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Azealia Banks Storms Off Sydney Stage Twice

Staff Writer

Listen Out headliner reacts angrily to crowd

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New York rapper Azealia Banks stormed off the stage twice during her set at the Listen Out festival date in Sydney over the weekend.

The inaugural event for the Parklife-replacing touring festival, Banks was billed as one of the headliners but reportedly reacted to treatment by fans and left the stage. Social media reports indicate that projectiles were thrown onto the stage.

The Music's reviewer Deborah Jackson has described Banks' set as the “disappointment of the day”.

“Rushing through performances of No Problems and Jumanji, it generally felt as if she was being forced onto the stage at gunpoint and would rather be anywhere else but there,” the review reads.

“Regardless, the crowd were going wild until abruptly, a few minutes into her rendition of Harlem Shake, she suddenly cut the lights and the music and walked off the stage without another word.

“A highly confused crowd was then greeted by a [festival representative] who said, 'If you behave yourselves a bit better, you might be able to coax her back out.' She does come back, but only to rush through a version of 212 before storming off again, clearly pissed off.”

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New South Wales Police – who made 95 charges on the day – have said that anti-social behaviour was not prominent during the event.

“Alcohol-related incidents and anti-social behaviour were certainly at a minimum and that's testament to not only the police operation, but the working relationship we have with the festival's promoters,” said Operation Commander, Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate.

Banks' set at yesterday's Perth leg of Listen Out ran smoother. The Music's reviewer James Hunt reporting, “Starting off her set with the aptly titled ATM Jam, self confessed hot head and all round bad girl Azealia Banks rapped her way through a performance full of her token contentious lyrics coupled with her eclectic taste for dance music.”

The festival also have upcoming stops in Melbourne and Brisbane.