While performing at Chicago’s 101WKQZ’s Piqniq festival over the weekend, Tom Morrello became the latest artist to strike back against unwanted fan selfies. According to a report from Celebrity Access Encore, Morello invited members of the audience onstage during his set, and one of the fans who joined in tried to take a selfie with the guitarist. As a result, Morello grabbed the fan’s phone and threw it back into the audience. Video of the phone-throwing taken by an audience member can be found below.
Tom Morello is a savage! Live in the moment lmfao @101WKQX pic.twitter.com/SN98lVtzMz
— TIM (@timjurgens17) June 16, 2019
After the incident, Morello took to Twitter to warn fans about future attempted selfies. He also defended his actions, writing, “When you invite guests to YOUR stage and CLEARLY TELL THEM ‘if you stick a cell phone in my face I WILL THROW IT’ and then their uncontrollable entitled selfie urges overcome their sense of reason they get their f*ckin phones thrown. Simple.”
Put a phone in my face onstage and I’ll throw it. #LiveInTheMoment Great fun today at @101WKQX show. #SweetHomeChicago https://t.co/V6DoQiMKas
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) June 16, 2019
When you invite guests to YOUR stage and CLEARLY TELL THEM “if you stick a cell phone in my face I WILL THROW IT” and then their uncontrollable entitled selfie urges overcome their sense of reason they get their f*ckin phones thrown. Simple. #KMA https://t.co/NTN2lVep8t
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) June 18, 2019
Morello also said the attempted selfie taker eventually received his phone back and that he’d be happy to pose with fans offstage.
All day https://t.co/uSQ1ljESM4
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) June 16, 2019
The former Rage Against the Machine member joins Judas Priests‘ Rob Halford, who kicked a phone out of a fan’s hand, and Offset, who nearly faced imprisonment for smacking a fan’s phone, as the latest in a line of artists striking back against unwanted selfies and phone videos.
