Lady Gaga thrives on controversy, but even she may have gone too far with her latest stunt.
The pop princess, who is famed for hits such as “Poker Face”, left fans unamused at a show in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, when she brandished an Irish tricolour on stage on Saturday night.
The show was one of three she set to perform in the city as part of her Monster Ball tour, and some 10,000 fans had packed into the Odyssey Arena, the Belfast Telegraph reported.
Ireland has a history of ethno-political conflict and despite a peace agreement, a lingering tension remains.
The award-winning diva’s decision to whip out the Republic of Ireland’s green, white and orange flag during the show left a bad taste among some revellers who said it was “inappropriate”.
One fan who travelled to the gig with four pals said she felt Gaga had boobed by wielding the tricolour. “It was about two-thirds of the way through the show when she came out on stage with the Irish Tricolour,” the paper quoted the anonymous 24-year-old as saying.
“A lot of people were not impressed and there was a bit of unease in the crowd. Some people were making comments and others challenging them.
“It didn’t spill over but I certainly think the atmosphere suffered after that as a result.”
Another said: “I just felt it was inappropriate, but maybe she didn’t realise Northern Ireland is separate from the Republic.”
Former Lord Mayor of Belfast, UUP councillor Jim Rodgers, condemned the display of any national flags at such events.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: “I think at such events it is wrong for flags of any kind to be displayed. You tend to find people at such shows from both religions and those with none, and this won’t go down well at all.”