50 Cent Booed Offstage at Reading Festival

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from NME.com

50 CENT BOOED OFFSTAGE IN A RAIN OF PLASTIC BOTTLES

50 CENT was dramatically booed off stage tonight at the CARLING WEEKEND: READING festival (August 29).

The rapper was pelted with a shower of plastic bottles from the angry crowd, and even had a camping chair thrown at him, forcing the star to walk off after just twenty five minutes of his Main Stage set.

50 and his G-Unit crew were hit by a rain of bottles as they came onstage, and they even started to pick up the missiles and hurl them back towards the front rows.

Chants of “50 Cent is a wanker” were heard and the group were jeered and heckled throughout the short appearance.

Attempting to placate the thousands of people, the rapper said: “We’re just all here to have fun”, and even taunted them by challenging them to all put their middle fingers in the air.

One festival goer told NME.COM: “What was he even doing up there? It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”

After playing hits including ’In Da Club’, ’21 Questions’ and ’P.I.M.P’, 50 thanked the crowd and promptly walked off.

The star started his set at 8.10pm, twenty minutes earlier than scheduled, and left at 8.35pm. According to the stage times, he was due to play between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

Apart from The Streets, 50 was the only rap act on today’s Main Stage bill on a day dominated by hard rock bands, including Placebo, Lostprophets and Dropkick Murphys.

The Rasmus also suffered a similar fate when they walked offstage today after being pelted by plastic bottles.

Green Day will close this weekend’s Carling Weekend: Reading festival (August 27-29) when they take to the Main Stage later tonight for their headlining set.

Published: 29-08-2004-21-37

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 08:24 (twenty years ago)

Hahahaha, Placebo = hard rock, hhahahahahahaha!

― Ricardo (RickyT), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 08:27 (twenty years ago)

not to mention the streets = rap...

placebo, lostprophets, dropkick murphys, rasmus... what a terrible bill.

― Mil (Mil), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 08:47 (twenty years ago)

does this mean rock has won?

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 08:49 (twenty years ago)

Boo-ing people is the most dud thing there is.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 08:50 (twenty years ago)

I always think it's a bit dumb when people at Reading throw stuff at the token pop bands. I am not a big pop fan but when Daphne and Celeste got pelted off stage a few years ago I was left wondering why the same thing didn't happen to Blink 182.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 08:53 (twenty years ago)

That one really got me too. Firstly, I love Daphne and Celeste. Secondly they were two teenage girls! And thirdly it was terrible rockist mooks who think that pop is an enemy who were throwing things at them. Grrr.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 08:57 (twenty years ago)

Kevin OTM

― lukey (Lukey G), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:00 (twenty years ago)

Why weren't the bottles full of piss?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:02 (twenty years ago)

Why didn't 50 shoot the crowd in the face?

― Jacob (Jacob), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:02 (twenty years ago)

Am I rockist if I don't like pop very much? What if I like dance, but not poppy dance like House and stuff, more Techno and D'n'B and stuff? Hm?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:06 (twenty years ago)

Old farts ~~like me~~ might remember the reading festival back in thee '80's where both steel pulse and hanoi rocks got bottled off.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:06 (twenty years ago)

"there's nothing new under the sun" (creak, creak)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:07 (twenty years ago)

maybe everyone should get bottled off.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:07 (twenty years ago)

That would ruul, actually. It would be like the gong show, only w/bottles of piss.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 09:09 (twenty years ago)

The Reading Festival is beastly, beastly thing.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:28 (twenty years ago)

Didn't you and Mr Carsmile go a couple of years back?

― Ricardo (RickyT), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:33 (twenty years ago)

Yes, 2001. Appalling.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:37 (twenty years ago)

Although, to be fair, it was So Solid Crew that ruined the weekend most, and they weren't even playing.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:38 (twenty years ago)

Why is The Streets not rap?

He is rap. Because he raps.

― mei (mei), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:40 (twenty years ago)

but FBYKI has guitar in it *explodes with the confusion*

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:45 (twenty years ago)

However did you deal with Walk This Way, steveM?!

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:47 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, or "She Watch Channel Zero"?

