Sinéad O’Connor was met with mostly boos at Bob Dylan’s 30th anniversary tribute concert in New York on October 16, 1992, less than two weeks after she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live. She was scheduled to sing Dylan’s “I Believe in You.” Instead, after the crowd’s reaction, she sang Bob Marley’s “War” a cappella and left the stage. O’Connor later said the audience was divided, not unanimous in its hostility.
What happened at the Bob Dylan concert?
The performance took place at Madison Square Garden during Dylan’s 30th anniversary tribute, a four-hour event known as “Bobfest.” The official Bob Dylan event page describes it as a sold-out show broadcast internationally. Attendance estimates differ: the official page says more than 18,000, while the Los Angeles Times review reported 16,000. Those are separate estimates, not a verified count.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
So Far...the Best Of Sinead O'connor | $12.26 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | $13.26 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
The Lion and the Cobra | $6.67 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O'Connor (1990-05-03) | $34.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Sean-Nos Nua | $9.00 | Buy on Amazon |
O’Connor was introduced by Kris Kristofferson and was expected to perform “I Believe in You.” The Los Angeles Times described scattered cheers but mostly boos. Kristofferson told her, “Don’t let the bastards get you down.” O’Connor replied, “I’m not down,” then sang “War” without accompaniment and left amid a mixture of boos and cheers.
Why were people booing her?
Thirteen days earlier, on October 3, O’Connor had performed “War” on Saturday Night Live, changing its lyrics to refer to child abuse. She held a photograph of Pope John Paul II up to the camera, tore it, and said, “Fight the real enemy.” HISTORY.com’s account of the broadcast describes the act and its backlash.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallOutdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match#1 Best Overall
- Sinead O'connor - "so Far, The Best Of Sinead O´connor"
The Dylan concert crowd’s reaction came in the wake of that televised protest. O’Connor said she had torn the photograph to provoke a public conversation about child abuse and the Church’s silence. Speaking backstage before the concert, she told Entertainment Tonight, as quoted by the Los Angeles Times: “If I hadn’t done that, we wouldn’t be sitting here now clarifying all these things.” That was her stated purpose; it should not be reduced to a personal attack on the Pope.
Was the crowd entirely against her?
No account establishes a reliable count of cheers versus boos. The contemporary Los Angeles Times review characterized the response as mostly boos with scattered cheers. In a TIME interview published November 9, 1992, O’Connor pushed back against the idea that the crowd was wholly hostile: “Don’t forget that half of them were cheering.” A December 1992 interview republished by Hot Press also records her describing the audience as split.
Rank #2
In a 1998 interview archived by The Sinéad O’Connor Site, she estimated that three quarters of the audience had cheered. These are O’Connor’s recollections at different times, not formal audience measurements. The contemporary review and her own accounts convey a loud, divided reaction, but do not support a precise proportion.
What did O’Connor say the protest meant?
O’Connor later clarified that the photograph was not intended as a personal attack on John Paul II. In the 1998 interview, she said: “But obviously it wasn’t a personal attack on the man. It was an attack on the church in general and for it’s policy of silence on the abuses that were taking place, particularly in Ireland.” The wording and punctuation here follow the archived interview.
Rank #3
- Music
That distinction matters to the concert story: the booing followed an act O’Connor framed as a protest against institutional silence over abuse, rather than a spontaneous insult to the Pope. In the same 1998 interview, she recalled that Dylan came over afterward and apologized, saying he had not known what had happened. That is O’Connor’s later recollection.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What was she scheduled to sing, and what did she perform?
O’Connor’s planned number was Dylan’s “I Believe in You,” but the song she sang onstage after the booing began was “War.” The official Bob Dylan event page confirms that “I Believe in You” was her rehearsed song and that she responded to the crowd by singing “War.” The page also points to a rehearsal take of “I Believe in You”; it does not establish that the Deluxe Edition release includes the entire live incident or a complete O’Connor set.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
