Fatalities and critical injuries at Asake concert crush at the Brixton Academy

[Tulster218]

Unless I've missed it, it's unclear how many tickets were sold for the show and if fakes, copies or even people bunking in with a cash bribe were an issue. The venue itself was not responsible for ticket sales so if say 5,000 ticketholders show up at a 4000 capacity venue, it may not have any prior knowledge until it becomes an issue just prior to showtime with a full house and 1000 people locked out. Then any deficencies in their operation become under pressure- staff, doors, evacuation procedures with tragic results. The queueing system and crowd control outside seems different to what I have experienced at many shows and making people already inside leave via the foyer was a catastrophic mistake. Were the emergency exits opened for example? They tend not to be used to let people leave after normal shows (unlike eg Apollo or many West End theatres). The Academy knew that the foyer design was a problem from previous incidents and didn't really do anything to sort it. Just saying that stronger doors are the solution does not fix the fundamental issues of ticketing and safety.

Academy Music Group is owned by Live Nation Entertainment, who own Ticketmaster, who sold the tickets.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Yes lots of people blame crowds as that looks like the most 'obvious' explanation - but that ignores decades of crowd research that tries to understand why these things happen all over the world. And the answer is it's rarely the crowd's fault as explained here: this article and in the video teuchter posted upthread.

did his own research...

 

[jimbarkanoodle]

The bit about the security doing gun checks and the dogs, I can’t remember ever seeing that for any gig at the Academy. That bit does sound like racialising.

Almost every time i have been to the Academy they have had sniffer dogs. They always have them for late night openings where its mostly dance music where people like to take drugs. They aren't stupid, they know full well what gigs/club nights there will be loads of drugs coming through the door, so they deploy dogs. I highly doubt they sit in an office somewhere, decide lots of black people will be attending an event and call in the dog handlers.

 

[Jesterburger]

Almost every time i have been to the Academy they have had sniffer dogs. They always have them for late night openings where its mostly dance music where people like to take drugs. They aren't stupid, they know full when what gigs/club nights there will be loads of drugs coming through the door, so they deploy dogs. I highly doubt they sit in an office somewhere, decide lots of black people will be attending an event and call in the dog handlers.

There is a long history of the police and of security companies racialising audiences in London.

 

[CH1]

I listened in to a bit of this afternoon's hearing on the council website.
The KC for Academy Music Group was singing for his supper.
Right smooth he was - notwithstanding he was reading his peroration off his laptop.
Philip Kolvin KC makes that OAP fave "Crown Court" on Talking Pictures TV look like "The Archers"
Kolvin asked for certain matters to be further discussed in a closed final session - at which the chair asked the Police if they had anything to add in this public session.
Cue a bit of righteous anger from the Police representative.
He could not stress strongly enough that the Police did NOT want to close down the Academy as a music venue..
He was fed up with reading press reports that the police wanted to close down the academy - which simply was not true.
BOMBSHELL (to me) however the Police did not think Academy Music Group should be the licensee - as had been already explained in the closed session, and he would be happy to further elucidate in the next private session.

So there you have it - the police don't want to close the venue - but they don't want the old management back AT ALL however much smoothy chops Philip Kolvin KC "finesses" the matter.

 

[story]

Almost every time i have been to the Academy they have had sniffer dogs. They always have them for late night openings where its mostly dance music where people like to take drugs. They aren't stupid, they know full well what gigs/club nights there will be loads of drugs coming through the door, so they deploy dogs. I highly doubt they sit in an office somewhere, decide lots of black people will be attending an event and call in the dog handlers.

As I said, I’m not disputing anything reported from that night. Personally, I’ve not see sniffer dogs at the Academy (although obviously I’ve seen them elsewhere, including clubs and late night places as well as festivals).





We obviously go to different types of Academy shows.
When I go dancing I tend to go to smaller more backstreet type places. Gigs, the Academy is probably the largest room in which I enjoy seeing bands.

 

[edcraw]

There is a long history of the police and of security companies racialising audiences in London.