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 10:50 (twenty years ago)

50 Cent appearing on stage in front of, what, 10,000 Placebo fans a mere four months after his comments about homosexuality: not the most intelligent thing he's ever done.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:09 (twenty years ago)

I doubt that had much to do with it, to be honest.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:13 (twenty years ago)

Actually, I think it might be the most intelligent thing he's ever done.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:13 (twenty years ago)

I adore the quote from "One Festival Goer".

― Gribowitz (Lynskey), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:18 (twenty years ago)

50 Cent bothering to appear at all onstage anywhere nowadays etc

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:25 (twenty years ago)

> I doubt [homophobia] had much to do with it, to be honest.

well, that's the point: we don't know, do we? characteristically dreadful journalism from the nme. any chance they could have spoken to some of the people in the crowd; found out *why* they were booing? the "one festival-goer" quote is just bollocks.

― grimly fiendish, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:29 (twenty years ago)

Somehow I feel very bad for the guy. :(

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:39 (twenty years ago)

I do too. Festival audiences are teh suck.

― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:42 (twenty years ago)

I agree, but so is 50. NOTHING'S RIGHT I'M TORN etc etc.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 11:45 (twenty years ago)

This would never happen at Glastonbury.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 12:02 (twenty years ago)

Not that 50 Cent would be allowed anywhere near Glastonbury. The only way you can get into Glasto if you've ever carried a gun is if you've been the victim of a corrupt South American regime, or own Mean Fiddler.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 12:04 (twenty years ago)

Dan, think of it as a case where you can be a happily neutral observer.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 12:04 (twenty years ago)

Dude's been shot nine times and runs off crying at the sight of eyeliner clad Placebo fans limp-wristedly flinging bottles of snakebite!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 12:08 (twenty years ago)

I mean, god help us if there's a war!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 12:08 (twenty years ago)

“We’re just all here to have fun”......50 thanked the crowd and promptly walked off

Gotta say, I'm not a fan of his (by a loooooong stretch), but I respect the fact that he seems to have handled it gracefully, and didn't get all pissy.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 12:10 (twenty years ago)

I'm afraid I wish he'd pulled a gun on them.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 12:22 (twenty years ago)

"10,000 Placebo fans" has been the most shocking part of this story thus far.

― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 13:11 (twenty years ago)

i wish he did get all pissy. 50 and g-unit vs. annoyed bottling indie fans could have been the stuff of festival legend.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 13:16 (twenty years ago)

I agree with PJ Miller.

― the bellefox, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago)

How much do they pay people to go to these things?????????

― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Isn't this kind of our fault though?

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 13:50 (twenty years ago)

I think they pay well over 100 pounds for the weekend, about 45 for a day ticket. Actually I think their mummies and daddies pay it. Also there were loads of ticket touts around, so some poeple must have paid quite a bit more.

I have nothing against 50 Cent (apart from he's crap), I am just worried about falling standards in festival missiles.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:11 (twenty years ago)

I have nothing against 50 Cent (apart from he's crap), I am just worried about falling standards in festival missiles.

Also I saw Schoolly D get loads of abuse once and he didn't run away.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:12 (twenty years ago)

I'm sorry, that came up twice.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:13 (twenty years ago)

Also I saw Schoolly D get loads of abuse once and he didn't run away.

That's `cos he was invariably packin' heat. But he's that much cooler for doin' the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" theme anyway.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 14:41 (twenty years ago)

THIS IS THE SINGLE BEST PIECE OF FUCKING GOOD NEWS THAT I'VE HEARD IN WEEKS! THANK YOU JESUS! THANK YOU! YESSSSSSSSS!!!!

― maria b (maria b), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 20:13 (twenty years ago)

"Rock and roll is a thing of the past..." etc.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:03 (twenty years ago)

His was the most hated album in our recent ILM poll => indie fans hate him, clearly (unless Steve corrects me, and it was like Jess and Ethan with the hate votes or something).

