Halsey backtracks on phone ban after asking fans not to film at her show

21 May 2019, 17:12

Halsey
Halsey. Picture: Taylor Hill via Getty Images / Capitol Records
Rachel Finn

By Rachel Finn

The singer wanted to create a "once in a lifetime moment" for fans.

Last week, Halsey released her first new solo track of 2019 with ‘Nightmare’, but when the song was due to get its live debut yesterday, the singer was keen for fans to keep their experience of hearing the song performed for the first time firmly IRL.

Performing the new song for the first time for fans in Minneapolis, Halsey tried to ban fans from using their phones during the show - something that not everyone everyone was happy with.

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“I saw u guys were upset about the phones tonight,” she wrote about the no phone rule on Twitter. “I’m gonna let u guys keep em but u gotta promise me you aren’t gonna have em out during the show. The whole point of this was to create a once in a lifetime moment for us. I only get 1 chance to sing Nightmare for the 1st time.”

“I want the video to show how amazing and passionate my fans are. Not a sea of cellphones,” she added.

The performance was recorded and live-streamed on YouTube, meaning that fans will have a record of Halsey’s performance even if they weren’t allowed to record it themselves.

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And it seems like Halsey’s plan to create a special moment between her and her fans without screens worked for the singer.

Responding to a fan who asked: “Did the no phone thing go like you wanted?” on Twitter, Halsey confirmed that it had, explaining: “Everyone was SO respectful and in the moment I couldn’t believe it. It was amazing to watch I felt SO connected to everyone cause when I looked at them I saw right into their eyes!!!!!!”

A lot of fans agreed that the ‘no phone’ rule made the concert experience more special too.

Maybe it’s time to live in the moment a little bit more next time you see your fave musician live?