Yet Another Concert Tragedy - Houston, Texas

[Principled Man]

Eight people dead, many others hospitalized from the crush of the crowd at a Travis Scott show.

 

People will never learn, will they? Whether it's at a music concert, or religious festival or political convention, or any mass gathering of excited, emotional people, the mob has no mercy.

 

If you're in the middle of it, you had better be ready to fight for your life, because the mob will show you no mercy.

[J2112YYZ]

Who the f**k is Travis Scott?

 

It sucks people died. I didn't even think rushing the stage like that was something that still happened.

Edited November 6, 2021 by J2112YYZ

[Principled Man]

Who the f**k is Travis Scott?

 

It sucks people died. I didn't even think rushing the stage like that was something that still happened.

 

Scott is a rapper. There were approximately 50,000 people at the show.

 

Fatal crowd crushes still happen all over the world. Big soccer games, concerts, religious events....and at music concerts with no seats on the floor.

[J2112YYZ]

Who the f**k is Travis Scott?

 

It sucks people died. I didn't even think rushing the stage like that was something that still happened.

 

Scott is a rapper. There were approximately 50,000 people at the show.

 

Fatal crowd crushes still happen all over the world. Big soccer games, concerts, religious events....and at music concerts with no seats on the floor.

 

I guess I just don't hear about any of those concert ones. All the rock/metal festivals that happen in Europe and South America every year seem to go off without any fatalities. But those fans know concert etiquette and how to take care of one another.

Edited November 6, 2021 by J2112YYZ

[Principled Man]

Who the f**k is Travis Scott?

 

It sucks people died. I didn't even think rushing the stage like that was something that still happened.

 

Scott is a rapper. There were approximately 50,000 people at the show.

 

Fatal crowd crushes still happen all over the world. Big soccer games, concerts, religious events....and at music concerts with no seats on the floor.

 

I guess I just don't hear about any of those concert ones. All the rock/metal festivals that happen in Europe and South America every year seem to go off without any fatalities. But those fans know concert etiquette and how to take care of one another.

 

There is no way to predict which crowds will behave and which won't. Every crowd is unique.

 

There is often something that instigates the crush, and the unique mentality of the people in the crowd will determine the outcome.

[pjbear05]

I was at the Pontac Silverdome on 12/06/1975 for its first major concert, The Who. They sold General Admission tickets, I was in the middle of the stadium floor crowd, and it was crowded enough there. I still remember the "crunch" as something-probably someone's plastic compact camera-was smashed under my foot. When The Who took the stage, folks surged toward it. Twice Roger, quite politely, asked people to move back. That didn't work, because the the third request came from Pete, who was none too pleased. "It's blood and guts up here...move the f**k back!"

 

Never heard any injury reports from the concert, but the message obviously didnt get through then, as The Who discovered four years later in Cincinnati, and apparently continues today. Dumb, just dumb.

Edited November 6, 2021 by pjbear05

[Entre_Perpetuo]

The first problem here, as far as I can tell, is that tons of people stormed through the front gates without tickets (in broad daylight I might add) and security was powerless to hold them back. In spite of this fact, which meant that the venue staff now had no idea how many people would be at the concert (not to mention they now knew something about the unsafe mob mentality of this crowd of unknown size), they still decided it was safe to proceed with the concert as usual. I mean this is already asking for a dangerous situation to unfold. It seems as the sky grew darker and the time was nearing when Travis Scott and Drake would appear on stage, the crowd surged forward and compressed tighter than sardines as people tried to get closer to the stage, and quickly people were just being pushed against their will, with no means of escape. In this dire situation, some people started fainting from lack of oxygen (the air was thick and hot and difficult to breath, especially for shorter people), and others simply lost their footing or were forcibly knocked to the ground. Most people in the crowd either didn't care or didn't react. Many people were trampled, crushed, or suffocated by this uncontrollable entity. Some brave people attempted to save others and help them get out of the crowd. Some were successful, but it was incredibly difficult to give anybody proper first aid or even clear enough space to move them somewhere else as the crowd as a whole would not budge. But the absolute worst part, and this is infuriating, is the concert still went on. Even as hundreds of people were being crushed and would require medical assistance, even as 8 people were being killed, even as the performers watched this happening, the show still went on. Even ambulances were unable to stop the show or get the crowd to part quickly. A nightmare on earth. Many are liable for this tragedy, but perhaps none moreso than those who had the authority to stop the concert, who simply let it go on.

[bluefox4000]

This is actually why i stopped attending shows more or less. i just feel safer streaming shows if i can. i'm handicapped and if i wind up by bad luck at one of these i am literally dead.

 

Mick

[Entre_Perpetuo]

This is actually why i stopped attending shows more or less. i just feel safer streaming shows if i can. i'm handicapped and if i wind up by bad luck at one of these i am literally dead.

 

Mick

 

These big outdoor festivals without any seating just scare me. Like, give me some fixed chairs with cupholders every time, preferably in a small theater where the acoustics are better anyway.