Only band I've ever seen bottled off was Suicide, in 1978. Add them to 50 and the great Daphne & Celeste, and it's clearly a hell of an indicator of great quality.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:07 (twenty years ago)

i saw this coming...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:09 (twenty years ago)

here's a music dream for you. i'm at the glastonbury festival, but its taking place AT SEA. all the crowd are paddling in the water, with a big stage above them. then 50 cent comes on to do a set, and makes some unwise comments about the holocaust, so the crowd turns on him. i decide to egg the crowd on further, so i get up on this ridge, above the crowd, but not on the stage, and encourage them to give him more abuse. i then notice 50 cent coming angrily towards me, and I'm thinking "shit, this is 50 cent! He might kill me here and now!" He's snarling angrily at me and charging towards me, kicking at my shins, so i jump back down into the crowd.
at the end of the gig, i'm thinking, "i better hang at the back of the crowd, in case 50 cent comes down afterwards to attack me again" so i do. then i wake up.

opinions?

-- kilian Murphy (kilian.murphy2...), April 4th, 2003.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:09 (twenty years ago)

Mike Skinner got bottled off just as much and he doesn't hate the Gays or anything does he?

Fiddeh should have some sort of KLF-style machine gun stunt as a backup plan, imagine the collective soiling of baggy pants.

I don't think the Carling weekend is as bad as people seem to think. LCD Soundsystem, maaan! Leeds is generally a bit more tranquil though. X-posts.

― Fergal (Ferg), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:11 (twenty years ago)

anyway - getting bottled off at reading seems to be the price one must pay for making the BEST SINGLE OF THE YEAR ("in da club" for 2003, rasmus' "in the shadows" for 2004)

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:11 (twenty years ago)

ah, what did the organisers expect. chucking one chart topping rap gangtsta/wanksta in the name of diversity isnt going to get him over to the indie crowd.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:19 (twenty years ago)

Mike Skinner got bottled off just as much and he doesn't hate the Gays or anything does he?

Skinner wasn't bottled off tho. The indie fuX0rs love him.

― Venga, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 21:24 (twenty years ago)

maybe all the festival-goers read he made ILM's most hated album, and decided to make him pay.

― Symplistic (shmuel), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 22:38 (twenty years ago)

50 cent's sound was terrible.

Placebo had played and gone. So why should Placebo fans be that bothered?

Note to Green Day fans.... If you bottle off the support act(s), the main headline act does not come on early!

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 22:55 (twenty years ago)

I hope all the artists are supposed to sponsor certain books. I wonder what 50 Cent would promote as reading material.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 31 August 2004 22:56 (twenty years ago)

Fish 'n' Grits, perhaps?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 31 August 2004 23:36 (twenty years ago)

are Placebo and Green Day fans really considered an "indie crowd"?

― wetmink (wetmink), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 01:20 (twenty years ago)

50 Cent is a fucking embarrassment in any circle... indie or otherwise. Pelting his fugly, untalented ass offstage was a long overdue gesture.

― maria b (maria b), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 03:28 (twenty years ago)

why does that make me feel pleased/

― Savin All My Love 4 u (Savin 4ll my (heart) 4u), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 05:35 (twenty years ago)

BOOOO! to both of you.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 06:30 (twenty years ago)

"why would they come just to boo us?"

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 08:19 (twenty years ago)

Leeds is generally a bit more tranquil though.

Are you sure?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 08:23 (twenty years ago)

the indie fuxors loved the roots who came on earlier, supposedly.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 08:25 (twenty years ago)

Were The Roots on the second stage? The first/second stage divisions at Reading are pretty immense. I mean, people will actually turn up to watch Graham Coxon on the second one.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 08:44 (twenty years ago)

i think the roots were on the same stage as 50, only earlier. dont quote me on this though.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 08:51 (twenty years ago)

it was a fucking horrible atmosphere... felt like a riot, there was a lot of malice behind the violence, mob mentality, people running in packs across the festival site to start throwing stuff. chaos. and then Fiddy started firing off the gunshot samples and i honestly thought some numbnuts had shot the dude from the pit. horrible...

backstage, some pontificated that 50 Cent represented violence and crime and only doing thinsg for money, and that he shouldn't have been on the bill. assholes.

i think the roots were on the day before.

