Maynard James Keenan Blasts Fan for Using Phone During Tool Show

Maynard James Keenan blasted a fan for using their phone during Tool‘s show last night (Feb. 14) in Los Angeles.

Tool have been strict about their cell phone policy over the last few years, banning fans from using them during their shows for the majority of the performance. Typically, attendees are given permission to record the final song of their set each night, which tends to be “Stinkfist.”

Someone on Reddit shared a video of the band playing the Undertow song “Intolerance” last night, and in the clip, Keenan can be heard shouting, “Put your fucking phone away, dickhead, seriously!” Considering the vocalist stands on a platform toward the rear of the stage, it’s likely that it was someone in the front section that was violating their cell phone policy.

“The irony of this moment being caught on camera,” someone commented on the post, with someone else noting that the individual had taken his phone out and recorded long sections of nearly every song.

“Just complete disrespect and disregard for everyone around him. Absolutely deserved to get yelled at. I wish he got kicked out to be honest,” they concluded.

See the video below.

Another person commented that they weren’t able to record the final song of the concert two nights prior in Fresno.

“I was at the show in Fresno and he gave a little speech at the beginning of the show of how if we behave with phones we’ll be able to record the last song,” they wrote. “Sadly we didn’t get that and they just played ‘Stinkfist’ without announcing that we can record. It seems like he’s really upset about the whole phone thing since I’ve never heard him give that speech before.”

“He told us in Corpus that if we couldn’t go two hours without our phones in our hands, we should be in a mental institution,” another fan wrote.

In the spring of 2022, guitarist Adam Jones shared some insight as to why Tool prohibit phone use during their shows in an interview with Metal Hammer.

“I mean, for us, we’ve actually seen it changing and more and more big acts are asking their fans respectfully to enjoy the show, rather than looking at their camera the whole time. I think one of the problems is you get a lot of lights because people don’t know how to use their cameras correctly, which makes it very blinding onstage,” he said, adding that part of the artist and fan connection is lost when the fan is watching the artist through a screen.

“It’s a big distraction. Have you ever been to a concert and you can’t see the show because the person in front of you is holding their phone up in front of the stage? It’s just kind of obnoxious. Just keep your phone in your pocket, enjoy the show and we’ll see you after and you can get back on it! People need a break. I feel like [phones have] become an appendage, like part of our anatomy, you know?”