[Principled Man]

Never heard any injury reports from the concert, but the message obviously didn't get through then, as The Who discovered four years later in Cincinnati, and apparently continues today. Dumb, just dumb.

 

I was at The Who concert in 1979. I've posted about my experience here, so I won't go off on it again.

 

Every time I read about a fatal crowd crush, it always brings me back.....

Edited November 6, 2021 by Principled Man

[metallithrax]

Was at Monsters of Rock 1988, quite near the front during GnR set. Crush happened down the right of the crowd, I was on the left. Two died. Makes you think about what can happen.

 

Also, at one of the Metallica Milton Keynes shows there was a surge and in front of me was a girl maybe 5 foot tall. I had to use arms to form a barrier against the back of the person in front of her to stop her getting hurt.

[Principled Man]

Also, at one of the Metallica Milton Keynes shows there was a surge and in front of me was a girl maybe 5 foot tall. I had to use arms to form a barrier against the back of the person in front of her to stop her getting hurt.

 

The same with me at The Who in 1979. There was a girl between me and the concrete wall. I saw the huge push coming like an ocean wave, so I stiff-armed the wall with her between my arms. We withstood the push, thankfully.

[goose]

Who the f**k is Travis Scott?

 

It sucks people died. I didn't even think rushing the stage like that was something that still happened.

 

Scott is a rapper. There were approximately 50,000 people at the show.

 

Fatal crowd crushes still happen all over the world. Big soccer games, concerts, religious events....and at music concerts with no seats on the floor.

 

I guess I just don't hear about any of those concert ones. All the rock/metal festivals that happen in Europe and South America every year seem to go off without any fatalities. But those fans know concert etiquette and how to take care of one another.

Nine died in Denmark at a Pearl Jam concert in 2000. Dortmund, Germany had their 2010 Love Parade disaster where 21 were trampled to death. Crowd hysteria knows no boundaries.

[Turbine Freight]

Was at Monsters of Rock 1988, quite near the front during GnR set. Crush happened down the right of the crowd, I was on the left. Two died. Makes you think about what can happen.

 

Also, at one of the Metallica Milton Keynes shows there was a surge and in front of me was a girl maybe 5 foot tall. I had to use arms to form a barrier against the back of the person in front of her to stop her getting hurt.

 

I was there too. About 8 rows back in the centre. It was horrendous. No joke.

[IbanezJem]

The news here reports that someone was injecting people with drugs, which may have caused the crush? :eh:

[J2112YYZ]

This is actually why i stopped attending shows more or less. i just feel safer streaming shows if i can. i'm handicapped and if i wind up by bad luck at one of these i am literally dead.

 

Mick

 

These big outdoor festivals without any seating just scare me. Like, give me some fixed chairs with cupholders every time, preferably in a small theater where the acoustics are better anyway.

 

The metal fan in me has always wanted to attend one of those annual European festivals but it's just too many people. I'm not so concerned about possibly getting trampled as I am about the conditions at the show. I would imagine transportation, concession stands and the restroom situation would be a complete nightmare. Like I don't want to end up drinking from the nearby creek and shitting in the woods. I'm afraid I will come home with some disease that was long thought to be gone if I attended one of those.

 

I don't mind when the floor is general admission. I have seen Metallica, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden do that in arenas but I do prefer if there's a seat. That way at least you can relax between bands. What do you do at a giant festival? Just stand there in one fixed spot for 12 hours because there's no place to move?

 

No thank you.

[Chicken hawk]

Nonsense Tragedy ! God bless the victims. Unbelievable that this happened.

[Principled Man]

I grew up in general admission venues. Don’t miss ‘em.

 

Almost every Rush show, I got 2nd row just off the floor, facing the stage directly.

 

Perfect for me.

[Syrinx]

Yep I went to a lot of general admission concerts back in the day. Never had a tragedy like this at any concert that I attended, but I am sure there was a lot of good luck involved. Worst concert situation I was in was the Alice Cooper riot at the CNE in Toronto back in the 70's.

[J2112YYZ]

So, I forgot about this since there were no fatalities and my back was to the action when it happened but I have been in attendance for a crowd rush before. It was in an amphitheater and since there were reserved seats on the main floor any chance of something serious happening was greatly reduced by that.

 

In May of 1994 Metallica kicked off their tour here. Suicidal Tendencies and Danzig were the openers. Suicidal did a good job and kicked off the show well. But during Danzig's set the people on the lawn knocked down the fence that separates them from the reserved seats. They pretty much just rushed down the isles and filled up any empty spaces around there. Strangely enough the fence was knocked down while Danzig was playing the song It's Coming Down.

 

Nobody died but I'm sure there were some injuries. The amphitheater is still there today and is a much safer place now. Back then it was brand new and its setup wasn't exactly the best yet. But after that show they put the money in to remodeling the whole thing and have continued the upgrades ever since. Rowdy crowd but at least nobody died.

Edited November 8, 2021 by J2112YYZ