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 08:51 (twenty years ago)

"some pontificated that 50 Cent represented violence and crime and only doing thinsg for money, and that he shouldn't have been on the bill."

um, what else does 50 really stand for?

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 08:54 (twenty years ago)

Considering that this was a festival headlined by GREEN DAY, its a bit of a weak argument, isn't it?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:05 (twenty years ago)

I look forward to all these anti-violence rock kids chucking bottles of piss at Slipknot next year for the exact same reason.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:06 (twenty years ago)

I can't see much violence or pro-capitalist tendencies in the lyrics of Green Day, Matt. FOD maybe, and that other really shouty one from "Nimrod" that's name escape's me at the moment ("Platypus"? Something like that), but Green Day's primary concerns seem to be "my girlfriend has left me", "I am doing nothing with my life", and "Contemporary America doesn't best suit my particular needs".

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:11 (twenty years ago)

nothing really wrong with 50 standing for violence and crime, really. its pretty much all kool g. rap stood for and he made some amazing hip hop records (well he stood for a few other things too but his best records were about crime and violence).

50 is pretty easy to mock as well, what with his harder than thou image, the whole P.I.M.P debacle, the 'shot nine times' legend, all of which has exaggerated him into some sort of ridiculous WWF cartoon.

still, festival crowds like those at reading dont tend to like their rappers macho and posturing for the most part it *seems*, they prefer them to be right on and cool like the roots, or tribe called quest, etc. i dont know why 50 was on the bill anyway, he was only really there for the sake of making the bill appear more diverse, which is why most rappers seem to be there.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:15 (twenty years ago)

Well, yeah, I was just using Green Day as an example that "what they stand for" is pretty shaky ground to use as a guide to what will and won't be accepted at Reading. Obviously the real reason for the anti-50 nonsense is exactly the same reason that Kevin Rowland and Daphne & Celeste and The Rasmus got bottled off - ie for just not 'fitting in' at Reading.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:20 (twenty years ago)

the rasmus apparently were assailed with batteries caked in mud.

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:22 (twenty years ago)

i think its nice to know that someone out there doesnt like 50. for a while, i thought the whole world had somehow been convinced that he was a fantastic talent.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:23 (twenty years ago)

50 Cent's last UK gig was one of those ones that are combined with a drag racing event in somewhere like Kettering that Busted are so fond of doing.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:25 (twenty years ago)

i'm not a huge fiddy fan, but surely the idea of the audience turning Reading festival into some glorified Gong Show - beyond cheap laffs - is a little worrying?

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 09:41 (twenty years ago)

Apparently on Thursday night there were groups of people going around encouraging people to collect bottles of piss to throw at 50.
I don't like 50 Cent at all but I'm kind of appalled by this behaviour. It just goes to prove what shallow arseholes rock fans can be (although I too would have probably joined in if I were 15. I guess it's just all about throwing stuff at the token pop act. The Roots and The Streets don't count because they're a little less mainstream/pop.
The Rasmus though? I thought rock fans liked them? What's the difference between them and say, Muse or Placebo?

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 10:37 (twenty years ago)

really though, theyre ROCK fans. i dont expect them to like 50. who says they have to?

i mean, if say, the strokes turned up at a hip hop festival, i doubt they would get the greatest response either. probably not piss, that seems like a rock-audience thing, but i doubt the audience would be cheering for them.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 10:46 (twenty years ago)

It's this kind of asshattery that makes me kinda glad I missed out on a ticket. Seeing LCD Soundsystem would have been grebt, though

― the impossible shortest special path! (the impossible shortest specia), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 11:29 (twenty years ago)

it's weird how Reading and Leeds seem to bring out the animals more than other festivals. two years back my gf at the time was trying to leave the festival by car when a big crowd of people blocked her path, jumped on the car and started trying to open the doors etc. - and having decided not to go that year i could only hear about this the next day and feel the most guilty and wretched i've ever felt.

we had no trouble in 2001 tho, bizarre.

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 11:50 (twenty years ago)

50 shoulda pulled a Donita Sparks on them.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 12:23 (twenty years ago)

what, by throwing a used tampon into the crowd!?!?

