Azealia Banks Plays 90-Second Set At Listen Out Melbourne Then Goes For Sushi

Azealia Banks fans at Melbourne’s Listen Out ~~festival~~ party have been treated to more of the same from the temperamental rapper after she stormed off stage just 90 seconds into what was supposed to be a 50-minute set, following a similar situation at Listen Out in Sydney.

Banks was set to perform at 6:25pm on the Atari stage at the only Melbourne show of the inaugural event. According to reports from a Music Feeds source, her brief appearance was preceded by a 15-minute build up including an impressive light display.

According to the source, as well as a number of tweets in the aftermath, the 212 rapper took to the stage right on time and began her first song but, less than two minutes into the performance, a can was thrown towards the stage.

This was all it took to prompt Banks drop her microphone and storm from the stage without saying a word to the crowd. Punters were less than impressed, some booing the empty stage and others shuffling nervously in anticipation of a possible return – but there was none.

At 6:31pm, less than 6 minutes after she took the stage, Banks tweeted that she was “sorry to all the festival-goers in Melbourne !!!!! See ya tomorrow in Brisbane !!!!!”, quickly followed up by “going for sushi”.

This latest incident follows a similar situation at Listen Out in Sydney last weekend, where the controversial singer played for 15 minutes but again left the stage after a festivalgoer threw a can towards her. At least then punters got the opportunity to hear some choice insults directed towards them before she left. Her Perth set the following day apparently went off without incident.

Banks’ Australian festival appearances have been riddled with issues in the same vein. Her first performance in the country during Splendour in the Grass 2012 was similarly cut short. Then, during her next Australian appearances as part of Future Music Festival 2013, she cracked it at “old saggy white niggas” the Stone Roses for apparently messing up her sound in Sydney, then refused to take the stage in Adelaide after “the promoter refused to make the same guys who messed up my show the other day move”.

It’s hard to say who’s at fault here – why should festival acts perform if they believe their safety is at risk? – and despite her reputation Down Under, Azealia was nothing if not pleasant when we caught up with her at Listen Out Sydney.

Nevertheless, Banks has upset even more people tonight and in the wake of several similar incidents it’s going to be a tough gig setting things right.

UPDATE: Noise11 reports that a promoter for Listen Out has released the following statement:

“Azealia Banks was forced to cut her set short last night at the Listen Out Festival in Melbourne on 5th October 2013. This was as a result of a member of the audience throwing a full can on beer at her on stage. The incident made Azealia and her stage crew feel unsafe. Banks would like to apologise to those fans in the audience whose experience was affected by the behaviour of one individual.”

The Listen Out tour finished up today in Brisbane. A video of Banks dodging the can before making her egress from the stage is below.

Watch: Azealia Banks Leaves Stage At Listen Out Melbourne

http://youtu.be/yCUYmBHlkKw

Gallery: Listen Out 2013, Melbourne – 05/10/13

Sorry to all the festival-goers in Melbourne !!!!! See ya tomorrow in Brisbane !!!!!

— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) October 5, 2013

Going for sushi ❤

— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) October 5, 2013

https://twitter.com/iamhaydos/status/386430941368827904

https://twitter.com/joshkburton/status/386429575313358848

https://twitter.com/cameron_adams/status/386412672150818816

Azealia Banks performs for 90 seconds total, storms off stage at #listenout in Melbourne. Somebody call Guinness World Records

— Tone Deaf (@tonedeaf) October 5, 2013

https://twitter.com/_stefannnnnn/status/386410299726639105

https://twitter.com/shanondorf/status/386407031407521793