Love hurts, but not as much as when a crowd turns on a musician. Imagine conquering stage fright, stepping into the spotlight, and instead of cheers, getting a wave of boos—or worse. It’s the musician’s version of that dreaded “naked at work” dream.
Sometimes, it’s not just cold silence or jeers. Audiences have been known to take things to another level—hurling bottles, launching camping chairs, and creating downright hostile environments. No one can blame artists for snapping in those moments.
So, let’s jump into a time machine and revisit 12 times musicians faced brutal crowds. Warning: secondhand embarrassment is guaranteed because some of these moments are “cringe” at its finest.
Portugal Wanted Nickelback Gone
By now, it’s no secret that Nickelback has been one of the most ridiculed bands in music history. From endless memes to entire Facebook groups dedicated to hating them, the backlash has been relentless. But in 2002, the crowd at Portugal’s Ilha do Ermal festival took things to a whole new level.
Nickelback barely made it through a few songs before fans started pelting them with bottles and rocks. Frontman Chad Kroeger tried to salvage the moment, grabbing the mic and asking, “Have we got any Nickelback fans in Portugal? Are you sure? Do you want to see some rock ‘n’ roll, or do you want to go home?” The response? More boos, more flying objects. With that, the band walked off, flipping the crowd the middle finger on their way out.
Years later on The Big Riz Podcast, the band reflected on the chaos. They suspected they didn’t fit the heavy metal lineup and even wondered if another band on the bill had instigated the hostility.
Justin Timberlake Faced a Gross Welcome in Toronto
By 2003, Justin Timberlake was riding high. After dominating the charts with NSYNC, he successfully launched his solo career. Getting invited to perform at the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto charity festival alongside the Rolling Stones should have been a career highlight—but the crowd had other plans.
From the moment he stepped on stage, the audience made it clear they weren’t thrilled. Timberlake tried to keep things light, joking that he wouldn’t be on for long. But the jeers continued, and then the bottles started flying. At first, it seemed like just water—until he realized otherwise.
“All of a sudden, bottles of urine were thrown on the stage,” he later revealed on The Graham Norton Show in 2020. “It wasn’t always good times for me, you guys.” Despite the disgusting situation, he powered through, adding, “Either they ran out of nerve… or they ran out of urine.”
That night, Timberlake proved that while the crowd had no chill, he had plenty of patience.
The Rolling Stones Crowd Had No Love for Prince
Music fans can be surprisingly elitist, even though most artists appreciate different genres. The Rolling Stones, for instance, never hesitated to spotlight rising talent outside of traditional rock. In 1981, they gave a young, up-and-coming Prince a shot as an opening act on their U.S. tour—but the crowd wasn’t having it.
On the first night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Prince walked out to perform for 90,000 people. Instead of cheers, he was met with flying objects, and things quickly spiraled into a full-blown food fight. “Imagine 94,000 people throwing food at each other,” Prince’s bassist Brown Mark told Classic Rock. “I got hit in the shoulder with a bag of fried chicken; then my guitar got knocked out of tune by a large grapefruit.”
Despite efforts to calm the audience, Prince and his band left the stage after just four songs. Devastated, he reportedly flew home to Minnesota. Though he returned for another show, the hostility continued, and he ultimately dropped out of the tour.
Creed Fans Actually Sued the Band Over a Terrible Show
Creed, much like Nickelback, has been a band people love to hate—often thanks to frontman Scott Stapp’s antics. But in December 2002, things hit a new low during a concert at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
Fans expected a rock show, but what they got was a disaster. Reports described Stapp as completely out of it—forgetting lyrics, wandering offstage, and even writhing around on the floor. The performance was so bad that Creed later issued an apology, explaining that Stapp needed time to rest.
For four fans, though, an apology wasn’t enough. They took legal action, claiming Stapp was too intoxicated to perform and blaming the band, management, and promoters for allowing the show to happen. As reported by MTV, their lawsuit demanded refunds for all attendees. However, a judge ultimately dismissed the case.
While Creed survived the legal battle, the concert remains one of rock’s most infamous train wrecks—one fans would probably rather forget.
Mötley Crüe’s Chaotic Show Left Fans Booing
Mötley Crüe has built a reputation for wild antics, sometimes overshadowing their music. But when fans buy tickets, they expect a solid show—not just rock-star drama. Unfortunately, at what was supposed to be the band’s final tour kickoff in 2014 (spoiler: it wasn’t), things fell apart fast.
According to Metal Sludge, the chaos began just three songs into the show at Van Andel Arena when drummer Tommy Lee broke a drumstick. Guitarist Mick Mars tried to fill the gap with a solo, but then the stage lights came on, leaving the audience confused. The band returned and played a few more songs, only to stop again due to an awkward song transition.
