Top 30 Onstage Freakouts by Musicians

Top-30-Onstage-Freakouts-by-Musicians

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most intense meltdowns from famous musicians during their sets.

#30: John Mellencamp Leaves After Shouting Match

Being a famous musician is a double-edged sword. While you get to play in front of large crowds, you also run the risk of being heckled. Most know how to ignore them— but John Mellencamp proved how disastrous it can be when you don’t. In between songs, he addressed the crowd— only to be told to get back to the music. This immediately made him irate, causing him to launch into an expletive filled diatribe. He then took things further by declaring he was slashing the setlist, only to suddenly end the whole show during an angry rendition of “Jack and Diane”. While the initial comment was annoying, many felt that his reaction went too far, unfairly punishing those who had been well-behaved.

#29: Action Bronson Throws Fans Offstage

Sometimes fans mess with the bull, and get the horns— or in this case, they get classic wrestling moves. While Action Bronson performed a 2014 set, one viewer crowd-surfed onto the stage— and was swiftly dealt with. Bronson pulled the fan into a chokehold and lifted him up, before tossing him back into the crowd. Unfortunately, that encouraged the wrong behavior, causing another man to follow suit. The performer had lost his patience, this time opting to strike the intruder across the face. Things escalated into a full-on brawl between multiple people, all while the instrumental kept playing in the background. Despite the chaos, the crowd kept cheering Bronson’s name— making it clear they didn’t mind his response one bit.

#28: Wes Scantlin’s Bizarre Accusations

Some instances of erratic behavior are so extreme that you can’t help but wonder what’s going on behind the scenes. At a 2016 concert, Puddle of Mudd’s Wes Scantlin brought things to a halt to call someone out. While he started out calmly, he quickly escalated the situation by accusing the fan of stealing his house. Then, he tried to get the cameras to reveal his target’s identity— putting a potentially innocent person at risk. In the end, Scantlin abruptly walked off, leaving his bandmates behind. While the singer had lost his home to foreclosure the previous year, there was no proof that the person he called out had anything to do with it, making his tirade all the more unsettling.

#27: Lil Wayne vs. The DJ

Even the most meticulous plans can go awry. While this may seem like a universal truth, not everyone can handle such sudden changes well. While Lil Wayne was performing at a 2015 show, his backing DJ kept making slight errors. The rapper even rallied the crowd to heckle the onstage help, but that wasn’t enough to get things back on track. After the wrong version of “CoCo” began to play, Lil Wayne completely snapped. He threw his microphone in frustration and stormed off the stage, ultimately punishing the crowd for the DJ’s sins. In his defense, he had been a victim of swatting just the week before— so this could’ve been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

#26: Nikki Sixx Goes Off on a Security Guard

Wanting to defend your supporters is commendable. But some artists take that too far, turning a good deed into a riot. At a 1997 performance with Mötley Crüe, Nikki Sixx caught sight of a security guard allegedly assaulting a woman in the crowd. He was so enraged that he started yelling at the guard— and quickly went off the rails. His rant became racially motivated, and he even encouraged the crowd to intervene. While the incitement was bad enough, the audience’s elated reaction only made things worse. Any good intentions the musician may have had were instantly ruined by his abhorrent execution. Years later, Sixx seemed to acknowledge his mishandling of the situation and claimed to have apologized.

#25: Grimes’ Technical Difficulties at Coachella

Festivals are an important part of any artist’s line-up, especially Coachella. The multi-week experience has provided some of the most well-known performances of the 21st century. When Grimes kicked off her set at the 2024 edition, it seemed like things were going well— until it was clear they weren’t. Everything kept malfunctioning, causing her to get frustrated and even scream as she attempted to resolve the issues. Grimes initially blamed her math skills, but later admitted she had outsourced the work to a third party, leaving her unsure how to handle the interruptions. While she seemed to be fine the next weekend, plenty of viewers got to see firsthand how she truly reacted under pressure.

#24: Akon Throws a Fan Offstage

While people getting unruly at gigs isn’t anything new, some go a little too far. This results in celebrities sometimes having to take things into their own hands— literally. Akon proved how serious he was when a fan threw something at him at a 2007 show. After figuring out who it was, security grabbed the offender and forced him to join the musician. Without giving him a chance to explain, Akon picked him up and threw him back into the crowd. His stunt ended up backfiring when it was revealed that the fan was a teenager, resulting in a misdemeanor charge for the singer. There’s no doubt that his actions were effective— but they came at the cost of someone else’s safety.

