Ryan Adams stormed off stage halfway through a chaotic show in Belfast on Saturday, after a fan’s refusal to stop using flash photography allegedly caused him to have an epileptic seizure. The alt-country star, who has epilepsy, had repeatedly asked audience members not to use flashes, and had placed numerous signs around the auditorium saying the same thing. But when audience members continued to ignore his pleas, an enraged Adams shouted: “Stop f---ing flashing, I warned you. You could kill me. I have epilepsy and Meniere’s disease. F--- you, I’m not coming back until you stop flashing,” before throwing his microphone stand to the ground and leaving the stage. Adams returned to the stage nearly half an hour later, and told the crowd he had suffered an “epileptic seizure” backstage. He then continued the rest of the set, which involved several strained interactions with audience members. Towards the end of the show, another fan alleged that a nearby group “actively tried to use flash photography to cause another seizure”. A venue spokesperson said: “Ahead of last night’s performance, the artist’s team requested that flash photography should not be used during the show. This was clearly communicated in advance via signage throughout the venue. The content and delivery of performances are the responsibility of artists.”
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