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 12:26 (twenty years ago)

The crowd at Reading is generally new GCSE graduates with fetishes for mass destruction and the hatred of parents. I'm not really surprised they pelted Fiddy off because it's what all the little shits at their school listen to.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 12:32 (twenty years ago)

were they saying 'booo!' or 'boo-urns!', though?

― clv, Wednesday, 1 September 2004 12:37 (twenty years ago)

what, by throwing a used tampon into the crowd!?!?
Exactly. His stinky, stinky tampon.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 12:48 (twenty years ago)

Leeds is generally a bit more tranquil though.

Are you sure?

Well, I've only been to the recent ones at the new site where they ban campfires and have non-tip-overable toilets, so yeah. It's quite possible I'm missing out on all the rich rock brat violence because I don't have much cause to mingle with them though.

The crowd at Reading is generally new GCSE graduates with fetishes for mass destruction and the hatred of parents.

This is very true, you couldn't walk three feet on the first day without hearing some nasal voice exclaim 'Ohmygod Sarah got SEVEN As'. Almost as frequent as people doing the 'eh-uh eh-UH' hook from the Rasmus song, and people going 'Eh-heh' in an Avid Merrion voice the year before, or just constantly shouting 'BOLLOCKS' in that awkward student-trying-to-be-loud-but-not-being-quite-rowdy-enough-for-it-to-not-sound-awkward voice and hang on I was trying to be positive wasn't I? LCD Soundsystem!

― Fergal (Ferg), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:25 (twenty years ago)

Also, that 'you haven't closed your HTML tags' warning is a well good idea, there.

― Fergal (Ferg), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:26 (twenty years ago)

haha the 'Bollocks Wave' - i'll never understand how that became so popular. in 2001 you had people replacing it with 'TIMMEH!' (as in South Park) as well.

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:34 (twenty years ago)

does this mean that Ja Rule is allowed to feel hopeful about keeping up with his mortgage payments and record label debts?

― pheNAM (pheNAM), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 15:10 (twenty years ago)

um, I really don't think it was an anti-violence thing.... it was an anti-SUCK thing.

― maria b (maria b), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 15:17 (twenty years ago)

A bit clunky, but a minute of bottle throwing here:

www.jonsmith.plus.com/fifty_cent_bottled_reading04.mpeg

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 15:44 (twenty years ago)

the only ones i like are "BARRY!" and "BOLLOCKS!" - they're tradition. Except I shout them properly. I can shout "BOLLOCKS" better than anyone I know and I've rarely left a festival without a sore throat.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 18:03 (twenty years ago)

anyone who supports this is a fucking imbecile.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 18:06 (twenty years ago)

the fact is most of the miserable bastards that did this probably enjoyed the righteous indignation more than any record they've heard in the last 10 years. if it wasn't 50 cent it'd be someone else, fucking indie moaners.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 18:08 (twenty years ago)

Aldo... bless you! :)

― maria b (maria b), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 19:38 (twenty years ago)

50 is teh suck but a chorus of boos would have sufficed

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 19:59 (twenty years ago)

I don't get that! What kind of utter loser goes "yeah let's go and boo 50 Cent". you're at a festival for fuck sake!! GET A LIFE. (same goes for people delighting at this by reading it over morning coffee on an internet messageboard, SOME OF YOU ARE SO UNBELIEVABLY PETTY ABOUT YOUR BORING INDIE DISLIKE FOR 50 CENT IT MAKES ME FEEL A GREAT DEAL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF!!!)

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:02 (twenty years ago)

I threw mud at Cast at a festival in my younger, stupider days.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:06 (twenty years ago)

why is disliking 50 "indie dislike"?!

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:17 (twenty years ago)

praising people who go to a gig just to boo it is the 10th commandment of indie

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:17 (twenty years ago)

I have never thrown anything at a band

(people tend to take stuff off me if Poxendale are around)

― Porkpie (porkpie), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:18 (twenty years ago)

um, whats the other 9 commandments, ronan?

