Eminem was met with criticism after he used a sound effect that sounded similar to gunfire during his set at the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennesse. Concert goers believed that Eminem used the gunfire effects during his set, although Em's manager Paul Rosenberg denied those claims. "Contrary to inaccurate reports, @Eminem does not use gunshot sound effects during his live show," wrote Rosenberg in a statement he posted to Instagram. "The effect used by Eminem in his set at @bonnaroo was a pyrotechnic concussion which creates a loud boom. He has used this effect — as have hundreds other artists — in his live show for over 10 years, including previous US festival dates in 2018 without complaint."
Em, who has never been one to let criticism stop him from doing as he pleases, used the same sound effect during his set at the Firefly Music Festival on Saturday (June 16). Before using the controversial sound effect, Em gave the crowd a warning. Prior to his performance, two screens along the side of the stage read, “If you are easily frightened by loud noises or offended by explicit lyrics, you shouldn’t be here."
The sound effect was used during his performance of the song "Kill You," which makes sense given the content of the track.