Video: Tom Morello Throws a Fan’s Cell Phone Into the Crowd

I’m generally of the mind that musicians should stop complaining about fans filming with their cell phones at shows. I totally get why they complain — it’s distracting as hell, it seems like a waste of time and money to attend a show only to watch it through your phone, etc. — it just seems a losing battle to me at this point. May as well accept that it’s now a thing and move on, or even embrace it as some musicians have.

That said, Tom Morello may have been justified in grabbing a fan’s cell phone away at his performance this past Saturday, June 15th at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL… but it’s complicated.

When a fan sidled up beside Morello mid-song and attempted to take a selfie, Morello grabbed the phone and tossed it into the audience. The incident was captured by another fan using their phone to record (how ironic!), and a swell of concertgoers cheering can be heard just as the video cuts off. Once again, I get it: shoving a phone literally right in the face of a performer attempting to put on a show for thousands of people is hella rude and insanely selfish!

Here’s the thing, though: the fan attempting to take a selfie wasn’t the only one on stage. Dozens of other folks were on stage, too, because Morello had invited them up there. While I don’t believe that gives fans the right to invade Morello’s personal space and do as they please, he can hardly be surprised someone tried to take a selfie. It kinda comes with the territory.

So in this case I’m torn between “Morello had every right to toss that phone” and “he’s being willfully ignorant if he doesn’t think selfies will happen when he invites fans up on stage.” I can’t decide who’s in the right here. What do you all think? Watch the incident below.

Tom Morello is a savage! Live in the moment lmfao @101WKQX pic.twitter.com/SN98lVtzMz

— T-BONE (@timjurgens17) June 16, 2019

[via Ultimate Guitar]