When they finally restarted, Mars struggled with his monitor and guitar, leading to yet another delay. By this point, fans had enough and started booing. Though the Crüe pushed forward, the performance never recovered. By the end of the night, frustration had turned into disappointment, making it a concert fans wished they could forget.
Limp Bizkit 2014 Got Booed, Bombarded, and Sued in Chicago
Not every band pairing is a dream come true, and the 2003 Summer Sanitarium tour proved that in brutal fashion. Limp Bizkit joined Metallica and Linkin Park for the Chicago stop, but the crowd wasn’t having it—even before Fred Durst and the crew hit the stage.
According to Entertainment Weekly, boos rang out at just the mention of Limp Bizkit’s name. When they finally took the stage, things got ugly. Fans didn’t just heckle—they pelted the band with anything they could throw. Instead of smoothing things over, Durst did what he does best: stirred the pot. “This is why your baseball teams suck,” he taunted. “None of you are good pitchers—you can’t even hit me with your garbage.” Shockingly, that didn’t win them over. After just six songs, Bizkit bailed.
But the drama didn’t stop there. Per the Los Angeles Times, 172 fans filed a class action lawsuit, demanding a refund since the band only played for 17 minutes. Based on the lack of follow-up, though, it seems like the lawsuit didn’t go far—unlike those flying objects.
Kanye West’s Late-Night Set Left Fans Fuming
Kanye West has never been one to shy away from controversy, but in 2008, it wasn’t his words or actions—it was his timing that set fans off. Scheduled to perform at the Bonnaroo festival, West ended up pulling an Axl Rose move, arriving an hour and a half late.
According to The Guardian, fans were not amused. By the time he finally took the stage—at 4:30 a.m.—the crowd had lost all patience. Booing and glow stick-throwing quickly followed, turning what should’ve been a high-energy performance into a chaotic mess. To be fair, most of them had been partying all night, and a sunrise Kanye set probably wasn’t in their plans.
While fans blamed West for the delay, event organizers pointed fingers elsewhere. A spokesperson claimed the real issue was Pearl Jam, whose set ran long, making it impossible to set up Kanye’s elaborate stage on time. Regardless of who was at fault, the audience wasn’t buying it—and they let Kanye feel it.
Sammy Hagar’s Short-Lived Tour with KISS Went Off the Rails
Before joining Van Halen, Sammy Hagar had already made a name for himself with Montrose and his solo career. But in 1977, he landed a huge gig—opening for KISS at Madison Square Garden. The problem? No one knew who he was.
In his book Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, Hagar recalled how things went south before he even hit the stage. The KISS army wasn’t there for an unknown opener, and they booed him on sight. Hoping to win them over, he launched into a Montrose song, but the crowd wasn’t having it. Booing quickly escalated to flying objects.
Instead of backing down, Hagar fired back, taunting the audience by saying they were just a bunch of Los Angeles imports. That only made things worse—fans rushed the stage. At that point, Hagar decided to go out with a bang. He dropped his pants, smashed his guitar, and walked off—quitting the tour entirely. Bold move, Sammy!
The Killers’ Onstage Gesture Backfired in Georgia
The Killers have been one of the biggest rock bands of the 2000s, known for hits like Somebody Told Me. But in 2023, they made a major misstep during a show in Batumi, Georgia, sparking outrage among fans.
As reported by Newsweek, the band invited a Russian fan onstage to play drums—something they often do at shows. However, frontman Brandon Flowers took it a step further, calling both Russians and Georgians “brothers and sisters.” What he may not have realized was the deep political tension between the two countries. The Georgian audience was not amused and erupted in boos. Some fans were so upset that they walked out of the venue.
After the backlash, The Killers issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter). They explained that inviting fans to perform is a long-standing tradition and admitted that Flowers’ words may have been misunderstood. “We did not mean to upset anyone,” they wrote. “We stand with you and hope to return soon.”
Guns N’ Roses Got the City Wrong—And Fans Weren’t Having It
Guns N’ Roses are no strangers to ticking off audiences, whether it’s Axl Rose’s legendary tardiness or unexpected onstage antics. But in 2017, it wasn’t Axl who caused an uproar—it was their longtime announcer, McBob.
According to Entertainment.ie, while kicking off a show in Melbourne, Australia, McBob hyped up the crowd by shouting, “Sydney, you ready?” One problem—they weren’t in Sydney. And if there’s one thing you don’t do, it’s mix up two of Australia’s biggest cities. The audience immediately responded with loud boos, making it clear they weren’t going to let that one slide.
The band played on, but they made sure to apologize later, admitting it was McBob’s first slip-up in 30 years. Guitarist Slash even laughed it off on X, joking, “Apologies for the Spinal Tap intro!” Hopefully, they cranked it up to 11 to make up for the blunder.