8 artists who had notorious onstage meltdowns — and what happened next
8 artists who had notorious onstage meltdowns — and what happened next
Brianna ZiglerMon, June 1, 2026 at 11:26 PM UTC
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Billie Joe Armstrong; Justin Bieber; M.I.A.
Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; James Devaney/GC Images; Rick Kern/Getty
There’s a lot of pressure involved when it comes to performing live.
Country rocker Morgan Wallen is making headlines for all the wrong reasons (again) after he threw a bit of a tantrum during a show on May 29.
Wallen let his emotions get the better of him after experiencing technical difficulties during a Denver stop on his Still the Problem Tour. In fan-captured footage, the singer is seen jostling and manhandling his piano before eventually tipping it over.
But Wallen isn't the first musician to find himself caught up in an intense moment during a live show. Whether it's the pressure of the moment or the demands of fame itself, sometimes the only place to freak out is in front of thousands of onlookers.
Below, we're looking back at eight of the most disastrous onstage meltdowns in recent memory.
01 of 08
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs on stage at the 27th Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Public Hall on April 14, 2012, in Cleveland
Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
In September 2012, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was involved in a notorious incident during the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas. While the band played their hit song “Basket Case,” Armstrong became upset when a teleprompter informed him he had one minute left to perform.
Armstrong stopped the song and launched into a profanity-laden tirade in which he declared “I’m not f---ing Justin Bieber” before smashing his guitar and storming off the stage.
Seven months later, Armstrong opened up to Rolling Stone about how the incident (and some undisclosed health issues) was the result of an addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.
Las Vegas was ultimately the breaking point, he explained. “I was at my pill-taking height at that time, medicating the s--- out of myself because I couldn't sleep,” he said. He had previously been sober for a year before falling off the wagon.
More than a decade later, Armstrong remains clean and willing to poke fun at the incident.
02 of 08
M.I.A.
M.I.A. performs in concert at Germania Insurance Amphitheater on May 1, 2026, in Austin
Credit: Rick Kern/Getty
In May 2026, rapper M.I.A. was fired from Kid Cudi’s Rebel Ragers tour after she was booed onstage during a rant about immigrants. The remarks stemmed from her reference to a past song she wrote about being “illegal.”
Cudi addressed her firing in an Instagram post: “I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cuz I already knew what time it was, and I was assured things were understood."
M.I.A. responded to the firing in a lengthy post on X. “DO NOT GAS LIGHT MY WORDS. THAT IS THE WORK OF SATAN,” she wrote, adding, “I DON'T NEED THIS VIRTUE SIGNAL ERA TO ALL OF A SUDDEN ERASE AN ENTIRE LIFE I'VE LED.”
As of June 2026, M.I.A. is reportedly suing Cudi for allegedly breaching their contract. The "Paper Planes" singer claims that her removal from the tour constituted “intentional interference with contractual relations," according to Pitchfork.
03 of 08
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber performs on NBC's 'Today' show on November 18, 2015 in New York City
Credit: James Devaney/GC Images
The “Baby” singer is no stranger to bad behavior, but in 2012 that behavior spilled into his performance in Oslo, Norway.
Apparently, Bieber began wiping the floor of the stage shortly after starting the show with “Boyfriend.” He then left the stage after only playing that one song.
Fan-captured footage shows Bieber leaning toward the audience and saying, “Yo, listen to me. Are you listening? I’m trying to wipe the floor. Gimme a sec, yo.” He then leaves the stage. “Guys, never mind. I’m done. I’m not doing the show. I’m not doing the show,” he says.
Fans were understandably upset. Bieber posted an apology to Instagram shortly after the incident. “Sadly it’s Been a rough week for me, long days no sleep, while having to be ‘on’ as they would say for cameras, fans etc.”
He added that “chose to end the show as the people in the front row would not listen.”
04 of 08
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction performs live on stage during day two of Lollapalooza Brazil at Autodromo de Interlagos on March 25, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Credit: Mauricio Santana/Getty
In September 2024, Jane's Addiction imploded onstage during a gig in Boston. Video of the incident shows frontman Perry Farrell throwing a punch at guitarist Dave Navarro.
The band canceled its tour days later, with bandmates Navarro, Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins blaming it on a "continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell."
In his own statement, Farrell apologized for the incident. "This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show," Farrell wrote on Instagram. "Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation."
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In July of the following year, Navarro, Avery, and Perkins filed a $10 million lawsuit against Farrell, accusing the singer of assault and battery. Farrell denied the allegations and sought to dismiss the suit. In December 2025, the lawsuit was dismissed after the bandmates reached a settlement.
