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John Mellencamp has paid his dues throughout his long career. At age 72, the singer believes that he deserves the respect of his audience and is not afraid to tell them so. During a recent show in Toledo, Ohio, the Hurt So Good hitmaker was reportedly provoked by a heckler, who sent the entertainer over the edge and into an angry rant.
John Mellencamp Goes Off on Rude Audience Members
During a concert performance in Toledo, John Mellencamp’s audience became restless as the singer took time between songs to chat with his fans. John enjoys sharing the history of each song and engaging with the concertgoers. However, one fan found the musical history lesson unnecessary and began to heckle the singer.
John Mellencamp didn’t care for the rude behavior and told the paying customer that he would not stand for his disrespect. John’s scolding did not go over well, and before fans knew it, the singer went off on an angry rant, according to reports from the Washington Post.
John Mellencamp became frustrated after fans began booing and shouting out song requests. He quickly lost his temper and shouted at the rude heckler, “What do you think I’ve been doing, you c—s—–?” the rocker shouted. “Here’s the thing, man. You don’t know me. You don’t f—— know me. Hey Joe, find this guy, and let me see him after the show.”
Singer John Mellencamp Threatens Fans
Things quickly escalated, and John threatened his audience members, saying that he could just stop the show altogether and head home. As a punishment for the fans’ rude behavior, John Mellencamp told the concertgoers, “Tell you what I’m going to do. Since you’ve been so wonderful, I’m going to cut about ten songs out of the show. Here we go,” he threatened before starting to play the beginning of “Jack & Diane.”
However, shortly after the song began, he stopped. “You know what?” he told the audience. “Show’s over.” The singer then stormed off the stage, leaving a theater full of angry fans. John Mellencamp later spoke out on the incident, revealing that he expects respect and etiquette during his shows.
“Look, I’m not for everyone anymore. I’m just not,” the “Rain on the Scarecrow” artist continued. “And if you want to come and scream and yell and get drunk, don’t come to my show.”
After a brief cool-down period, John Mellencamp returned to the stage to perform a few more songs. However, the concert vibe was gone, and some fans claimed they were disappointed with the entire experience.