John Mellencamp doesn’t want screaming or drunk fans at the shows

John Mellencamp is currently on the road in the United States with his “Live and In Person tour” and in the last few years he is trying to make people behave more at his shows. Last month he walked offstage after being heckled during his concert in Ohio but after the situation was solved, the musician returned to finish the set.

As he told The Washington Post, he doesn’t like to play arenas anymore and he wants to keep performing in small places. Most of his shows in the last 15 years in the Washington area, for example, had been in a venue with a capacity to receive only 3700 people.

He told the newspaper that he doesn’ want people screaming or drunk at his shows. He said he would like that people behaved like they would in a Broadway show. As can be seen on the videos of his current shows, he obviously doesn’t mind that the audience sings along with the music, he just doesn’t like when people are screaming and being annoying.

John Mellencamp doesn’t want people screaming or being drunk at his shows

“I do expect etiquette inside of the theater, the same way you would at a Broadway show. My shows are not really concerts anymore. They’re performances, and there’s a difference between a performance and a concert.”

“Look, I’m not for everyone anymore. I’m just not. And if you want to come and scream and yell and get drunk, don’t come to my show,” John Mellencamp said.

Although it may sound like Mellencamp is doing a totally different show nowadays and not playing his hits, that is not the case. His shows are still a mix of all the eras of his career, including most of his big hit songs. For example, the setlist played last April 15 in Chattanooga, TN, had songs like “Small Town”, “Jack & Diane”, “Pink Houses” and “Hurts So Good”.

1. John Cockers
2. Paper in Fire
3. Minutes to Memories
4. Small Town
5. Human Wheels
6. Jackie Brown
7. Troubled Land
8. Check It Out
9. The Eyes of Portland (solo acoustic with harmonica)
10. Longest Days (acoustic trio with guitar and accordion)
11. Jack & Diane (acoustic quartet with guitar, accordion and violin)
12. The Real Life (Joanne Woodward vocal track, accordion and violin)
13. Rain on the Scarecrow
14. Lonely Ol’ Night
15. What If I Came Knocking
16. Crumblin’ Down
17. Pink Houses
18. Cherry Bomb
19. Hurts So Good