Albarn slammed after urging fans to flout seat rules
DAMON Albarn has been criticised by Edinburgh Festival bosses after he urged giggoers to ignore coronavirus guidance. A festival concert last week was billed as Covid-safe, with the audience sitting in socially distanced groups.
But as the gig began, the Blur and Gorillaz frontman invited the audience to leave their seats and gather in front of the stage.
Several people left the gig at an open-side pavilion at Edinburgh Park as a result.
Ralph MacGillivray, 62, had seats in the third row for Albarn’s 8.30pm show.
He said: ‘The people in the front rows were virtually at the stage. There was no space for people to come down.
Nobody was wearing a mask. We left during the second number. Quite a few others left.’
The organisers said artists were briefed that audiences were to remain seated, but while Albarn’s first concert, at 5pm, was ‘adherent’, ‘unfortunately the artist made an independent decision in the later performance’.
Mr MacGillivray has been offered a refund.