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:21 (twenty years ago)

1. pink floyd
2. the beatles
3. organic guitars
4. live drums
5. rocking out
6. ?uestlove's arsenal jersey
7. the world is going to hell in a handcart
8. life affirming, evocative melodies
9. things you haven't heard are better than things I have

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:25 (twenty years ago)

Ronan, name, oooh, two indie bands playing the main stage of Reading that day. You know, the people who the crowd were actually there to see.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:28 (twenty years ago)

what's your point?

are you saying there's some excuse for going to boo an artist at a festival or endorsing that stupid behaviour?

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:29 (twenty years ago)

Green Day
50 Cent
Placebo
The Streets
The Lost Prophets
Dropkick Murphys
The Rasmus
Thrice
New Found Glory
Yellowcard

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:31 (twenty years ago)

I HEAR THAT THE DROPKICK MURPHYS ARE DOING A SPLIT 7 WITH BEARSUIT.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:31 (twenty years ago)

I HAVE A YELLOWCARD BADGE ON MY CARDIGAN.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:32 (twenty years ago)

it's always someone elses fault. they'd have a good time but THE LINEUP IS WRONG!!

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:32 (twenty years ago)

Ronan, my point is that your "OMG INDIE IS TEH SUK" gimmick is reaching rapid self-parody when you name, let's be frank here, any of those bands as indie.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:33 (twenty years ago)

Are you saying its never okay to boo? Never?

No fun.

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:33 (twenty years ago)

I've always associated that kind of fuckerism with rock more than indie, have to say: the most actively nasty crowds I've been in have been for socalpunk, numetal and rather dull rock bands.

― cis (cis), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:34 (twenty years ago)

The crowd from that emotional last night at Track & Field:

http://www.rmf.fm/muzyka/obrazki/foto/rasmus-2.jpg

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:35 (twenty years ago)

1. pink floyd
2. the beatles
I'll only vouch for these if they started out THOU SHALT NOT...

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:35 (twenty years ago)

indie crowds don't boo, they just stand around and say nothing! even at the gigs they're having a blast at!

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:36 (twenty years ago)

actually I use the term quite loosely, the point is you don't get this dumb cult of misery for the sake of it in hiphop or dance or pop to anything like the same level as indie or rock.

and anyone praising it is equally dumb. it's the stupidest most pathetic victory I can possibly think of "we booed an artist and he left the stage!!!". yeah congrats guys, what a great way to spend a weekend.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:37 (twenty years ago)

LOOK THE FIELD MICE HAVE REFORMED

http://www.day19.com/all%20images/bands/thrice.jpg

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:38 (twenty years ago)

Stop using a precious US definition of indie, Dom. Indie rock and nu-metal and goth are all intertwined these days, and are what Ronan meant by indie.

Oh, god: 'indie' and 'definition' in one sentence.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:43 (twenty years ago)

otm, plus I hardly think 50 Cent was considerately filed into any "genre" beyond "he's TOWNIE music" or some awful idiocy.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:45 (twenty years ago)

the point is you don't get this dumb cult of misery for the sake of it in hiphop or dance or pop to anything like the same level as indie or rock.

Two 50 Cent fans were arrested on Friday night after a surprise performance by the rapper at a Springfield, Massachusetts, nightclub ended abruptly following a minor brawl, police said.

According to one concertgoer, a small skirmish erupted in the audience after the rapper was allegedly hit in the head by a water bottle thrown by an audience member and 50 leapt into the crowd after the fan.

Friday night's event, Spring Jam, thrown by Hartford, Connecticut, radio station WZMX-FM 93.7, was an invite-only event for winners of an on-air contest, and was billed as featuring Akon, Mobb Deep, Mario Winans, and Lloyd Banks of the G-Unit. Rumors of 50 Cent's surprise appearance were circulating during the week prior to the show, however, as the rapper owns a house in nearby Farmington, Connecticut, about 25 minutes away from the venue.

Club co-owner Michael J. Barrasso told WWLP-TV 22 News that 50 Cent was not scheduled to appear but showed up at the last minute. The rapper was set to perform a few songs, but, according to an eyewitness in the crowd of 1,400, the rapper started throwing water and water bottles at fans halfway through his first song. The doused crowd, which had suited up to meet the club's strictly enforced dress code, allegedly began throwing water back at the stage.

