James Arthur has hit back at critics who labelled his recent headline show 'disgraceful' after he performed for just 60 minutes. The former X Factor winner, 38, faced backlash following his gig at Scarborough Open Air Theatre, where some fans complained that the £75 ticket price was not justified by the set length.
Fan Outrage Over Short Set
One disgruntled concertgoer wrote on social media: 'If we're not careful then acts like this taking the p*** out of music fans will be the death of live music. £75 for 60 minutes is disgraceful.' The complaint sparked a wave of similar reactions online.
James Arthur's Medical Explanation
Arthur responded directly on X, revealing that the set had been shortened on medical advice. He wrote: 'I normally do two hours. I'm so sorry you feel so much anger about this but I was told by an ENT doctor to cancel and not speak for 10 days or risk serious damage to my vocal cords. Maybe I should've done that and saved myself this abuse but I didn't want to let all those people down and did what I could even at the risk of damage.'
The singer insisted he 'gave it everything' and pointed to his recent arena tour as evidence of his commitment to live performances. He also defended the value of the show, noting that fans saw several artists including Ben Ellis, along with 'a huge production' and a seven-piece band. Arthur added: 'I think 75 quid to see some of the country's best young artists and myself with a huge production and a 7 piece band consisting of some of the best musicians in the world is pretty good value for money.'
Crowd Response and Social Media Criticism
Despite the online backlash, Arthur said the Scarborough crowd 'seemed to have a great time,' with the audience singing so loudly that 'we couldn't hear ourselves.' He lamented the negativity he encounters online, signing off: 'This is a reminder why I don't come on social media much, it's full of hateful people who forget we're all human... Hope you figure out what's making you so neg.'
