Hecklers: Classic or Dud

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Went to see Sonic Youth do their 'modern classical' thing at the RFH a few weeks back, and certain sections of the audience were v. v. hostile, shouting out "This is Shit', 'Teenage Riot" etc. etc. Dunno what these ppl expected as gig was plainly advertised as a "goodbye 20th century" special, and their comments certainly spoiled things a bit for those of us who WERE digging it (although the hostility did confirm that SY still have the power to upset/challenge/annoy.) My question is, does buying a ticket give you the automatic right to heckle? If you're a heckler, does it bother you that others in the audience might not feel the same way? What's the best heckle you ever heard - and the best response?

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Best heckle/response ever heard -- crowd on Sisters of Mercy bootleg circa 1991 and Carter's triumphant days to Eldritch, upon returning to stage stripped to the waist:

"YOU FAT BASTARD! YOU FAT BASTARD!"

"I don't think so!"

Best one I was actually at -- the Church, couple of years back.

Guy to Marty Willson-Piper: "Play a pop hit!"

MWP, swooping down with a manic grin, hair flying behind him: "Go to HELL!"

I don't heckle, I just grouse to friends.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hecklers are dud. while it may be true that you've spent your money and then didn't get what you expected, what of everybody else, doesn't heckling spoil their enjoyment and didn't they pay. so why should hecklers have the right to spoil it for everyone else. if its an isolated thing, well okay, we'll live, but it does change the atmosphere, and makes things more hostile. i'm not really big on hostility, aggression etc - i could get that by going out in keighley town centre on a saturday night, i can get it on the tube. i like to spend my free time without this kind of stuff.

btw, andrew, i have picked up the fennesz album at last, i'm rather looking forward to it.

― gareth, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think heckling is important, it stops bands from becoming complacant (sic?)...and good responses from the bands show they have some wit and intelligence. However, some lame brained idiot came on to sing a song with J Mascis and got heckled, lame brain reacted by spitting and hurling a microphone stand into the crowd. Isn't heckling essential in stand-up comedy?

― james e l, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

yes james, well pointed out. i'd forgot about comedy, there seems to be a different dynamic involved in comedy where its part of the whole thing

― gareth, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Its embarrasing, but it often works to the performers advantage.

― Mike Hanle y, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

good comeback (by me) - one time a long time ago a band i was in was playing & this guy was yelling requests for REM songs (?) - him: "Don't Go Back To Rockville!" . Me: "OK I won't." I kill me!

― duane, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My best EVAH heckle was to Placebo in ten inches of mud at Gladstonbury : "Stop being a smug Glamma Queen and Appreciate The Mud"

He said "Fuck off"( In typical pop star aloof fashion)

He got mud thrown at him and laughtA"

(I apologise fa spelling but Its graduation and that means pissed...."

― Pete, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am probably asking for it posting this, but when I'm onstage, I *love* hecklers. A Lollies show wouldn't be a Lollies show without me and Jane chain ganging and putting down hecklers. It's part of the act. I mean, ultimately, we're the ones with the mics and the guitars, they're never going to be louder than us.

Seeing other bands, it really depends on the circumstances and the attitude of the audience and the performer. Sometimes you get really bizarrely odd and funny moments, like this bloke with satchel storming out of a Faust gig screaming "Ordinary! Ordinary! Ordinary!" I've seen Courtney Taylor put down idiots with a withering "Hey, *you* paid £10 to see *me*" and sometimes I've seem him wind heckling into an irritating and nauseating ego-show.

It really does depend on whether the heckler will give up when beaten.

― masonic boom, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

At a punk show or any other event meant to be egalitarian and racus - CLASSIC. Any other time or place Dud.

― anthony, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

muppet ehcklers - classic; hecklers at a lou reed show deserve all they get.

― Geoff, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Story I remember 2nd hand about Palace. Girl: You were great in Matewan!

Will: Suck my cock!

― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So Gareth, how did you get on with Fennesz?

― Andrew L, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Lou Reed is responsible for my best heckling moment ever. Glastonbury 1993, Reed is stood stage front, a roadie comes on and starts adjusting his mike stand...

Reed: leave it

roadie continues fiddling

Reed: leave it!

more fiddling

Reed: LEAVE IT!!!!!!

45,000 or so people, as one: ooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh

much holding up of imaginary handbags and laughter.

― cabbage, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Best heckles/responses:

at a Palace Brothers gig, my friend decides to request a song: him: "I was Drunk at the Pulpit!" Will: "I feel sorry for your folks..."

at the first Pow! to the People, Jonny Bramwell from I Am Kloot is doing a solo set, and is kind of dwarfed by the larger-than-he's-used- to stage: JB: "It's frightening up here, I feel like a Boy Scout..." reply from audience member: "Well you can't have one..."

Not sure whether heckling is a classic or a dud. Certainly a dud whenever I've attempted it.

― Andrew Williams, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, Lou Reed dresses tough but at really hes as wimpy as The STrokes.

― Mike Hanle y, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

andrew l: i haven't played it yet, if i don't like it i will be sure to heckle my stereo

― gareth, Thursday, 19 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i have never been heckled. i don't think i would like it, but that depends on whether i can come up with a witty response or not. having said that, someone i know is probably reading this and will decide to heckle me at the next gig i play.

i'll be waiting for you, you bastards, so you better come up with something worth responding to!

i do love to watch a good interplay between a band and hecklers though. adds to the entertainment. gets the crowd riled up.

― lady die, Sunday, 22 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I saw Fugazi get heckled with "Play some Minor Threat or I'll kill you!" To which, Ian of course stopped the show and addressed the heckler with: What the fuck? That was 10 years ago!

And last time I saw Yo La Tengo, my friend Lauren yelled out "Rock School!" in between songs. It got a smile from Ira, and the did play Sugarcube that night.

― bnw, Monday, 23 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My high/low performance came thru heckling. Ended with me denouncing crowd and storming out of room. Very dramatic, very appropos, and it finished my performance with a flourish.

― Sterling Clover, Monday, 23 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Although this is funnier w/the delivery, I will repeat anyways:

HECKLER: Fag bastard! Fag bastard!
STEVE ALBINI: The guy who called me a fag bastard... can come back to the room with me.
HECKLER: Fag bastard!

― Dave M., Monday, 23 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Whilst watching Venini (ex-Pulp guitarists then new band) at Reading Festivals new band stage last year in a remarkably uncharacteristic display FT focus group contributor Fraser Lewry came out with a perfectly timed..

"TOO MUCH CHARISMA!"

I am in no way bullshitting when I tell you that the laughter was louder than the previous applause. It had to hurt.

― mark, Saturday, 4 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

twelve years pass...

kind of a wowzer story from Santa Clara CA... heckling in the theatuh I don't remember ever having witnessed:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Actor-Fired-After-Escorting-Homophobic-Heckler-from-CAT-ON-A-HOT-TIN-ROOF-Performance-20140602#

― images of war violence and historical smoking (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 3 June 2014 21:16 (eleven years ago)

I wonder how aggressive the heckling was in order to motivate that kind of action from the actor.

― Evan, Tuesday, 3 June 2014 21:25 (eleven years ago)

apparently the drunk shouted "fag" a few times

― images of war violence and historical smoking (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 4 June 2014 05:38 (eleven years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.