It was one of the most shameful events in Indian metal till date. Metallica, who were scheduled to perform in Gurgaon as part of F1 Rocks, had to call off their show due to security reasons.
Sources say that it all started off because of the weak barricades which people started breaking through to move up in front. When an announcement was made regarding the delay in the gig because of this, it only aggravated the situation making the audience angrier and more violent. So though there were repeated announcements asking the crowd to cooperate, that did not happen. Finally, about an hour before Metallica was to take the stage, it was declared that the gig would not happen as scheduled, and that it would be postponed to the next day, i.e. 29th October at 4PM.
And this is what happened after that. (Click to watch)
So the “fans” who had come to watch Metallica took over the stage, broke equipment and vandalised the place, after which it was announced that instead of postponing the gig to the next day, it would not happen at all.
Television reports showed strobes on the floor, broken monitors, and a stage that had taken many days to set up, in shambles. Our news channels said that Metallica had pulled out due to shoddy arrangements. There were also rumours (?) about the band being in hiding after gunshots were heard, and about backstage arrangements not being up to the mark. But since a few Indian news channels have a habit of blowing things out of proportion, we don’t know what to believe.
But it all boils down to this.
1. The gig was not organized well enough. A band like Metallica is expected to have a large and wild crowd, so arrangements should have been made to keep things in control.
2. The audience was an embarrassment to everyone. Even if the gig was postponed, it gave them no reason to break stuff and become the crazy, unruly crowd that they turned into. Thanks to a few (insert swear word), the entire metal crowd in Delhi was being trashed.
Sad, but true. This is what happened.
As for the Bangalore ‘Rock in India’ gig- it looks like it’s going to happen. So we’d like to request everyone who’s attending the show in Bangalore to please behave, let the gig happen and enjoy the music. It’s Metallica! If we screw this up, they won’t ever come back to the country.
The Times Now report shows the scene at the F1 Rocks gig.
Ishaan Kumar
29/10/11
I am so happy I cancelled my flight to Delhi now. DNA has proved their incompetence yet again, so have the police but more importantly, I feel ashamed to be from that part of the country. I can’t imagine or express words to describe the shame and anger I feel. My friends who had waiter for YEARS for this had to witness their dream shattered by some unruly choots who thought their testicles would magically grow out if they vandalized the stage. Also, Metallica have to be blamed in part as well. They can’t be so ball-less to let ONE BARRICADE ruin everything.