Riley Green: ‘Well, this is going to be a fun story to tell in the emergency room…’ | Music City Minute

Since the dawn of creative expression, artists have been the target of some gnarly flying projectiles. Over the centuries, this behavior has been dubbed fan-mania, which is very different from the run-of-the-mill “boo fest,” where a disgruntled audience would throw rotting vegetables (and other naturally occurring organic material) at performers. Some of the earliest documented fan-mania dates back to the 1840s with pianist Franz Liszt, whose audience would toss flowers and tokens during his performance. Apparently, a facet of Beatlemania was throwing jellybeans at the British band, while Tom Jones fans would often toss their undergarments on stage. Understandably, many fans will probably think their actions are harmless. However, in the 2020s, I have seen a sharp uptick in injuries related to fan-mania. One of the latest incidents happened to Riley Green while he was performing in Melbourne, Australia. In the middle of the concert, a fan’s cell phone hit Green in the head, leaving him with a bloody gash on his earlobe requiring five stitches. Can we please all agree to stop this nonsense and act as if we have had home training and not like “degens” from up country? Your favorite artist would appreciate it. (BTW, the so called “fan” who threw the phone was practically tarred, feathered and run out of the venue on a rail.)

I’m Sheena, and that’s your Music City Minute.