#23: Afroman Punches Woman

The line between assault and self-defense is thin and easy to cross inadvertently. Mid-act in 2015, a woman decided to join rapper Afroman onstage. She came up behind him, startling him enough that he turned her around and punched her in the face. The backlash was swift– the rapper was escorted offstage and hit with a charge. His reaction was especially bizarre, considering he had at least a dozen guards onstage, who could have handled the situation differently. Afroman eventually released his own statement, explaining that he had mistaken her for another woman who had been harassing him. While no legal consequences came his way, he still took it as a sign to seek treatment for anger management.

#22: Ritchie Blackmore’s California Jam Destruction

Rockstars often thrived on having a destructive reputation, but some went a little too far. While at the short lived California Jam festival in 1974, a scheduling conflict caused Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore to fly off the handle. Towards the end of the night, he threw several items off the stage, before destroying a camera. As if that wasn’t enough, a malfunction caused one of his amplifiers to explode, setting the stage ablaze. Things got so intense that the band had to make a quick escape, rather than face charges. Despite the damage, the festival had an undeniable impact. It not only got a second edition, but also became one of the first concert recordings to be released on video in the ‘80s.

#21: Kings of Leon Leave After Being Pelted by Pigeons

While some meltdowns seem like overreactions, others are completely justified. When fans first saw Kings of Leon suddenly end their set at a 2010 show and run off stage, they angrily demanded an explanation. Later, their bassist provided a statement that made the situation much more understandable. During their performance, several pigeons overhead had used the group as their personal bathroom. After enduring this for a few songs, they quickly decided it wasn’t worth it, and cut their losses instead. The fact they made it as long as they did was commendable—in fact, they still went on despite seeing the previous act suffer the same fate. Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t agree, resulting in their promoters giving out refunds.

#20: Paul Stanley Rages Against a Laser Pointer

There’s nothing quite like a man in white face paint unleashing his rage. After an audience member targeted the band with a laser pointer during their performance of “Love Gun” at a 2009 concert in Portland, Kiss’s Paul Stanley stopped the show to address him. He cracked a few jokes regarding the audience member’s young age, like referencing his “first beer” and the fact that his mom was probably waiting outside in the car. The crowd found it a hoot, cheering along. To Stanley’s credit, he didn’t get too angry or boisterous, which is more than we can say for many others on this list.


#19: Nathan Williams Has a Breakdown at Primavera Sound

In 2009, the San Diego-based indie punk band Wavves was performing at Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, and it couldn’t have gone worse. Frontman Nathan Williams was under the influence, and he annoyed both the crowd and his own bandmates with his petulant behavior. He mocked the audience and the festival itself, resulting in bottles and shoes being thrown on stage. The drummer eventually left after pouring a beer over Williams’s head and throwing his drumsticks at him, and Williams was left playing into a cut mic while stagehands dismantled the drum kit. It was a poetic symbol of a disastrous performance.


#18: Roger Waters Spits on a Fan

Who would’ve thought an annoying spectator would inspire one of the most iconic albums of the 20th century? During the “In the Flesh” tour, Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters became disillusioned with performing, as he felt that nobody was truly paying attention. These feelings came to a head during a concert in Montreal, where one fan became so rowdy that Waters spit on him. Troubled by his own reaction, Water spoke to a psychiatrist, detailing his dreams of having a wall between himself and the audience. This immediately struck inspiration for the aptly named “The Wall”. What started out as a poor response ballooned into a fully fleshed out album concept— and the rest is history.

#17: Andy Biersack Confront a Heckler

As it turns out, Black Veil Brides frontman Andy Biersack doesn’t like comparisons to Motley Crue. While performing in Vancouver, Biersack was accosted by a heckler who made unfavorable comparisons to the aforementioned band and repeatedly requested that the opening act return. Biersack stopped the show and asked them to come on stage before throwing the microphone into the crowd. The heckler refused to speak into the mic or come on stage, so Biersack decided to jump into the crowd and confront them himself. He was pulled away by security, however, while the crowd chanted his name.


