Chris Rock isn’t a fan of folks recording his shows and ruining his punchlines.(Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
Chris Rock’s “Total Blackout Tour” is continuing in Europe throughout January but if you’re hoping to catch some footage online, you’re out of luck. The comic has instituted a strict “no phones” policy during the shows, as outlined on his official website.
“No cell phones, cameras or recording devices will be allowed at Chris Rock’s Total Blackout Tour,” the statement said. “Upon arrival, all phones and smartwatches will be secured in Yondr pouches that will be unlocked at the end of the show. Guests maintain possession of their phones throughout the night, and if needed, may access their phones at designated Yondr unlocking stations in the lobby. … Anyone caught with a cellphone in the venue will be immediately ejected. We appreciate your cooperation in creating a phone-free viewing experience.”
Rock is reported to be sick of his routines getting uploaded to social media websites. Instead, he wants people to focus on enjoying the show.
“There is also the added problem for comedians who spend months polishing their performances to a high state of hilarity only to have their punchlines shared in advance by illegal recordings of their show,” he said according to the Evening Standard.
But the move — which has also been launched by fellow comic Dave Chappelle and singer Alicia Keys — hasn’t been celebrated by all. Chris Penman attended a “Total Blackout Tour” show in Glasgow, England and had pulled his phone out mid-performance to check on his father, who recently had heart surgery. He didn’t get to finish seeing the show.
“I must have only looked at it for about 15 seconds, no one was on stage and I held it discreetly on my lap, then I was approached by a guard,” Penman told The Scotsman Wednesday, Jan. 24. “My dad is in the heart transplant ward in the Golden Jubilee in a really bad way. I explained the full thing but they still said I had to leave. I couldn’t believe it. I’m still baffled today. It’s just extraordinarily petty and unreasonable.”
“I’m happy that my dad is doing better but I’m angry because my wife paid $197 for the tickets and we didn’t even get to see Chris Rock. It was the first night I’ve left my dad in weeks, and was supposed to be a bit of a break, but ended up completely ruined by this ridiculous situation.”
Yet many others enjoyed the screen-free experience.
Chris Rock at the 02 tonight was honestly hilarious and a great experience.
No pictures, we all had to put our phones in some pouch, locked up when we walked in, but honestly it made it a better experience for us and understandably for him also.
— Nego True 🇿🇼 (@NegoTrue) January 28, 2018
I went to see @chrisrock tonight and it was great. I was sooo impressed by the little phone cases. How refreshing to not see 10,000 phones and people actually talking to each other. It’s the future! ☺️ pic.twitter.com/lDrA5oY5QR
— 𝗔𝗠𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗖𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗗 (@Amy__Macdonald) January 24, 2018
I love the fact you Dave Chapelle taking peoples phones away people are crazy Crying over it back in the day there was no cell phones people went outside and used the payphone they can do that again go outside use your phone or don’t go
— Thatdan (@thatdanstore) January 28, 2018