One concertgoer said 50 was hit in the head with a water bottle, then took something out of his waist band, removed his chain and jumped into the crowd, followed by members of his entourage. "They started throwing 'bows," the onlooker said.

However, a source at WZMX told MTV News that the crowd was very enthusiastic when 50 took the stage, and that there was a lot of water being thrown back and forth but "not in a negative way." Just like a rock show, he explained, 50 jumped into the crowd, not to fight but to get the crowd hyped, then jumped back onstage and continued the song ("Wanksta"). According to the source, 50 was just beginning his next song when a fight occurred in the crowd. The show was then shut down.

Barrasso told 22 News that "police were there, my security were there, it was contained within 30 seconds, then everyone was pushed back onstage. [50 Cent] finished the song he was singing, then exited off the side of the stage with his whole entourage." Barrasso told The Associated Press that the club was so packed that he could not tell if the fight ever erupted into anything more severe than pushing.

DJ Buck, program director of WZMX, told MTV News that the night's problems were "not as bad as some have portrayed it," and that they were "unfortunately, the acts of a few local individuals and not representative of the crowd, the atmosphere or the station's audience."

Springfield police are looking into a shooting that happened nearby, to investigate if the two events were linked, according to Lieutenant C. Lee Bennett. Police are also continuing to investigate complaints that 50 may have assaulted at least one person.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:45 (twenty years ago)

I think the assumption that a hip-hop audience wouldn't boo or pelt a guitar band is pure conjecture. Mostly because no one has been foolish enough to plonk, say, Placebo, in the middle of a bill that is otherwise entirely comprised of of commercial hiphop.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:46 (twenty years ago)

apparently this is "indie defined"

http://www.swine-enthusiast.com/mamazon/praiselard.gif

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:47 (twenty years ago)

I doubt they were throwing bottles in the same cult of misery.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:47 (twenty years ago)

Matt's right. I mean, yes, attacking someone physically because you don't like their music is reprehensible, and I am sure that 50 Cent cried all the way to the bank, but is the idea for this billing that a) "Aren't we diverse?" or b) some hangover from Robbie Williams at Glastonbury... 1997? Anyway, I'm sure the idea of "winning over" an initially hostile crowd is a great one to some musician's ego, but, you know, don't bother.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:49 (twenty years ago)

Saying cornie indie fuxx0rs is so easy and totally never in the same league as calling hip hop misogynist.

― David Allen (David Allen), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:51 (twenty years ago)

I assumed the organisers just thought things weren't quite as segregated these days.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:52 (twenty years ago)

"Ice Cube says protect yourself before you wreck yourself. We say hang on to your IQ" Brian Molko, 1997.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:55 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, Alba - I'm sure D12 didn't get this sort of shit a couple of years ago, the organisers probably lumped 50 in there and thought he'd be received better than he was. I suspect that in the mindset of the bottle lobbers, 50 Cent was guilty of being a) more 'chavvy' and consequently b) not covered in Kerrang! Obviously the Eminem connection is a factor as well.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:56 (twenty years ago)

I can't believe you actually just quoted Brian Molko with a year.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:58 (twenty years ago)

But yes, the teenage rock kid strawman as evident at Reading defines himself by what he's against almost more than what he's for - and 50 I presume falls firmly in the 'against' category.

Just out of interest, how would, say, Dizzee have gone down there? Am I right in speculating that the reception would have been considerably less hostile?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Alba- my Placebo fanboy years are a dark stain on my psyche.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 20:59 (twenty years ago)

LET'S BURN THIS TEENAGE ROCK KID STRAWMAN!

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 21:03 (twenty years ago)

For anyone here who is a member of F***p***, there is bootleg video footage of the 50 Cent performance up in the movies section right now.

― Vic Funk, Wednesday, 1 September 2004 21:12 (twenty years ago)

Dizzee was in the Radio 1 tent. It was rammed. He was a bit contemptuous of the reserved-but-well-meaning indie kid crowd but they were doing their best to shout the bits of Fix Up Look Sharp he left to them.

