Eminem Sparks Backlash After Panicking Bonnaroo Crowd With Gunshot Sound Effects

Eminem headlined the Bonaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee on Saturday, and ended up shocking and angering a number of concert-goers with some ill-timed gunshot noises.

The noises came from three pyrotechnics quickly (and loudly) going off during Eminem’s set (he was performing the song “Kill You”) to imitate bullets being shot.

Video from the performance quickly made its way online, and viewers were outraged given its been less than a year since the Route 91 Harvest Festival Shooting in Las Vegas.

“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]. What happened to Radiate Positivity?

“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…,” a fan tweeted, feeling that the rapper had crossed a line.

“Eminem needs stop poppin off guns during his show.. literally has everyone ducking, weaving AND bobbing,” one Twitter user wrote, noticing the crowd reaction.

Eminem’s rep responded to the backlash with a statement to E! News on Sunday, saying that the noise was never intended to be a gunshot.

“Contrary to inaccurate reports, Eminem does not use gunshot sound effects during his live show,” the statement read. “The effect used by Eminem in his set at Bonnaroo was a pyrotechnic concussion creates a loud boom. 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.”