Musicians Who Stopped Their Shows For The Safety Of Their Fans

Many are still reeling from the tragedy that happened at Travis Scott's "Astroworld Festival" in Houston, Texas on Friday, November 5, 2021. As it's been widely reported, eight people died and hundreds more were injured after a massive crowd rushed the stage when Scott appeared, leaving people crushed. The rapper received heavy backlash soon after, not because he's the founder of the festival, but due to the fact that he kept playing while the tragedy unfolded. But per The Wall Street Journal, Scott's lawyers said he could not hear or see the chaos happening from the stage. Scott offered to pay for the funeral costs of the victims (via CNN), whose ages range from 14-27. He's also offered to refund ticket prices to everyone who attended the festival.

But that hasn't slowed down the criticism any or the lawsuits, as Deadline reports that at least 110 people have sued Scott, as well as Drake, who joined him on stage as things were turning deadly. And along with the backlash, many started sharing online videos of performers stopping shows to help fans, something they said Scott should've done to prevent the tragedy. For this one, we've gathered more of those performers who've assisted concertgoers, detailing what happened and what those artists did to assist. 

It was October 2018, during the last show of The Foo Fighters' "Concrete and Gold Tour" in St. Paul, Minnesota, when the band's frontman Dave Grohl stopped singing mid-note and guitar strum. That's because he spotted a 13-year-old boy in the audience named Owen Anderson having a difficult time. Billboard reported that the young man is blind and has autism, as well as Crohn's Disease and developmental disabilities. Dave Grohl didn't keep playing; he immediately went into fix-it mode. "Does that kid need somewhere to sit?" Grohl asked. "Give that kid a real seat." He then told security to take the kid's parents as well, telling the crowd that his show was "a family occasion."

Reportedly, Owen and his folks were allowed to take in the rest of the concert from the stage, and Grohl even let the young fan touch his guitar while he sang. Stacy Anderson, Owen's mother, took to Facebook after the show and expressed gratitude to the former Nirvana drummer. She also thanked everyone else involved who helped her boy have an experience that he'll probably forever hold on to. "Dave Grohl and all of the crew were incredibly kind to our family," she wrote (via Billboard). Way to go, Dave. That's how you help a fan in need.

Before we get into how Linkin Park helped save a fan at one of their shows, let's define the term "mosh pit," since it's relevant here. According to the good folks at Merriam-Webster, a mosh pit is "an area in front of a stage where very physical and rough dancing takes place at a rock concert." Some may read that definition and think there's no etiquette to moshing, but the band Linkin Park proved that idea wrong during a show. A YouTube video uploader notes that the concert was at London, Docklands Arena in 2001.

At one point while on stage, band member Mike Shinoda saw a person in the audience who was in danger, so he stopped the show and spoke directly to the crowd. "We got a little problem up here," he stated. Then, Chester Bennington addressed the audience with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Pick him up right now," he demanded. Shinoda apologized for stopping the show after that and told everyone that safety is the band's first priority. From there, Bennington made sure that everyone got Shinoda's point by giving a quick call and response. "When someone falls what do you do?" Bennington asked. "Pick them up," the crowd answered. Tragically, Bennington died by suicide in 2017, but his kind act will likely live on the Internet forever.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

The Game has been famous since his 2005 debut album "The Documentary," and since then, he's had a reputation of being a talented wordsmith. But he's also built a rep for wanting to fight people on stage, like in 2011 during a show in Oslo, Norway after someone in the crowd threw a bottle at him. But a few months later, in March 2012, the Compton-raised rapper showed a compassionate side by assisting a person at his Santa Ana, California show who passed out. The Game was in the middle of performing his single "How We Do" when he saw the man slumped over. He then told his DJ to stop the music.

Afterward, the rapper offered to bring the man to the stage, but he refused. The Game gave him a bottle of water soon after, but before the man could drink it, he passed out again. The Game told his band to hold on and turned his attention to the audience member. The wobbly-kneed concert goer eventually regained consciousness, but some might find it strange that he wasn't taken out of the venue immediately. In the end, The Game resumed his song and dedicated it to the man who decided to stay at the concert — at least for that song. "I'm watching you," the rapper told him.

It's not uncommon for people to faint at concerts. Think about it: Folks standing next to each other shoulder-to-shoulder, often for hours on end. Plus, there's the temperature, because one has to deal with a blazing yellow sun at outside shows and stuffy concert lights during indoor performances. So when a 47-year-old woman lost consciousness at a 2017 Adele concert in Sydney, Australia, people near the woman thought she just fainted, but it was later determined that she went into cardiac arrest, per The Guardian.

