of eminem’s number 1 fans but to hear 3 gun shots coming straight from his set had me scared af. not gonna lie. especially in this world…
— M (@macykatemusic) June 10, 2018
Eminem has ended Kill You with the gun shot effects for (at least) 6 years now and this is the first time someone ever complains
— Laia (@onlyslimshady) June 10, 2018
If you can’t handle a sound of a gunshot, do not go to an Eminem concert Andrea Russett
— Shay (@HerShayness) June 10, 2018
i was having a good time at eminem’s set then he played a realistic gunshot noise. the whole crowd ducked and i’ve never felt more traumatized and ready to panic. completely inappropriate
— red (@sandwahhh) June 10, 2018
it just happened again. 3 times. we left the concert area and it still sounds so real from far away and everyone ducked again. we’re all shaking. NOT OKAY EMINEM.
— red (@sandwahhh) June 10, 2018
doesn’t matter if eminem has had gun shot effects in the past, the crowd was actually scared and shaken up because of how actually realistic it is
— red (@sandwahhh) June 10, 2018
Not for nothing this isn’t the first festival Eminem has performed this year. No one cared/complained about the gunshot sound effects until little miss princess andrea russett and her friend did. LMAO
— babye (@gen_natt) June 10, 2018
So apparently Eminem is performing at Bonnaroo right now and a bunch of younger people are losing their shit because his set included realistic gunshot sound effects. I dunno what song(s) it was from, but it sounds to me like a bunch of people became Eminem fans post 2002.
— Trill Walton (@Mooque) June 10, 2018
So you grew up listening to Eminem but you didn’t expect gun shot sounds on his set pic.twitter.com/B2HgbEu3sL
— 디온STAYHIGH______ (@StAYHiGH__ii) June 10, 2018
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