A veteran rock star took “drunk” fans to task during a recent candid interview, saying playing for them was “not being a musician.”
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Last month on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, John Mellencamp shared why he has stepped away from performing in large arenas and amphitheaters in recent years.
“I got tired of going on tour and being a cheerleader, which is what I was,” the 74-year-old recalled. “’ Let’s do a rounding hit of ‘Small Town!’ ‘I was born…’ You know, and everybody’d stand up and sing. I was playing to 20,000 people, and everybody was drunk, and I was just kind of the cheerleader.”
“I just thought, I’m here to be a musician,” he added. “This is not being a musician. This is being a f—ing clown. I don’t want to be a clown.”
Meanwhile, Mellencamp chose to switch venue types, aiming for a more intimate experience. “I started playing in theaters,” he told Rogan, “which pissed everybody off.”
John Mellencamp Butted Heads with Unruly Fans in the Past: ‘If You Want to Come and Scream and Yell and Get Drunk, Don’t Come’
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had hoped for a Broadway-style vibe from his theater shows. However, even in smaller venues, the audience didn’t always get the memo.
Per Ultimate Classic Rock, in 2023, he made headlines by telling an audience to “shut the f—” up and threatening to cut his show short. A year later, he didn’t hold back, calling a heckler a “c—sucker” and later telling fans, “if you want to come and scream and yell and get drunk, don’t come to my show.” Mellencamp concerts: not for the faint of heart… or loudmouths.
That said, the veteran rocker is still hitting the road.
The “Pink Houses” singer recently announced a 2026 summer tour, with set lists packed with his biggest hits. The shows will be in larger outdoor venues, so maybe he’ll be a little more tolerant of audience noise this time around…
The tour is scheduled to begin on July 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and conclude on Aug. 12 in Mountain View, California. Mellencamp is also reportedly preparing a new album, Orphan Train, for release later this year.