Metallica fans wreaked havoc on Friday after the 11th-hour cancellation of the band’s planned first-ever concert in India. According to the Hollywood Reporter, event organizers cited “technical” reasons for calling off the scheduled performance in Gurgaon, near Delhi, which was to have been part of Formula One’s F1 Rocks festival. The announcement reportedly led furious showgoers to bash up the stage and the gear.
The failed event has already led to criminal charges. Police said on Sunday they had arrested four executives at concert organizer DNA Entertainment Network on fraud allegations, the BBC reports. The authorities received a complaint that the company had denied a request for a refund of the ticket price, a police official has been quoted as saying.
Reports indicate about 25,000 people were on hand for the show when it was cancelled. Watch footage of some fans’ angry reactions below. Police have said they can’t blame audience members for the chaos, though the band’s recent collaboration with Lou Reed was apparently not a factor. (Zing!)
In a statement, Metallica said they were “deeply disappointed” the show could not go on, citing audience safety concerns. “Once we, along with DNA, the promoters of the show, determined that there was a failure of a security barricade in front of the stage that could not be adequately repaired, the promoter reluctantly announced the postponement of the show until Saturday,” the statement reads. “Unfortunately, on such short notice the promoters were unable to secure a permit for a show on Saturday. Therefore, DNA announced that we would not be able to play in Delhi.”
Still, there was some good news for Metallica fans: The metal titans’ scheduled performance in Bangalore on Sunday still took place as planned, despite a 45-minute rain delay. Blabbermouth points to a police estimate that more than 29,000 fans attended the gig, part of the annual Vladivar Rock ‘n India festival.
