Why Royal Blood's Singer Flipped off a Music Festival Crowd Last Week

Royal Blood frontman Mike Kerr was so frustrated with the crowd at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend event on May 28 that he flipped them off as he left the stage. Kerr thought the audience was not sufficiently excited to hear his and drummer Ben Thatcher's music. His behavior shocked critics, and some thought he may have alienated potential new fans.

"Well, I guess I should introduce ourselves seeing as no one actually knows who we are," Kerr, 32, told the crowd toward the end of the duo's set. "We're called Royal Blood and this is rock music. Who likes rock music? Nine people, brilliant."

Kerr then introduced Thatcher. The response to this was also muted. "We're having to clap ourselves because that was so pathetic. Well done, Ben," he said.

Next, Kerr looked at a camera operator at the side of the stage. "Will you clap for us? You clap? You're busy. Can you clap? Yes, even he's clapping," Kerr said before turning to the audience one more time. "What does that say about you?" Kerr dropped his guitar before flipping off the audience with both middle fingers and left the stage.

The video of Kerr's behavior went viral. Members of the music community found it distasteful. "Rule number 1 for artists- Never be entitled. Whether you play to a crowd that knows every song or a crowd who doesn't give a f who you are – just bloody play and keep it moving," singer V V Brown tweeted. "Your [sic] not curing cancer mate."

"Man, some gigs are tough and you have to win over the crowd, but this is exactly how to NOT react," U.K. band Lottery Winners tweeted. "Very disappointed with Royal Blood here. No matter what level you get to, you're never better than the audience."

BBC Introducing presenter Emma Linton told BBC Radio 5 Live she did not think there was a "lack of energy" among the crowd. "People maybe didn't know the songs and I think there were people there that were fans," Linton said. "And there were people singing along – me being one of them – but I think it was not necessarily a crowd that were destined to be super fans, especially because Lewis Capaldi and Niall Horan were after them."

Royal Blood was formed as a quartet but is now down to Kerr and Thatcher. Their first three albums all topped the Official U.K. Chart, reports Billboard. However, they haven't had a song chart on the U.K. Singles Chart since "Typhoons" in January 2021. Their fourth album, Back to the Water Below, will be released in September.

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