#16: Rob Zombie Rants About Marilyn Manson

In October of 2012, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson were performing together at Detroit’s DTE Energy Center during the “Twins of Evil” tour. Manson started his set late and went over his allotted time, then accused Zombie of ending his set prematurely. Manson even threatened to kick Zombie’s ass. A furious Zombie retaliated on stage by venting to the crowd in a profanity-laced rant about Manson. Fortunately, no asses were actually kicked, the feud was quickly resolved, and the tour continued without another hitch.


#15: Shirley Manson Can Eat Meat

Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson has long been known for her brash rock and roll persona, and that was on full display during 2012’s Marés Vivas Musical Festival. A member of the crowd was supposedly throwing items, prompting Manson to stop the show. She threatened to have the security guards beat him up. And she ended the rant with the unexpected proclamation “I’m on my period, I can eat meat”. Did she just threaten to cannibalize someone? If so, that might be a first when it comes to on stage freakouts.


#14: Dave Grohl Kicks a Fan Out

The Foo Fighters frontman has earned a reputation for being "the nicest guy in rock." But even nice guys can lose their temper when someone is disrupting their show. At London’s Roundhouse in 2011, Grohl spotted an unruly fan who was fighting in the audience. He stopped singing in order to call the fan out and throw him out. As he told the rest of the audience, he was there to make people dance, not fight. It was, to be honest, a pretty justified reason to lose your temper on stage!


#13: Dave Mustaine vs. Laser Pointer

Paul Stanley isn’t the only rock and roll legend irritated by laser pointers. While performing at the infamous 1999 Woodstock festival, Megadeth's Dave Mustaine was targeted by someone with a laser pointer, prompting a funny and crude rebuttal. The rant was filled with expletives and dripping with sarcasm, including his nice little “thank you” and thumbs up at the end. The put down seems to have worked, as fortunately for both the band and the crowd, the annoying laser did not reappear!


#12: Maynard James Keenan Tackles a Guy & Keeps Singing

And you thought singing and playing an instrument at the same time was difficult! Tool was performing “Pushit” at the Astoria theatre in London in 1997, when a boisterous fan got on stage and approached singer Maynard James Keenan. He may have been unaware of Keenan’s jiu-jitsu skills. With his arms outstretched in celebration, the fan was grappled and thrown over Keenan’s shoulder, and subsequently pinned to the ground. But the best was yet to come, as Keenan got the guy in a chokehold and continued to sing the song without missing a note. Now this is one creative and absolutely hilarious way to dispose of a stage-rusher.


#11: Justin Bieber Tries Wiping the Floor

While performing in Norway in October 2015, Justin Bieber attempted to clean a puddle of water that had been spilled onstage. However, his excited fans got in the way, prompting Bieber to lose his temper. He tiredly stated into the mic that he was “done” and that he was “not doing the show” while throwing off his jacket and storming backstage. This freakout came after performing just one song for the nearly 1,000-strong Norwegian crowd. Bieber apologized on Instagram, saying that it was a “rough week” and that he had been irritable owing to overwork and lack of sleep.


#10: Billy Joel Flips His Piano

While Joel was performing in Moscow back in 1987, his documentary crew directed the light technicians to illuminate the audience so that they could get better shots. But this killed the vibe, leaving Soviet fans fearful that security was about to descend on them. In response, Joel screamed at the lightning technicians to stop, seamlessly integrating his shouts into the song. When they didn’t, he flipped his own piano and destroyed a microphone stand - all while still singing. The fans thought the whole outburst was just, well, “rock ‘n roll”! And honestly … maybe it was!


#9: Josh Homme Kicks a Photographer in the Head

Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age is well-known for his short fuse and irritable personality. One only needs to watch his profanity-filled tirade against an audience member at Norwegian Wood to know that. Another shocking moment came at the KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas concert, when Homme kicked a photographer, seemingly without reason. According to the photographer, Chelsea Lauren, Homme violently kicked her camera, which was driven into her face. She was forced to seek medical treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Homme later apologized, saying that he was “lost in performance.”


