Kaytranada on people using phones at gigs: “It looks mad awkward from where I stand”

Kaytranada has spoken out about the increasing number of phones being used at his live shows, saying that it “looks mad awkward” from the artist’s point of view.

• READ MORE: Kaytranada – ‘Timeless’ review: huge features and creative evolution

The producer, rapper, singer and DJ made the comments on social media recently, following a fan reaching out to him urging him to do a show only for “the real fans”.

This call for a private set, the fan explained, was because of a recent show she attended, which saw the crowd allegedly “standing still” throughout. “I can’t take this no mo,” she added, before sharing in a separate update that she and her friend “were singing n screaming [while] ppl looked at us like we were crazy.”

Responding to the fan, Kaytranada shared his stance on phones being used at live shows and explained how the increasing number of people filming footage for social media marks a new “age” of performance which he isn’t a fan of.

“I think we have come in this age where everybody’s trying to catch a moment for their own social media presence,” he began. “It shows their appreciation instead of them dancing and enjoying shows like we used to do.”

“It looks mad awkward from where I stand as I’m acknowledging the appreciation,” he continued. “But we need to go back to where we used to be y’all. If you put your phone up, let’s move them hips at least!”

I think we have come in this age where everybody’s trying to catch a moment for their own social media presence. It shows their appreciation instead of them dancing and enjoying shows like we used to do. It looks mad awkward from where i stand as i’m acknowledging the… https://t.co/Sqrw7jrD5b

— kaytra-NADA (@KAYTRANADA) April 27, 2025

The update from Kaytranada comes as the Canadian rapper has been continuing his run of ‘Timeless’ tour dates – which come in celebration of the latest album of the same name which he dropped last summer. That record was given a four-star review from NME, which praised it as showcasing “huge features and creative evolution”.

“It feels like a melting pot of the best ideas from each of his previous releases and acts as a marker of his musical evolution,” it read. “The solo tracks are where we see his dexterous production skills sparkle. Opener ‘Pressure’ sounds straight out of a retro-futuristic sci-fi film, with blazing synths and cinematic jazz instrumentation. For the first time, we also hear Kaytra’s own vocals in ‘Stepped On’, marking a significant change in how we understand him; he’s not just a talented producer but also a thoughtful vocalist.”

Although Kaytranada hasn’t explicitly said that he wants phones to not be used at his live shows, he does join the growing number of artists who are becoming frustrated with how many fans watch their sets through a screen.

Recently, Swedish metal band Ghost kicked off their biggest run of live shows yet around the UK and Europe, and confirmed beforehand that they would be implementing a “phone-free” rule at all shows.

Although the decision divided fans after it led to extensive queues at shows, the frontman defended the stance by saying that seeing all the devices was “irritating”. “We’re having an intimate moment, and it disturbs me that you’re filming while we’re doing this together,” he said.

They were not the first to opt for a phone-free policy at gigs either. Last year Bob Dylan announced a very similar scheme for his UK tour, while Jack White did the same for a run of shows in 2018, and Placebo declared their 2022 gigs to be a “phone-free experience”.

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