"Sorry, can we stop?" asked the singer. "There's someone not well and I'm a little bit worried because there's fireworks in this one and I don't want to scare him. Is it okay to carry on?" Eventually, paramedics made their way over to the woman, and she was taken to a hospital. It was also said that Adele was "visibly upset" for the remainder of the concert after the incident (via The Guardian), which shows her level of concern. The English singer also helped a fan in London who fainted at a concert at The Hammersmith Apollo in 2011. Adele suddenly stopped her song and pointed to where the person was located, showing that her fan's safety is super important to her.

Kurt Cobain's songwriting ability has been praised before and after he died by suicide in 1994. But he was also given a huge amount of credit for coming to a woman's defense at a 1993 Nirvana show in Oakland, California, after she was allegedly being groped. In a clip that was posted to YouTube, the late rock icon can be seen eyeing something in the crowd as he sings and strums his guitar. 

He then stops playing, puts his instrument down, and confronts the creepy individual who was committing sexual assault, from the sound of it. Now, everything Cobain said to the guy can't be heard, but let's say he put him in his place. The singer and his bandmates then let the crowd know what was going on, and some band members began taunting and pointing at the man. It was also reported that Cobain had the guy kicked out, which hopefully allowed everyone else to sing along and crowd surf in peace. Great job, Kurt!

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

There was one particular week in July 2018 when Florida's Lil Pump looked more like a medical worker than a rapper. That's because he helped two people at two different concerts, just days apart. His first rescue was at the U.K.'s Wireless Festival after he noticed someone in the audience wasn't doing too well. "Yo, paramedics, someone is having a seizure," he yelled into the microphone. Several people in the crowd then carried the man to security, who then took him away from the stage area. A bit later, Pump told the crowd the man was going to be okay, which got a huge round of applause from the crowd. The rapper later went on Instagram Stories (via HotNewHipHop) and wrote, "I'll never let none of my fans die at my show I love y'all [too] much."

But remember, the "Gucci Gang" creator went right back to help a concertgoer just days later after the first incident. The next show was indoors, and Pump was accompanied by fellow Florida rapper and friend Smokepurpp. Both artists asked to get the guy some water, with Smokepurpp handing him a bottle as he was being carried away. Clearly, if there was a hero of the week award in rap, Pump would've been giving an acceptance speech on that week in July.

If you're ever at a Lady Gaga concert and someone makes you lose your cool, stay calm, count to 10, and avoid fighting at all costs. If not, you might get called out by the pop star herself in front of thousands. It happened to a couple of rowdy people who attended a Gaga show in Washington, D.C., in 2010. "Stop fighting," she demanded. "Do not fight at this show. Is she okay? Are they both okay? I don't know who hit who." Then, after apologizing to the crowd, the artist struck a fierce pose to resume her performance. But first, she had a little more to say: "I just don't want you to fight. This is all about love and unity and happiness. No fighting."

Fast-forward seven years later, and Gaga helped another fan during a show at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, per Glamour. One woman was struck in the face, which Gaga quickly noticed. "Hi, I just looked over and I saw," she said. "Are you doing all right? ... Do you need a paramedic? They're on their way? Okay." Lady Gaga was sorry that her fan was bleeding from the hit. Later, the singer offered the woman a backstage pass after saying, "What we all need to remember is that there are some things that are more important than show business." Say it again for the people in the back, Gaga.

Ohio rapper Trippie Redd noticed that a woman passed out while he was on stage in Minneapolis in 2018. TMZ reported the incident and noted how quickly he reacted and took charge. In a clip that was released at the time, the "Pegasus" creator can be heard telling the crowd to keep their phones lit so it would be easier for the ill person to get assistance. "We got to worry about her right now," Redd told the crowd after the music stopped. The way it seemed, some people in the audience were more concerned with the performance stopping, rather than the sick woman.

Redd then yelled at some in the crowd, telling them to pick the woman up and give her some water. Reportedly, he threw a bottle of water down himself, which helped revive the woman after she drank it. It's not every day that you see an artist come down on people for not assisting their fellow audience member who's in danger, but maybe it's something more of them should do, huh?

When two people passed out at Logic's 2017 concert in Houston, the Maryland-raised rapper took quick command, acting almost like a security guard instead of an artist. After the first person fainted, he instructed the crowd to part ways and told them to "keep quiet." He then assured the concertgoer that she'd be okay and told the audience how often people faint at his shows. 

But as he was saying that, another person fainted, and Logic didn't hesitate. "Let's do the same thing. Somebody pick him up and everybody right here look at me ... and I want you to spread like this," he explained while showing the audience what to do. From there, Logic told the crowd to make sure they're feeling alright while watching the show. He also suggested they stay hydrated, saying no concert or performer is worth risking one's health. So not only did Logic jump into action to help two fainting fans; he gave them some useful advice for future shows. Now, that's how you do it.