#8: Ted Nugent on Obama & Clinton

Ted Nugent is one of the most outspoken Republicans in entertainment, and it was clear that he abhorred Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. While performing in 2007, Nugent brandished two assault rifles on stage, and told Obama to “suck on my machine gun”. He also told Clinton to “ride one of these into the sunset”. His suggestions were met with some cheers and applause from the audience. Nugent, who famously said of apartheid that “all men are not created equal”, would later call Obama “subhuman” and escalate his threats, leading to investigation by the Secret Service.


#7: Father John Misty Rants About American Idiocracy

He may go by the stage name Father John Misty, but chances are most fans didn’t shell out music festival cash for a sermon about the numbed collective consciousness. Tillman was set to perform at WXPN’s XPoNential Festival, but rather than grabbing his guitar and putting on a show, he decided to smoke a cigarette and lecture about the numbing effect of the entertainment industry, the nature of evil, and the stupidity of the world. He then improvised a winding piece before covering Leonard Cohen and prematurely walking offstage. We don’t know if he was on something, but it sure killed the audience’s buzz.


#6: Axl Rose Jumps Into the Crowd

Axl Rose, vocalist of Guns N’ Roses, certainly has a flair for the dramatic. He is infamous for his tirades and meltdowns, but the best of the bunch has to be this one, which sees him literally jumping into the crowd. After telling security to take away a man’s camera, Axl proceeds to jump into the crowd and take action into his own hands. He then blames the “lame ass security” before slamming the microphone down and storming offstage. It’s not every day you see an entertainer leaving the stage to literally attack their own fans, but hey, Axl Rose has always been one of a kind.


#5: Courtney Love Freaks Out

OK, this is one we can understand. While playing in Brazil, Love stopped the show to deride a fan who was constantly throwing up a picture of Kurt Cobain, frontman of Nirvana and husband to Love for two years before he tragically took his own life. She called the fan “rude,” explaining that she has to live with the memory of Kurt every day and that throwing up pictures of him is disrespectful and “stupid.” The man apparently does it again, because she curses him out, flips him off, and leaves the stage. Most onstage freakouts are childish, but this one, while still unpleasant, feels heavier and more personal.


#4: Kurt Cobain Has a Tantrum

Speaking of Kurt Cobain, here he is in action doing very…Kurt Cobain things. Kurt was seemingly hammered for this performance, as he randomly stops performing in the middle of the song, staggers backwards, and slams his guitar into the ground. He then goes on a rampage of destruction, which includes destroying the drum kit, knocking over and viciously headbutting the amps, and using the drum’s cymbal as a blunt instrument. Like his similarly weird freakout at the Hollywood Rock Festival, it’s hard to tell if this is just a drunken escapade, or an unwell man desperately crying out for help.


#3: Donita Sparks Throws Her Tampon at the Crowd

Now THIS is surreal. Sparks, co-founder and vocalist of metal band L7, was truly not feeling up to facing the wrath of the crowd on this day. While playing at England’s Reading Festival, the band experienced technical difficulties, and the irate crowd began to fling mud at the stage in frustration. In retaliation, Sparks took out her menstrual product, spoke to the crowd and flung it at them. It’s hard to know where to begin with this. We’re used to vocalists yelling at people, jumping into crowds, and destroying equipment, but this…this is something else.


#2: Billie Joe Armstrong’s Meltdown at iHeartRadio

Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong is no stranger to confrontation, having jumped into a crowd to fight a patron who was supposedly bothering others in 1997. But it’s his infamous 2012 meltdown that takes our entry here. Green Day was performing at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas when the singer noticed that they only had one minute of stage time remaining. Rather than putting on a hell of a final minute, Armstrong stopped the song and went on a slurred, profanity-filled tirade, complete with declarations of how long he’s been around and that he isn’t Justin Bieber. He then destroys his guitar, flips off the officials, and saunters offstage. We’ve seen angry people before, but this is a full-on meltdown for the ages.


#1: Kanye West’s Rant in Sacramento

Kanye West has always been a controversial and dramatic figure, but he elevated his game here and delivered what was surely the greatest meltdown in music history. After showing up 90 minutes late to his show in 2016, West performed very briefly before randomly exploding into a diatribe that touched on many topics, including fellow celebrities like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the politics of Hillary Clinton, and pop radio playlists. He then dropped the mic and stormed offstage. Later, he canceled the remaining dates of the tour, citing stress and exhaustion.


Have any of your favorite musicians ever freaked out mid-performance? Let us know in the comments below!