Tantrums of the rich and famous: nine acts that turned on their audience – from Elton to Bieber to Blur

This week, Damon Albarn took umbrage at a Coachella crowd who did not sing along. But he is removed from the worst offender

When Coachella 2024 comes to be remembered by future generations, the abiding image can be that of Damon Albarn trying to interact the gang in a recreation of name and response, and then failing, after which having a little bit of a go at them.

In fairness to Albarn, it was a weird booking. Blur have all the time fared poorly in the US. Is that this the band’s fault for writing all those songs about how a lot they dislike America? We might never know. Both approach, by berating the gang for their ambivalence – yelling “You’ll by no means see us once more so you could as properly fucking sing it” – Blur have joined the ranks of acts who have turned towards their audiences.