John Mellencamp Did It Again! He Stopped His Show To Unload On A Fan In An Expletive Laden Rant Because The Fan Was Apparently Singing Too Loud

I have something I need to get off my chest. 

I freaking love John Cougar Mellencamp. Not just his music, but his whole demeanor and his "go fuck yourself" attitude. 

It was just 4 months ago I blogged about Cougar stopping a show midset, having the houselights turned on, just to berate a fan who yelled out at him "play the fucking music" while he was talking. 

And this isn't just a one time thing either. This is like the thing John Mellencamp does at his shows now. 

Watch this interaction with a crowd from April. (And try not to laugh)

Him "penalizing" the crowd by telling them smugly, "since you've been so great tonight, I'm going to cut about 10 songs out of the show", like he's a teacher writing up his student for detention. What an asshole. And I kind of love it. 

I went back to my John Cougar blog from May and I'm cracking up reading it, which never happens when I read my garbage writing. So allow me to quote myself about John from that show in Cleveland that I would have paid $1,000 to be at. 

Cleveland Scene - John Mellencamp’s audience at the Connor Palace Thursday night, which included the type of loud and buffoonish concertgoers for which Cleveland is becoming known, should consider themselves lucky that he finished the show.

The singer/songwriter/rocker, in town for two shows at Playhouse Square for his “Live and In Person” tour, put on a strong performance that featured some of his best-known songs over nearly two hours. It also featured portions that seemed designed to prove he is a serious artist, even if he should know he has nothing to prove.

But it all could have easily ended early. Signs posted in the lobby said that, “This show respects theater etiquette.” And early on, Mellencamp told the crowd that "I don’t like people screaming from the fucking audience."

Later, as people continued talking and after a boorish concertgoer yelled at him to “play the fucking music” when he dared to say something that could be construed as criticizing the U.S., he had enough.

“Listen, hey, you guys, if these people don’t shut the fuck up I’m just going to leave, OK?” Mellencamp said. “Because I’m not used to this crap. Look, guys, if I wanted to play in this type of drunken environment, I’d play outside or I’d play in an arena.”

If there were any quibbles, it’s that Mellencamp seems hell-bent on proving that he is a serious artist. His decision to open the show with a 30-minute series of classic movie clips (during which the boos and calls for Mellencamp to take the stage grew louder, because remember, this was a Cleveland audience) was an attempt to show some of his inspirations.

He also told the crowd that he envisioned the show as less a concert and more of a performance. It showed, right down to his decision to play in front of a picture of a set piece from the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire.

First off, if you read this story and didn't laugh out loud reading that a fan shouted out "play the fucking music" when Mellencamp went on a political rant, then you have a giant dump in your pants. 

I spit out my Pirate Water and I wasn't even drinking any. 

Secondly, who the fuck does John Mellencamp think he is subjecting fans to a 30-minute classic movie scene montage before his set? Dude, you wrote "Small Town". Not fucking Ulysses. Take it easy. 

Thirdly, this was fucking Cleveland we're talking about. Ever heard of it John? On a Friday night? Crying out loud, these folks who forked over their hard-earned money to see this show came lubed up, and raring to hear the hits. Not be preached to. And not to feel like "they were at the theatre". They wanted good old days, sing-a-long rock n roll. Not theater.

Fourthly, how the fuck are you going to put on a concert for your fans and not play "Wild Nights"? (The extremely underrated smash off 1994's surprisingly great Dance Naked)

(Sidebar- don’t even get me fuckin started on this nonsense that did make the set list-

11. The Real Life (Joanne Woodward spoken word recording with live instrumental backing))

Fifthly, a backdrop of a setpiece from "A Streetcar Named Desire"? Take it easy Cougar

Sixthly, what's that you say? This isn't John's only instance of pulling rank on his fans like this recently? You don't say.

The "Pink Houses" singer issued a similar warning during a March performance in Grand Prairie, Texas, telling the crowd before the midshow acoustic portion, "This is the quiet part, so keep your fucking mouth shut," according to the Dallas Observer. When a woman in the audience promptly broke the singer's rule and shouted his name, Mellencamp fired back, "What did I just fucking say? But thank you."

Are John Cougar Mellencamp and Jeff D. Lowe related?

I thought Mellencamp was from the "Take It Easy", Eagles generation? 

Where there wasn't a misunderstanding that couldn't be solved with a little love, peace, harmony, and marijuana. If he's gonna be wound this tight, trying to convince people he's this different version, than what they've been thinking of for the past 40 years, then maybe a 76 date tour isn't the place for his cranky ass. Maybe God's waiting room, sunny Florida is.

And this latest instance of his, (he played Farm Aid this past weekend but I can't find anything online confirming if that's what this is from or not, but to no avail.

It's just flat out hilarious. 

You want to talk during my fucking show? I'm going to stop the entire show, point you out so everybody in attendance looks at you, and with the weight of every one of those eyeballs on you, I'm going to tear you to shreds piece by piece. 

You might have paid money to be at the show, but you're paying to see the artist, and so is every other people in the place, so what they say goes. And if they don't want to hear red-beard in the red hat jibber jabbering like a coke head, then shut the fuck up. 

Whne you purchase a ticket to see Mellencamp, you know what you're in for. 

A 30 minute propoganda piece, propping John Cougar up like a Korean dictator, followed by all the songs you used to fast forward through on your cassette player back in the day, followed by him telling some mouth-breather to quiet the fuck down, he can hear him over John's barely on microphone. And if you don't like it, tough. 

When you write "Pink Houses"

and "Hurts So Good" 

you call the fuckin shots.

p.s. - real talk though, I had no idea until very recently that Cougar Mellencamp was this big of a dickhead. I always had this idea that he was this fun loving, "aw gosh gee shucks" guy from middle America. Who wrote any kid growing up in the 90's ultimate song of patriotism.