Posted on 05/26/2005 10:16:45 PM PDT by ambrose
Costello fans walk out in disgust
NAOMI CANTON
26 May 2005 13:04
Outraged fans walked out in disgust last night after Elvis Costello arrived on stage several hours late because he was watching the football.
He then shouted abuse at the audience and deliberately played badly.
The avid Liverpool fan had arrived on stage at the UEA at 9.40pm because he tried to catch the Champions League final on television.
Many fans had been waiting for him since 7.30pm and so when he received a hostile reaction from fans, he proceeded to shout abuse at them and under perform.
Andrew Milnes, of Wood Street, Norwich, was outraged. He said:
"At first I balked at the £25 tickets to see Elvis Costello at the UEA, but he was, after all, a hero of my youth, having written, produced and sung some of the greatest material of the late seventies.
"The tickets stated there was no support band so we arrived early and took up a good front-of-stage position. Then we heard the rumour that he was watching the football and he was.
"A support band was given the unenviable task of soothing an increasingly hostile crowd. When Elvis eventually daned to appear at 9.40pm there was loud booing.
"His reaction to this was to hurl abuse and play loudly, not very grown up, but more importantly, not very good.
"Great as he is, Elvis is not a guitar hero and this stint earned him a soaking with water from a fan.
"His band the Imposters probably knocked back by the hostile reaction, played like amateurs, the crowd knew the material better than they did and could probably have played it better too.
"The whole thing seemed to be done on the cheap and at £25 a ticket, that's not good enough."
Malca Schotten, from Norwich, was also in the audience. She said: "Some of us had been there since 7.30pm and didn't realise he was going to be late, so we were annoyed to say the least.
"Although there were some people shouting and throwing things, most people were polite.
"His reaction was completely over the top. He was swearing and gesturing to the crowd, showing a complete lack of respect - I don't care how famous you are, you should respect your fans.
"I paid £50 to take my sister for her birthday, I've always wanted to see him live and was really looking forward to it.
"His behaviour was disgusting and we were the first to walk out and plenty of people followed."
LOL!
Good one!
I thought marrying Diana Kroll would mellow the dude out.
He's always been a smug, arrogant, narcisstic, self-indulgent jerk masquarading as an muscian. He was amusing for a while in the 70's.
Zero Sum said: Was the football doing anything interesting?
Here is another great one:
When Elvis eventually daned to appear at 9.40pm there was loud booing.
He married Diana Krall? I thought her heroin would have mellowed both of them out.
Wow!!! ROFL, What a great line!
I decided the comparison was unfair... To Bruce..
Springsteen was a much better writer and performer than Elvis has ever been..
Costello has/had a certain effite, snobbish appeal to him, that "excited" the elitist crowd.. Blue state socialists, mostly..
For most americans, though, he is a meaningless, prancing monkey..
Yeah, he took his swede old time to get thier.(and he got there 5 finns -- or so)
Anyone who can write a song as great as "Almost Blue" can be forgiven anything...but he does need a TIVO.
yeah , perhaps Jake Riviera can take the name back and Ms. Costello can go away and be a hasbeen nobody
darn... i like him...
Can't blame him....after all it was Liverpool who was playing.
I saw Elvis in the early 80s and then again just about three years ago. His performance was great.
However, if he had acted in the manner described here, I would have walked out, too. The "prima donna" act is such a turn-off.
Elvis has not yet entered the building.
Pray for rain!
Ticketmaster must not have invaded England yet.
Welcome To The Working Week.
I know it don't thrill ya. I hope it don't kill ya.
"This has been an announcement of the Elvis Emergency Network..."
He was spotted coming out of the men's room muttering "my aim is true".
Thinking the same thing. Grasps the precarious existential absurdity and comic instability of the times...
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