Deafening blasts during Eminem's Bonnaroo set prompt backlash

A series of deafening blasts during Eminem's Bonnaroo set Saturday night prompted several festival goers to criticize the hip hop artist for what they described as "gunshot" sound effects.

Shortly after starting his headlining set on the What Stage, three separate blasts rang out during his performance sparking debate on social media over whether such sound effects are appropriate in the context of recent mass shootings. 

Update:Under fire, Eminem representative defends Bonnaroo performance, sound effects

Dozens of tweets emerged almost immediately criticizing Eminem for the use of such sound effects. 

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"Less than a year after Vegas and @Eminem thinks it's a good idea to blast gun shot sfx onstage at a music festival?" wrote Brad King on Twitter. "Bad call on this headliner @Bonnaroo."

King, who referenced the October 1 shooting at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas, wasn't alone: 

In turn, people who have seen the rapper perform said the loud bangs are common for his concerts. 

58 people died in the Route 91 shooting and this is the first Bonnaroo since the  shooting.

Festival organizers have instituted many new safety measures, including metal detectors but while the efforts aim to quell fears, the tragedy of the fatal Las Vegas shooting remains fresh for some attendees.