That same month, the band officially called it quits. “I've reflected on it and know I didn't handle myself the way I should have," Farrell wrote in an Instagram post. "I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show. Jane's Addiction has been at the center of my life for decades.”
05 of 08
Scott Stapp
Scott Stapp perform after the medals ceremony at the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics February 19, 2002 in Salt Lake City, UT
Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty
More than 20 years ago, Creed performed a notoriously disastrous show in Chicago.
While onstage at the Allstate Arena in 2002, lead singer Scott Stapp left the stage mid-song multiple times, rolled around on the floor, and even appeared to pass out.
In a 2014 interview with Louder, Stapp said that a confluence of factors contributed to the incident, including a car accident that resulted in an addiction to painkillers. He also noted his troubled upbringing and a growing rift between his bandmates. Chicago was the breaking point.
“I regret that night in Chicago,” Stapp reflected. “I was hurt at that point in time by those guys, but my perception was off: I was drinking from the time I woke up ‘til the time I went to sleep, and under the influence of pills as well, and that was something I should have never let out publicly. And I’ve since apologized and done my best to make amends. That was an error, and I always will regret that and wish I hadn’t done it. But that was the first time where what was going on behind the scenes spilled out.”
06 of 08
Caleb Followill
Caleb Followill of the Kings of Leon perform on stage at the Rod Laver Arena on the 13th of November 2011 in Melbourne, Australia
Credit: Martin Philbey/Redferns
In 2011, Kings of Leon canceled the remainder of their U.S. tour dates following a notorious performance in Dallas, Tex.
The band cut their show short after lead singer Caleb Followill announced to the audience: “I’m gonna go backstage and I’m gonna vomit, I’m gonna drink a beer and I’m gonna come back out and play three more songs.”
Followill left and never returned, forcing the band to apologize. “Caleb’s just a little unfit to play the rest of the show. We love you guys so much, but I know you guys f---ing hate us,” said bassist Jared Followill. “I’m so sorry. It’s really not our fault, it’s Caleb. He can’t play the rest of the show. We will be back as soon as possible.”
They claimed the tour was being canceled due to exhaustion, but Jared invited speculation at the time by writing on social media there were "problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade.”
Still, in 2014, they again cited "exhaustion" as the reason for the cancellation. “I think people think it was more of an argument between us and that we got in this huge fight and it blew up," guitarist Matt Followill told Louder. "If anything, we were arguing with touring, we were so exhausted and didn’t want to do it. We hit rock bottom. We had been touring forever.”
07 of 08
Kid Rock
Kid Rock performs in concert at Intrust Bank Arena on April 18, 2025 in Wichita, Kansas
Credit: Gary Miller/Getty
Who doesn’t want their birthday celebration interrupted by a Kid Rock meltdown?
In February 2025, at a Nashville event for Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan's birthday, the “All Summer Long” singer was brought onto the stage as a surprise guest. Things started well enough, with Kid Rock performing a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” but it ended with an expletive-laced tantrum.
After asking the audience to join him in clapping along, Kid Rock became upset when he felt not enough people were participating. He stopped the song and, according to fan-captured video, said, "If you ain't gonna clap, we ain't gonna sing. That's how it's gonna go."
Rock tried to get them to clap a second time, but too few people joined in for his liking. "You know what? F--- y'all. If you ain't gonna clap, I'm gone," he shouted before storming off the stage.
Entertainment Weekly did not hear back after reaching out to Kid Rock's reps for comment.
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08 of 08
Axl Rose
Axl Rose sits handcuffed in the back of a police car after he was arrested at Kennedy Airport upon his return from a European concert tour
Credit: Bill Turnbull/NY Daily News Archive via Getty
Axl Rose's notoriously bratty antics are the stuff of legend. One of his most infamous onstage meltdowns occurred during a 1991 Guns N' Roses concert in Maryland Heights, Mo., that has since become known as the Riverport Riot.
Trouble began when Rose became irate at a fan taking photos of him. During “Rocket Queen,” he demanded that security take away the man's camera. When they didn’t do as he instructed, the singer jumped offstage to confront the fan. A scuffle ensued, effectively putting an end to a show that had already started two hours late.
“Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!" Rose reportedly said while being dragged offstage.
Frustrated fans turned violent, causing roughly $200,000 in damage over the next several hours, including damage to Guns N' Roses equipment. More than 60 people were injured.
Rose was eventually arrested in connection with the riot and later found guilty of assault and property damage. He was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to donate $50,000 to local charities.
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