Fiona Apple hasn’t been doing too great lately. She’s been busted for drugs and her frame has quickly diminished, making her look more and more like a really soulful Zelda from “Pet Sematary.” Now she had a meltdown last night in Portland, Ore. after a heckler called her out for looking “unhealthy.”
Stereogum reports:
After close to 90 minutes of Apple and Mills trading off songs and, as they put it, “working shit out,” someone in the first balcony yelled out, “Fiona! Get healthy! We want to see you in 10 years!”
Apple, understandably, looked aghast, then hurt, then furious. She unleashed a torrent of vitriol at the unseen member of the peanut gallery. “I am healthy! Who the fuck do you think you are? I want you to get the fuck out of here. I want the house lights on so I watch you leave!”
That might have been the end of it — the house lights did come on, and the shouter did eventually depart — but the anonymous commenter decided to get one last shot in: “I saw you 20 years ago and you were beautiful!”
There’s no known video yet, but here’s some tweets from people in attendance:
Oh man, sad emo end to a glorious show by Fiona Apple. Portland, why couldn't u hold your tongue so the girl could hold it together #sigh
— Alicia J. Rose (@AliciaJRose) October 4, 2013
Fiona Apple has just asked for the house lights on and is officially kicking someone out of the show… and may about to walk off stage
— Chris Young (@pdxnoise) October 4, 2013
https://twitter.com/KJ_NBA/status/385994633580261376
https://twitter.com/t0t4llykyle/status/385995631807852545
https://twitter.com/jetsetter/status/385995801408729088
Fiona apple in Portland – wildly disappointing. Is it heroine?
— Michelle Nelson (@grimord) October 4, 2013
After that she ended up choking back tears through one more song, “Waltz,” before cutting the show short early. Of course, this sort of thing has been reported from her for a while. There was an alleged walk-off in Tokyo as well, and of course this utterly inane speech in Texas.
Since they’re so often compared to one another, perhaps Fiona needs some of that sage wisdom Tori Amos gave to Miley Cyrus earlier this month.