Suede singer Brett Anderson swats phones off fans recording at Singapore concert: 'If you wanna film, go to the back'

One of the biggest debates surrounding concert etiquette is the usage of phones to record significant chunks of the concert. While proponents claim that recording allows them to preserve their memories of the show, detractors argue that those who are recording tend to block the view of concertgoers behind them and are also not living in the moment.

As such, the question remains: At what point does the usage of phones become downright rude to the performers on stage as well as to fellow concertgoers?

Well, we can now add Suede frontman Brett Anderson to the list of artistes who are vehemently in the anti-recording camp. During Suede’s joint concert with Manic Street Preachers in Singapore on Wednesday (Nov 22), Anderson was seen grabbing and swatting phones off fans who were recording the band’s performance.

In a series of videos posted by Instagram user @phaedra.cheung, Anderson is first seen making his way down to the floor section of The Star Theatre to interact with fans. He is later seen behind a barricade, arguing with a male fan while seemingly telling the fan to put his phone down. 

Anderson then leaps over the barricade and combs through the first row, grabbing the phones of those who are recording and, in some instances, pushing the devices to the floor. He finally returns to the stage to address the situation.

“It’s so much better if you could possibly put your phone down… Put your f****** phone down. If you wanna film, go to the back. Don’t take up space out here. These people wanna have fun. If you wanna stare at your f****** phone, go to the f****** back. Am I right?”

Anderson’s impassioned speech was met with a sea of cheers from the audience.

“It just kills the gig,” Anderson added.

Videos of the outburst can also be seen on TikTok and have received a mixed response. Some agree with Anderson, echoing him that recording “ruins the fun” of concerts. On the other hand, another user countered him, telling Anderson to “just shut up and sing” as “he was killing the vibe”.

With Singapore continuing its streak of being a concert hot spot in 2024, it seems unlikely that this phone recording issue will go away. 

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