Shirley Manson, the lead singer for alt-rock band Garbage, went off in a curse-filled tirade at fans from the stage during a concert in Melbourne this month when fans began batting a beach ball around. Manson called her own fans “douche bags” from the stage and complained about how much money she was being paid.
The video, which is now going viral, was recorded on December 5 as Garbage performed at the Good Things Festival in Australia. But the “good things” came to a crashing halt when Manson spied the beach ball bouncing through the crowd.
“Big guy with your big fucking beach ball. What a fucking douche bag,” the 59-year-old singer screamed into the mic.
“You’re a fuckin middle-aged man in a fucking ridiculous hat, and you’re a fuckin’ fuck face,” Manson, who was dressed in pro-Palestine colors, railed onstage. “I want, literally, to ask people to fuckin’ punch you in the fuckin’ face. But you know what? I’m a lady, so I won’t.”
“Truly, I would love to send my crew over to mess you up. But you know what? I won’t because I pity you. Because you’re a small man with a small dick,” the profane singer added.
It was later reported that the beach ball was not brought to the concert by fans, but was instead kicked out into the crowd by the band Machine Head, which played before Garbage took the stage.
Manson soon responded defiantly to those attacking her for slamming the fans in Melbourne and took to her Threads account to say she makes “no apologies whatsoever” for her comments in Melbourne.
“I make NO APOLOGIES whatsoever for getting annoyed at beachballs at shows. I joined a band because I HATED THE FUCKING BEACH. I joined a band because I wanted to listen to Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure and be dark and beautiful,” she said, ripping her fans all over again.
She added, “Continue listening to Spotify and toss your stupid beach balls around like you are ten years old. I love the musical community and I want to respect their artistry. I am so tired of folks taking music for free and treating us all like circus performers.”
But according to News.com, the fans had the last laugh, because when Garbage showed up to play at Brisbane a few days later, dozens of beach balls were seen flying through the air as attendees thumbed their noses at the singer’s outburst.
Manson then issued a mock apology for her previous comments, saying, “I just have to address your glorious beach balls, they’re very impressive! And not only are they impressive but they are very, very big.”
Naturally, she then tried to turn the conversation to Palestine, and wrote, “The only thing that kind of shocks me a little is there’s been more fuss made about me offending beach balls than there has about 20,000 Palestinian kids who are now fucking under the dirt.”
“Maybe a beach ball brings you joy and for that I apologize. If I upset you about your blessed beach balls, I humbly apologize,” she concluded.
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