Clearing the air. After fans slammed Eminem for startling them with a realistic gunshot sound effect during his headlining set at the Bonnaroo music festival, a spokesperson for the 45-year-old rapper is setting the record straight.
“Contrary to inaccurate reports, Eminem does not use gunshot sound effects during his live show,” the spokesperson told Us Weekly on Monday, June 11, two days after the performance.
“The effect used by Eminem in his set at Bonnaroo was a pyrotechnic concussion which creates a loud boom,” the statement continues. “He has used this effect — as have hundreds other artists — in his live show for over 10 years, including previous US festival dates in 2018 without complaint.”
The frightening moment came while the Detroit-native performed his 2000 hit song “Kill You” in front of the crowd on Friday, June 8, in Manchester, Tennessee. Attendees were quick to slam the singer in heated tweets following the show.
“When eminem let off the gunshot sound effect at his bonnaroo set last night, the whole place went silent because we all thought it was real,” one commenter wrote. “I’m hella disappointed in slim shady now smh.”
Another added: “Coming from a performing stand point, i get the effect of sound effects on stage, but there’s a certain point that cross’s the line. i’m one of eminem’s number 1 fans but to hear 3 gun shots coming straight from his set had me scared af. not gonna lie. especially in this world…”
One Twitter user referred to the deadly shooting that happened at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, writing, “Less than a year after Vegas and @Eminem thinks it’s a good idea to blast gun shot sfx onstage at a music festival? Bad call on this headliner @bonnaroo.” As previously reported, 58 people were killed and 527 injured at the country musical fest in October 2017.
Meanwhile, supporters of the Grammy award winner were quick to come to his defense, noting that loud noises are a part of many of his songs.
“Actually Ppl going to Eminem’s set without knowing the songs is not well thought out,” one fan tweeted. “They’re not improvised gun shots they’re part of the songs. If you knew the songs you’d expect them. Why should he be responsible for your ignorance.”
Another wrote: “But haven’t Eminem’s songs always had gunshot sounds in them?”
