Security kept busy dealing with rowdy fans
A much-hyped appearance by Atlanta hip-hop trio Migos was set to be the story of Bluesfest on Thursday, but it was a rowdy crowd that stole the show.
Perhaps Bluesfest executives saw it coming — security dealt with several issues during prior shows by rappers 50 Cent and Fetty Wap. The festival instituted a policy on Thursday restricting in/out privileges after 6 p.m., according to a festival official, to alleviate congestion at the front gate.
It was an issue Thursday, and Bluesfest delayed the start of the Migos set by 30 minutes to allow more fans through the line and onto the grounds.
Unfortunately, once they got there, they formed a massive crush to the front of the stage, a space already fully occupied by earlyarriving fans, who had camped out for the prime territory.
Many of those fans, including several slight young girls, appeared to be in distress once people began pushing their way to the front, according to a Citizen photographer stationed at the front of the stage who shot the melee.
The crowd swelled as a DJ kept the hype going at the City Stage, while the Migos trio of rappers — Quavo, Offset and Takeoff — remained backstage.
A Bluesfest official came onstage to plead with the crowd to take a step back, and security was kept busy pulling people out of the crush.
Another disturbing trend materialized when what appeared to be full cans of beer sailed through the air, no doubt landing on some hapless fan up front. There were also several reports describing groups of people throwing rocks at security guards.
Several people were seen dragged out of the sweaty crowd with blood dripping down their faces, though security later said there were no serious injuries.
Volunteers told several people wearing VIP badges to keep their passes close, as there were several reports of passes being lifted in the fast-moving crowd.
The mayhem continued after Migos finally hit the stage at 7:45, with the Auto-Tune MCs demanding the crowd get their hands up as they played the tunes that made them BET’s group of the year, with Get Right Witcha, Slippery, What the Price, and Bad & Boujee.
But it may have been their tune Fight Night, with a video screen projecting classic boxing matches, that best captured the night’s spirit.
The crush continued as Migos ended their set at 8:30 p.m. sharp, then demanded the crowd rush over to the neighbouring Claridge Stage for “my brother,” fellow Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty.
Streams of fans made the haphazard dash across the Canadian War Museum lawn to stake out a space at the side stage.
One contracted security guard, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Thursday’s young crowd was considerably more challenging than on most Bluesfest nights.
“It’s like a war zone out there tonight,” he said, minutes after two of his fellow guards were “jumped” by a group of young men trying to burst through Gate 2. That altercation brought several Ottawa police officers running to the scene, though there was no immediate word on charges.
“People just want to fight us for some reason,” the guard said. “It’s crazy out there.”