Indeed.

Form 696 is gone – so why is clubland still hostile to black Londoners?

Met police form 696, which once required club promotors to detail the ethnicity of their clientele, has been removed. But discrimination is cropping up in other ways

www.theguardian.com

 

[edcraw]

I listened in to a bit of this afternoon's hearing on the council website.
The KC for Academy Music Group was singing for his supper.
Right smooth he was - notwithstanding he was reading his peroration off his laptop.
Philip Kolvin KC makes that OAP fave "Crown Court" on Talking Pictures TV look like "The Archers"
Kolvin asked for certain matters to be further discussed in a closed final session - at which the chair asked the Police if they had anything to add in this public session.
Cue a bit of righteous anger from the Police representative.
He could not stress strongly enough that the Police did NOT want to close down the Academy as a music venue..
He was fed up with reading press reports that the police wanted to close down the academy - which simply was not true.
BOMBSHELL (to me) however the Police did not think Academy Music Group should be the licensee - as had been already explained in the closed session, and he would be happy to further elucidate in the next private session.

So there you have it - the police don't want to close the venue - but they don't want the old management back AT ALL however much smoothy chops Philip Kolvin KC "finesses" the matter.

What I don’t get about the police’s stance is are they happy for them to have licenses for all these other venues? Or are they singling our this venue which is what it seems.

Academy Music Group Company | Academy Music Group

academymusicgroup.com

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Well this is the venue where two people died so unsurprisingly it will come under the spotlight.

 

[edcraw]

Well this is the venue where two people died so unsurprisingly it will come under the spotlight.

I guess - but surely you’re fit to run a venue of that size or you’re not.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I guess - but surely you’re fit to run a venue of that size or you’re not.

Innocent until proven guilty? Running similar venues without crushing incidents probably goes in their favour.

 

[ddraig]

AMG are slated to take over St David's Hall in Cardiff from the council!
Building is huge and crappy concrete found in it last week/week before

 

[edcraw]

Decision within a week it seems and luckily the venue don’t seem to see what happened as “an unfortunate crowd incident” & seems that the council could support a reopening.

 

[Tricky Skills]

Very delicate balancing act for the Licensing Committee. Give AMG a licence and something horrible happens again, then you're in the shit. Support the Met's stance and you're open to a possible legal challenge from AMG, plus a huge loss for the local economy.

I don't envy them.

I'm not normally one for middle ground, but this seems like a classic case where further dialogue and mediation is needed.

 

[editor]

Very delicate balancing act for the Licensing Committee. Give AMG a licence and something horrible happens again, then you're in the shit. Support the Met's stance and you're open to a possible legal challenge from AMG, plus a huge loss for the local economy.

I don't envy them.

I'm not normally one for middle ground, but this seems like a classic case where further dialogue and mediation is needed.

And all the time this plays out Brixton businesses are really, really suffering

 

[felonius monk]

The longer it goes on, the more that touring artists will look elsewhere. The next six months of major gigs have already gone elsewhere. 18 months loss of income such a big hit to the local economy.

 

[Jesterburger]

The longer it goes on, the more that touring artists will look elsewhere. The next six months of major gigs have already gone elsewhere. 18 months loss of income such a big hit to the local economy.

As soon as they do reopen bands will be back - the only venues in London of a similar size are the Albert Hall & the Hammersmith Apollo, neither of which are anywhere near as good for the type of bands the Academy attracts - the next step is Wembley Arena which takes 7,000 more people and the next down is the Roundhouse which takes 2,000 fewer - that's one of the reasons the academy is such an important venue for the UK music industry as it has such a particular niche

 

[Tulster218]

As soon as they do reopen bands will be back - the only venues in London of a similar size are the Albert Hall & the Hammersmith Apollo, neither of which are anywhere near as good for the type of bands the Academy attracts - the next step is Wembley Arena which takes 7,000 more people and the next down is the Roundhouse which takes 2,000 fewer - that's one of the reasons the academy is such an important venue for the UK music industry as it has such a particular niche

That will still be true no matter who runs the venue.

