Tool’s Maynard James Keenan explains why he bans phones from shows
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan has opened up about the strict no-phone policy he enforces at his concerts, imploring fans to ditch their devices because the shows are “only three hours.”
The singer highlighted his reasons for this in a recent interview on Clownvis Presley’s Serious Clownversation podcast, in which he stated: “It’s annoying and it’s distracting and the thing you’re getting on your phone sucks. It’s not a good representation.”
His reasoning is more than just the physical presence of phones, Keenan also explained that he wanted his concerts to foster personal relationships among the audience. “We just kind of force the issue of engaging with each other — watching the show — and just being present,” he reasoned, before adding: “Take a break from it. It’s only three hours.”
Keenan does allow the phone ban to be lifted at the end of his gigs so fans can film the final song, in a gesture he said is “a souvenir that sucks that you’re never gonna watch.”
It comes as Keenan is set to perform two intimate concerts in Los Angeles, ahead of the release of his band Puscifer’s latest album, which will be released next year and is still largely under wraps, with no title having yet been revealed publicly.
The frontman has enforced his no-phone policy for many years at his shows. Additionally, revious livestreams of Tool gigs were only allowed to be filmed from a wide angle to preserve the atmosphere of the audience.
Fans who have broken the rules previously by taking their phones out to film parts of the concert before the ban is lifted have been known to be ejected from the venue.
Earlier this year, Sabrina Carpenter explained she was contemplating a phone ban, sharing how seeing Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak’s Silk Sonic changed her perspective, “I went to see Silk Sonic in Vegas, and they locked my phone. I’ve never had a better experience at a concert.”
Notable artists to have banned phones from shows include Bob Dylan, Jack White and Ghost. However, Damon Albarn is a prominent voice against the rule, saying last year, “If you start banning things where does it end? I think you’ve just got to turn up and do your thing. People won’t want to be on their phone if you’re engaging with them correctly.”
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