LAST NIGHT, DAMIEN Rice played a sold-out show in the Big Top as part of the Galway International Arts Festival.
And this morning it’s the talk of Twitter, albeit not for all the right reasons.
Before the gig started, it was announced that bars would be closed at 9.30pm per Rice’s request.
And let’s just say that the prospect of not drinking didn’t sit well with many attendees.
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A Reddit Ireland user also complained about the decision this morning.
And she did not hold back.
What a load of self indulgent twattery! I loved Damien Rice, back when he was good, back when he was relevant. I’m in my late 30′s. I have a husband, a career and a family. I had to organise a f**ing babysitter for tonight. I don’t need some trumped up a**ehole closing the bar at 9.30 telling me that I’m not in a cattle mart and giving out that people are taking at a big almost outdoor gig.
During the gig, Rice reportedly asked attendees to stop chatting.
It looks like Rice was not alone in his request, however.
Indeed, many took to Twitter to complain about the behaviour of the audience.
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This is not the first time Rice has closed the bar at one of his shows. A quick internet search reveals reports of him closing the bars at shows in Whelan’s and Montréal.
A spokesperson for the Galway International Arts Festival confirmed to DailyEdge.ie that Rice did ask audience members to stop chatting during the performance, and said that appropriate measures were taken to notify audience members of the bar closure.
The artist asked that the bar be closed during his performance. The Festival notified audiences of this at 6pm yesterday on social media and placed signage regarding same at the entrance to the Festival Big Top.
What do you think? Should bars be closed during gigs?