Two people died. There need to be serious consequences for the license holders.

 

[Jesterburger]

Yes - I 100% agree

 

[skyscraper101]

Also reported on here

Promoter says musicians are skipping UK tours due to Brixton Academy closure

He said there is a shortage of similar music venues in London to attract the biggest artists

www.mylondon.news

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

There is a long history of the police and of security companies racialising audiences in London.

As someone who has long worked in the industry, my view is that the ethnicity of an audience is irrelevant, but I can tell you with a fair degree of accuracy what musical genres will hugely increase the chances of trouble.

 

[skyscraper101]

As someone who has long worked in the industry, my view is that the ethnicity of an audience is irrelevant, but I can tell you with a fair degree of accuracy what musical genres will hugely increase the chances of trouble.

Which ones? Out of interest? Though I can probably guess.

Ex-colleague of mine who did security at all kinds of events (music, sport etc) used to tell me that the worst gig above all was Boxing - late starts combined with drunk machismo crowds, often in groups, always trying to hustle better seats and giving unrelenting hassle to security. In the world of music it was usually the grime acts who brought the aggro and teen/boyband stuff which was more a headache logistically (and literally). By contrast the more 'rowdy' punk and thrash metal bands were usually very well behaved.

 

[skyscraper101]

Brixton Academy will be allowed to reopen after deadly crowd crush if it can meet 77 'robust' safety conditions

The Brixton Academy will be allowed to reopen after a fatal crowd crush at the venue last year - but Lambeth Council said the venue will have to meet 77 conditions to open again safely.

news.sky.com

 

[editor]

Good news, although there's no reopening date

After a two-day hearing Lambeth Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee has permitted the O2 Brixton Academy to re-open, but only once it has met 77 extensive and robust new conditions designed to promote public safety, including the safety of both visitors and employees.

Stronger doors, new crowd management systems, more detailed risk assessments, a new ticketing system, a new centralised control and command centre as well as new security and management at the venue, were among the measures proposed by AMG at the hearing to support their aim of regaining the venue’s licence so it can re-open, and making sure we never see a tragedy again like the one there in December 2022.

The Brixton O2 Academy can reopen, but only if it meets a set of 77 conditions designed to prevent another crowd crush

Cllr Dr Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, has announced that the Brixton O2 Academy will be reopened, on the proviso that it meets 77 conditions to ensure the safety of…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[Angellic]

 

[jimbarkanoodle]

Good news it will reopen. I'd be interested to hear what the other 'robust' safety conditions will be, but understand the public needn't necessarily be privy to those.

 

[Gramsci]

Statement from Lambeth Council

Love Lambeth

Lambeth Council's Cabinet Member for Safer Communities has issued a statement following a Licensing Sub Committee decision on the O2 Academy Brixton

love.lambeth.gov.uk

It is correct for them to say this was not about the criminal case.

However when the Council say this:

We will be working to closely monitor all licensing conditions to ensure that safety is at the forefront of the venue’s future operations.

Im a bit concerned. Having dealt with Lambeth over licensing issues ( noise problems) when I was in central Brixton I do not have faith in Lambeth having the capacity or ability to closely monitor licensing conditions.

 

[Mr paulee]

'Test events'

Brixton Academy to re-open with series of "test events"

A timeline for the re-opening is set to be announced shortly

www.nme.com

 

[Gramsci]

See Brixton BId are going on about what a great decision this is:

Brixton Academy Licensing Committee Decision - Brixton Bid

Nine months ago, a tragic incident happened at the Brixton Academy where Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson lost their lives.…

brixtonbid.co.uk

AMG have a person on the board of Brixton BID. So hardly a neutral organisation imo.

The way they have lobbied for this is in stark contrast to Brixton BID silence on Hondo Towers planning application.

 

[Gramsci]

The licensing decision , which I completely understand , is separate from the Police investigation. Which is ongoing.