Rage Against the Machine and their frontman, Zack de la Rocha, have been fighting injustice and wrongdoing for decades, using powerful songs as their main weapon. So it makes total sense that de la Rocha stopped a Rage show in Mesa, Arizona in 1997 after seeing a woman's shirt being ripped off while being lifted in the mosh pit. "Women are forced to live in fear in their schools, and in their communities, and shouldn't have to come to a Rage Against the Machine show and be afraid," explained de la Rocha. He then said the band would stop the show altogether if another woman was bothered or assaulted.

A mom named Lisa Fields Clark wrote about the incident in The Seattle Times and said she was super happy the rocker spoke out. "I felt this message to young people was important, particularly in our state where crimes against women ... are climbing drastically. I was impressed by his remarks," she wrote. "His views also made an impression on my son. I wish more young men had been allowed to go just to witness this from one of their idols."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Radiohead's Thom Yorke is often seen on stage seemingly swept up in his performance, with his eyes closed and jerking his body like he's in a deep trance. But during a 2003 Toronto show, while singing the band's cut "Myxomatosis," he wasn't so into singing that he didn't notice someone falling ill. Right away, Yorke told the band to stop playing and asked the crowd what was going on. He then said to get security as well as the ambulance so the person could be taken to safety. Then, a limp body was carried away from the audience, and Yorke and the band continued to play soon after.

"I was dehydrated from standing in line to get into the pit at the concert. The pit was first-come-first-serve. I waited in line for about six hours," the fan explained in a Reddit AMA, shared by Far Out Magazine. "When we finally got in my buddy and I sparked [a] joint. The concert started and we were hyped. What I didn't realize was that the concert was a serious light show. I guess a combination of strobe lights, dehydration, and being stoned led to my first pass out. The worst thing was when I awoke on a table at the side of the pit, Radiohead was playing 'Paranoid Android.'" Oh boy, what a night for that fan, right?

"Just A little Bit Of Your Heart" was the song that Harry Styles was singing when a woman had a panic attack at his London show in 2017. Some might say it was the perfect song for him to be singing, since he used some of his heart in a compassionate move to help her. Right away, the singer stopped the show and paid full attention to the woman. He then told the crowd to just "chill" and to give the woman some space. Styles was clearly calm during the incident, which probably made it easier for those in the audience to do the same. 

Security can be seen tending to the woman and eventually carrying her away from the crowd. But the former One Direction singer didn't just make sure that she was doing alright. He ensured that other audience members were feeling up to par, as well. Styles also told people to "step back slowly," to make sure everyone near the stage had ample room to move and breathe. The woman, who's been called Annie in the press, tweeted about the incident and thanked the singer for his thoughtful act. "That was one of the most horrendous panic attacks I've ever had ... I'm so grateful to Harry for having such a pure heart and stopping the show to get security to help me," she wrote in a now deleted Tweet (via Uproxx).

Rap and rock concerts can get pretty rowdy, depending on the artist. You don't have to be a music expert to know that. So shock probably wasn't the first feeling that rapper Waka Flocka felt when two men began duking it out at his 2015 show in Scottsdale, Arizona. Flocka noticed the fight after leaving the stage to mingle with the crowd. At first, a man who appeared to be his bodyguard tried to break it up but the rapper stopped him and handled things himself. "Y'all two motherf*****s hug," Flocka told the two men. "Hug him, hug him."

The two guys eventually hugged it out like they weren't trying to knock each other's heads off just seconds prior, much to Flocka's satisfaction. "That's what ... I'm talking about. Let's party," he yelled into the microphone. His words, as well as the incident, seemed to rile the crowd up even more as the Atlanta artist launched into his next song. So the moral of this story is, if you ever go to a Waka Flocka concert and someone angers you enough to fight, just hug that person. You'll be saving yourself a lot of time and maybe a little embarrassment.

When things get unruly at a concert, some performers will chastise the crowd for behaving badly, but Billie Eilish gave security a tongue lashing. It happened when the 19-year-old was singing her song "Happier Than Ever" at New York City's Governor's Ball Music Festival in September 2021. Suddenly, she noticed a fight breaking out in the crowd and refused to stay silent. "Security, why aren't you paying attention? Like, for real," Eilish said into the microphone. She also yelled out, "One job," implying that security failed to do the sole task they were hired for.

The Los Angeles native then continued to sing and asked the crowd if they were alright, which seemed to show that she was still bothered by security allegedly being lax. Still, the moment didn't appear to ruin the show for the "Lost Cause" singer based on what she communicated the following day on Instagram: "last night was one of my all time favorites THANK YOU GOV BALL," she wrote. And because of her concern for the crowd that night, her fans probably thanked her right back.