"The thing you’re getting on your phone sucks." Maynard James Keenan's ban on filming his live shows is here to stay

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By ( Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Louder, Prog ) published

Filming on phones and other devices is prohibited at Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer shows – and that's not likely to change

Maynard James Keenan of Puscifer performs at Razzmatazz on July 04, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain
(Image credit: Jordi Vidal/Redferns)

Maynard James Keenan has no plans to overturn a long-standing ban on fans filming during live performances of his bands Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.

As far back as 2017, Keenan asked fans to put away their phones to ensure they stay present in the moment.

And in a new interview with Clownvis Presley, he has doubled down on that stance, insisting the footage people capture on their phones at gigs is, at best, "a souvenir that sucks".

Keenan says: "If you go to shows nowadays it becomes the knee jerk thing – that's what you do and it's acceptable behaviour to block someone else's view with your phone.

"It's annoying and it's distracting and the thing you're getting on your phone sucks. It’s not a good representation. You’re not gonna go home and watch it.

"We just kind of force the issue of engaging with each other, watching the show and just being present. Take a break from it. It’s only three hours.

"At the end we'll let you pull it out and you can film the last song and you get to have your souvenir that sucks and that you're never going to watch."

It's no surprise that Keenan is staunchly committed to the filming ban. Fans have been removed from shows in the past for flaunting the rule, and others have said it has had a positive impact on their enjoyment of the gigs.

Slipknot, Disturbed and Green Day were also early adopters of the phone ban, while Iron Maiden, Lamb Of God and Ghost have also been vocal about their dislike for the practice of filming their gigs.

Maynard James Keenan + Puscifer | Serious Clownversation w/ Clownvis - YouTube Maynard James Keenan + Puscifer | Serious Clownversation w/ Clownvis - YouTube
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Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022. 

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