Fans at Sunday night’s Paolo Nutini show at the O2 Victoria Warehouse have spoken about alleged overcrowding and people passing out and having to be carried out of the venue. Some have branded the gig ‘disgraceful’ and ‘unsafe’, also citing problems with sound and not being able to see the stage.
One Nutini fan, who attended the gig with his girlfriend but asked not to be named, told the Manchester Evening News that the Trafford Park venue 'didn't feel safe at all'.
“The gig was a nightmare and my partner burst into tears 20 minutes in, she was so upset - she is a massive Nutini fan,” he said. “We were originally under the mezzanine but we had to leave that spot 10 minutes in as we didn't feel safe.
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“There were a lot of drunk people around and if a fight would have broken out there would have been a crush. A fight did break out but we were near the bar area at that point. At the venue you get to the stage floor through 4 brick passages about 4m wide which didn't feel safe, and we had to watch the gig from there to avoid the crushes, so couldn't hear or see anything. The crowd was about 20 people deep from the passages there too so we still weren't watching comfortably.”
He claimed that the venue felt like it had 'no air circulation... so we were boiling and lots of people passed out'. He also described the stewards nearby as being like 'a chocolate fireguard and didn't do anything unless alerted'.
He said that they plan to take the matter to the Health and Safety Executive and ask that the venue be investigated. “Obviously if there was a medical emergency this would have been bad. We really didn't feel safe at all,” he went on.
Others said they could not even make it into the main hall to see the Scottish singer-songwriter due to the crowds, and were left to watch the gig on small screens in the bar area.
Another attendee, Claire Middleton from Eccles, bought her tickets from a re-sale site, and between four concert-goers, they spent £400 to attend the show. She told the M.E.N: “We tried to walk into the main area so we could watch the concert, but it was so crowded. Everyone pushing. So unsafe, even the area where disabled people were was unsafe. There was nowhere they could [have] got out at all. We had to fight our way back out of the crowd and stand near the bar area.
"[We] couldn’t even get in the concert room, had to stay in the bar area and could hardly hear him. They had small TV screens that weren’t even clear to watch! The worst gig I’ve ever been to. Waste of money. Loads of people left early, [but] we stayed until the end. Just tried to make a rubbish night worthwhile.”
Ellie Steward, who suffers from a spinal condition and was in the venue's section for disabled gig-goers, travelled to the show from North Lincolnshire, and regularly comes to Manchester for gigs. She praised members of staff at the warehouse for helping her, but said that she has never felt so unsafe at a show.
"We had early access and disability seating due to the fact I have a serious spinal condition and use crutches," she told the M.E.N. "We were in the lower seating which is the right hand corner as you look at the stage and I didn't think it would be too much of an issue until I needed to get the ladies which is in the opposite corner at the back behind the bar area.
"I tried to get through but nobody had anywhere to go to allow me to get through, my husband was behind me protecting my back but it was so dark people couldn't see my crutches and I was knocked 2 or 3 times.
"I went out to the first aid hut for something I could use to add support to my chair as it was terrible and one of the first aiders offered to walk me back through as I was worried about it, even in high vis she had trouble and I was cut off from her at least once.
"It felt very overcrowded and if we hadn't been in the safe area of the disabled seating we couldn't have stayed. We go to 4 or 5 gigs a month, lots in Manchester and I have never felt unsafe like I did [on Sunday night]. It didn't feel safe at all."
The Manchester Evening News' review of the night also made note of the venue being 'incredibly overcrowded', with the singer's crew 'handing out water' to gig-goers, and confirming that many left early before the singer's encore. M.E.N writer Amy Walker also confirmed that the show was stopped briefly while a fan was carried out of the crowd.
Many others took to Twitter with complaints. "The Victoria Warehouse in Manchester was WELL over crowded," said Donna Hepworth in an angry tweet. "Lots of people stuck out at the bar area because the stage and band was not visible. Rubbish ventilation. Saw 2 people carried out. Left early as people were becoming aggy due to crush. REALLY disappointed."
Added Sofia Cavandoli: "Disappointing venue, they had clearly oversold. People were crammed in which wasn’t nice and felt unsafe at times." Another fan added: "The venue was a disgrace. Over full, people being carried out throughout the gig. That was an aside shambles, and I'd like a refund. Money over safety, such a shame, the gig was the least enjoyable ever attended."
Ben East, a freelance writer who was reviewing the show, observed that the venue was 'uncomfortably, possibly dangerously overcrowded' in a post to Twitter, which was commented on by many others apparently at the gig, some saying they quit the venue to head back into town to 'avoid the chaos'.
Speaking to the M.E.N, he said: “The entrances into the hall are so small... that basically you end up with loads of people in the bar area watching it on a screen because they literally cannot get in the room. It's happened there for me with The National, Vampire Weekend... as soon as it approaches being sold out it's really uncomfortable.
“There were fights breaking out, pushing, anyone under six foot could barely see and so ended up chatting loudly because the sound isn't great and it's really uncomfortable. Was half empty by the end; mainly because it became a test of endurance.”
In a statement to the Manchester Evening News, a spokesperson for the O2 Victoria Warehouse said: “As with all major venues and events, venue capacities are independently agreed with the relevant authorities. The venue operation has numerous robust control measures in place and a highly experienced management, security and medic team.
“The two Paolo Nutini shows on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October were both sell-out performances at 3,500 capacity, however, there were no reported incidents, medical or otherwise at either show. Any customer queries should be directed to the venue management team who will respond accordingly.”
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