No, You Aren't Allowed to Use Your Phone at a Tool Show

Fans who disobey the band's "simple request" could be ejected

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Nov 7, 2019

While the music of Tool and A Perfect Circle may be different, their attitudes towards cellphone usage at concerts is very much the same, as evidenced by the former's current North American tour.

Ahead of last night's performance (November 6) at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, attendees were sent an email outlining a prohibitive photo policy for the evening.

The email reads, "We respectfully request that you please watch and listen to the show, not your phone. You will be ejected from the show without the opportunity to return and without a refund if you violate this simple request and elect to take photos during the performance. In the event of a personal emergency, phone use may occur on the concourse away from the performance area."

Sharing the email on Reddit, user nilemot wrote, "'No cameras' is printed on the tickets, posted at every spot possible at the venues, posted by the fern, now I got a email reminding me no cameras. When is [frontman Maynard James Keenan] going to call me with a reminder?"

Another attendee ended up sharing a snap from the evening on Instagram, writing in the caption, "After the Cleveland audience was deemed 'up to par,' Maynard told security to stand down and let the audience check their mail."

A user who attended Tool's November 3 show in Chicago added, "He told us the same thing in Chicago bc we didn't murder anyone and for not murdering anyone, he was gonna reward this good behavior by allowing us to record during the final song lol"

On A Perfect Circle's 2017 North American tour, the band even taped signs warning of photo and videotaping ejections to the backs of venue seats. A stop in Reading, PA, reportedly saw upwards of 60 concertgoers ejected from the venue for breaking the rule.

The day after, Keenan was pressed about the strict rules by a fan in the comments section. He simply replied, "No. Recording. Of. Any. Kind. For. 25. Years. Guided experience. Unplug and and enjoy the ride."

Screens that Tool do happen to like include those that came with (and inflated the resale value of) their long-awaited new album Fear Inoculum.

The band will play Toronto next week, with two dates set for November 11 and 12 at Scotiabank Arena.
 

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