Troubled US rock star Ryan Adams has shared a disturbing photo of himself, days after launching a scathing attack on Australia and vowing never to return.
The musician, 50, whose recent Australian tour was fraught with controversy, took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday to repost a close-up photo of himself sleeping in bed with raw, chapped lips.
Ryan looked pale and unwell in the image, which he had originally posted on October 12 following one of his Sydney shows.
The image had been accompanied by a rambling apology with fans and his management following an onslaught of backlash.
‘I overreacted to a troll who repeatedly harassed myself and others in Sydney. It was a beautiful show. It was wrong. I should have just showed the standing ovation,’ he wrote.
‘We are all so tired, giving the shows all we have, beyond any above. We came here because we love you and want to play three-hour shows for you,’ Ryan insisted.
Troubled US rock star Ryan Adams, 50, has shared this disturbing photo of himself, days after launching a scathing attack on Australia and vowing never to return
Ryan also admitted he’s been sick with a ‘bruised sternum and a chest cold’, adding: ‘When I cough it feels like I have a chest buster from alien in me.’
‘I don’t want to be one of those people and that’s what happened. I’m too old for that mess now. Too tired. Too in love with my life,’ he wrote.
‘To my agents and management and my crew and my fans I am sorry. I am a bit of a Scorpio bastard once in a moon.’
Ryan recently performed dates across the country to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut solo album Heartbreaker – and soon found himself in the headlines following a string of bizarre on–stage rants and angry exchanges with concertgoers and event staff.
In a now-deleted post, shared to Instagram on October 16, the controversial musician didn’t hold back about what he really thought about Australia, slamming his fans and the country for ‘copying’ US culture and vowing never to come back.
‘Worst country ever, every time to play,’ he wrote underneath an image of a thumbs down emoji adorned with an Australia flag.
‘Thank f**k never again. You are the worst people and you know it,’ he continued.
The disgruntled ex-husband of Mandy Moore went on to cement his distaste for Australia in an epic dummy spit.
The image (which he had originally posted on October 12) was accompanied by a rambling apology with fans and his management following an onslaught of backlash
The US rock star recently performed dates across the country to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut solo album Heartbreaker – and soon found himself in the headlines following was a string of bizarre on–stage rants and angry exchanges with concertgoers
‘The best you can do is copy American and UK culture. Stew in your own juices. Never again,’ he wrote.
The singer has long had a reputation for his fiery onstage behaviour and once infamously kicked a fan out of his concert after they requested he perform Summer of ’69 by the similarly named Bryan Adams, whose other hits include Please Forgive Me and All For Love.
Last week, Ryan left audiences alarmed during a performance in Melbourne.
The singer-songwriter abruptly ended his show at Hamer Hall after a string of bizarre rants, aborted songs and angry exchanges with the crowd and venue staff.
The online criticisms that followed caught the attention of Ryan, who addressed some of the backlash – admitting he was ashamed of his behaviour.
He went on to blame his on-stage meltdowns on seizures triggered by flashing lights.
‘I am so wildly embarrassed and disappointed about last night,’ he wrote.
‘The LED camera flash on iPhones and Androids going off in what to me from stage is a pitch black environment… I have no way to expect the flash.
In a now-deleted post, shared to Instagram on October 16, the controversial musician didn’t hold back about what he really thought about Australia, slamming his fans, the country for ‘copying’ US culture and vowing never to return
‘And what happens over time when there are so many, is I have an ocular seizure and I don’t know where I am, I don’t know what my guitar is and I panic and become disoriented.’
He continued: ‘The saying ‘fight or flight’ applies here… You want to run, you want to make yourself not have a seizure. Last night I unfortunately had to go through that several times in front of 2,500 people… which breaks my heart. Because I was crushing that show.’
He continued: ‘I love you all, I’m so sorry. You did nothing wrong. It’s normal to take photos and it’s normal to use a flash. I’ve had this my whole life and it’s been a real struggle because I love playing music for you live and I just can’t play with my eyes closed all night.’
Ryan’s remarks about his ex-wife Mandy Moore – described by several fans as ‘bitter’ and ‘rambling’ – only added fuel to the fire, with concertgoers saying his comments derailed what began as a strong performance.
His outburst sparked renewed discussion about the pair’s tumultuous relationship, which ended in a highly publicised divorce in 2016 after seven years of marriage.
A spokesperson for Arts Centre Melbourne later confirmed that the concert was presented by promoter TEG MJR, and that all customer complaints had been forwarded to them.
