During Garbage’s set at Good Things music festival in Melbourne, Australia on Friday (Dec. 5th), frontwoman Shirley Manson slammed a member of the audience who brought a beach ball to the show.
“Guy with your big f*cking beach ball,” she said, frustrated. “Ooh, I’m so scared of you. So thrilled by you. What a f*cking douchebag.”
Following the concert, Manson took to social media to double down on her remarks, saying she views beach balls as part of a broader pattern of disrespect toward the music community.
“I make NO APOLOGIES whatsoever for getting annoyed at beachballs at shows,” she wrote on Threads. “I joined a band because I HATED THE F*CKING BEACH. I joined a band because I wanted to listen to Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure and be dark and beautiful.”
“Continue listening to Spotify and toss your stupid beach balls around like you are ten years old,” Manson added. “I love the musical community and I want to respect their artistry. I am so tired of folks taking music for free and treating us all like circus performers.”
If you're going to see Garbage, leave your beach ball at home. pic.twitter.com/LKes1RFEQG
— BrooklynVegan (@brooklynvegan) December 5, 2025
