Gunshot Sound Effects Used During Eminem's Bonnaroo Set Caused the Crowd to Panic
Rapper Eminem performed at the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee this weekend, causing panic among concertgoers when one of his songs ended with realistic gunshot sound effects. The hip-hop star’s decision to use the violent sound effects incited a backlash on social media, with many people saying the noises were inappropriate given the prevalence of mass shootings in the U.S.
In videos uploaded to social media, fans in the crowd can be heard screaming and seen ducking as the gunshot sounds go off at the end of the Eminem’s song “Kill you.” People criticized his decision, with some saying there should have been a warning if potentially traumatizing or triggering sound effects were going to be used.
@AndreaRussett @sandwahhh @macykatemusic found this on instagram, the way everyone screams and the camera drops is terrifying pic.twitter.com/mZRwdqoWB4
— Sydney (@Sydneyheight1) June 10, 2018
Being at a festival/concert in these current times brings new concerns & fears. Had to leave @Eminem set after 3rd gunshot at @Bonnaroo cuz panic was setting in my section (front pit). Extremely realistic &scary! Would have been good to have a warning before show. #irresponsible
— Cristi Williams (@ShadingLimelite) 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
Eminem uses loud gunshots in the show and people are not chill about it. Want him to go. pic.twitter.com/QQj9jj9gG3
— 1075 The River (@1075theriver) June 10, 2018
Fans defended him on social media, pointing out that he has incorporated gunshot sound effects into his music many times before, including just one week ago at the Governor’s Ball Music Festival in New York City.
Eminem performing kill you at Governors Ball 2018 NYC
You can hear the same sound at the end you idiots
Watch some Eminem performance before going to one ???? pic.twitter.com/koCMykLNpo— BIG Hawat (@eliohawat) June 10, 2018
i get andrea has ptsd, and it must have been awful for her and her friends, but eminem has done it for years, his music is about abuse, he grew up w gunshots ... this is real life.
— ?? molly (@etoilelawley) June 10, 2018
Others pointed out that Eminem wrote the song in 2002, prior to recent mass shootings and defended his choice to use the realistic effects.
are y’all really that mad at eminem over a song from 2002 that has a gun sound effect
— j (@arcticsnessa) 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
The rapper had not commented publicly on the matter by late Sunday afternoon.