I think I agree with Ronan, really. The people throwing shit at Fiddah were obviously cunts. I mean, it might be a bad idea to have put him on there in the first place but y'know, if I stand on a street waving a knife around and some guy's careless enough to walk into it I'm still an asshole for waving a knife around on the street(that doesn't quite work does it?).

I'm probably drunk and naively well-meaning enough to say that all booing is dud. In this context.

― Fergal (Ferg), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 22:30 (twenty years ago)

whoever said the thing about hip hop going the way of disco and rock fuxors only liking disco when white rock bands used it is OTM.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:55 (twenty years ago)

Reading has always had token hip hoppers in amongst dominant indie roster

did Ice Cube get bottled off in 1994?

actually i think he did!

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:05 (twenty years ago)

yeah but it was with his own 40-ounce

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:06 (twenty years ago)

i'm not a huge fiddy fan, but surely the idea of the audience turning Reading festival into some glorified Gong Show - beyond cheap laffs - is a little worrying?

This already is the case though, and has been for a long time? I mean at least since they put ultravox and sham 69 on the bill in 1979, I can remember reading reviews year after year in the '80's, where it was all about who'd get the most cider bottles full of piss thrown at them. Personally speaking, reading fest = my idea of hell on earth, I'd never go to one.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago)

Reading had a bit of a Hell's Angels problem in the 80s didn't it?

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:22 (twenty years ago)

I think reading had a bit of a (insert whatever the fukc you want) problem in the eighties.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:23 (twenty years ago)

now the problem is more Earth's Plankton

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:23 (twenty years ago)

Which is why reading this thread, I'm getting this deja vu feeling about it. Perhaps there's a review online somewhere by geoff barton and garry bushell?

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:24 (twenty years ago)

i remember how pissed off trife was with the '50 Cent criticises homosexuals in Playboy' thread, pointing out the unfairness of singling out 50 for this kind of thing considering how rife homophobia is in other genres, and i think that spectre hangs over this thread too i.e. 50 Cent one of countless artists from all genres to get bottled at a UK festival (Beck copped loads at V'97 and he was by far the best thing on that weekend!)

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:32 (twenty years ago)

ILM STOP PICKING ON 50 CENT! IT'S BAD ENOUGH YOU HATE HIS ALBUM SO MUCH IT COST HIM A PLACE IN THE TOP 100 KTHANXBYE

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:32 (twenty years ago)

shame for the people there who wanted to see him, also, perhaps

― david acid (gareth), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:37 (twenty years ago)

tho it seems unlikely they would go see at him at an indoor London venue

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Thursday, 2 September 2004 13:38 (twenty years ago)

http://badgas.co.uk/lynndie/organiser_reading.jpg

― gainfully employed (ex machina), Thursday, 2 September 2004 15:49 (twenty years ago)

still no video link on this? can't find it anywhere

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Thursday, 2 September 2004 17:07 (twenty years ago)

Getting bottled at Reading is a mark of greatness.

Erm, except for the Rasmus, obviously.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 2 September 2004 17:15 (twenty years ago)

So, why were the Rasmus bottled off? I thought they'd be the ultimate Reading fodder.

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 3 September 2004 07:50 (twenty years ago)

because the sound sucked and they were very tired, perhaps

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Friday, 3 September 2004 07:52 (twenty years ago)

"Ice Cube says protect yourself before you wreck yourself. We say hang on to your IQ" Brian Molko, 1997.

um isn't it:
"chick-ity-check yo self before you wreck yo self/Big dicks in ya ass is bad for your health"
woulda been way cooler if he quoted the whole thing...

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Friday, 3 September 2004 08:02 (twenty years ago)

for the video it was 'big D's in your mouth'

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Friday, 3 September 2004 08:03 (twenty years ago)

Argh, god, I know the dude in that picture above. It does not even remotely surprise me.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 September 2004 08:09 (twenty years ago)

Today's Guardian reminds me that Keanu Reeves and his grunge outfit Dogstar were pelted with beer, fruit and tennis balls at Glastonbury 99.

Glastonbury wins again.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 3 September 2004 11:47 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

Video
NSFW site

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 29 September 2004 01:15 (twenty years ago)

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