Noah Kahan has joked that Congress should introduce laws to enforce diapers at concerts, amid a troubling increase in reports of concert-goers defecating in the crowd.
At a recent show in Washington DC, Kahan pretended to call up Congress with the request, saying "Oh, Congress? Yeah people have been pooping all over the floor at my shows. You heard Congress, fucking put some diapers on next time, y’all.”
The Vermont-born musician later took to X to write: "If you have to poop at a show please dear god just go to the bathroom lmao I’ve pooped my pants as much as the next 29 year old but you guys gotta understand there’s a venue worker out there with a 1000 yard stare after dealing with that (sic)."
This is a growing issue amongst performers. Last month, pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo revealed that she had noticed the intense – and somewhat concerning – commitment of fans to getting the best view possible. "People wear diapers so that they can be front row," she said. "That's been an experience as a performer that I have smelled."
Ultimately, this trend – also highlighted elsewhere by a fan of US country star Morgan Wallen, who was urinated on by another concertgoer – is the result of a growing obsession amongst pop fans for being in the front row for their favourite artist, at all costs.
In the view of The Guardian's Kate Solomon, the pandemic made fans intensely hungry for one-of-a-kind concert experiences, and spots at the barrier have become increasingly coveted. "The cost of VIP pit tickets has rocketed, stan culture has grown ever more feral, and the social media value of scoring clear gig footage is at a premium," she says.
How much clout a fan can get from a show in which they've noticeably soiled or wet themselves is another question entirely. But unfortunately, it seems as though this is a trend that's growing.
