Heavy metal fans in the United States are surprisingly well behaved, but the same can't be said for Metallica enthusiasts in India. This past summer, officials in the Bronx, New York were concerned that Metallica's concert at Yankee Stadium would result in a riot. It didn't, but things ended chaotically after the band released the terrible Lulu canceled their concert in New Delhi this past Friday. The show was supposed to be Metallica's first ever gig in India, but just hours before the band was to perform, a security barrier was damaged, and the group decided to nix the show because of "safety concerns." However, those "concerns" ended up coming true because of the cancellation: Angry fans tore apart the stage, destroyed equipment, and hurled bottles at the crew.
"We arrived in Delhi on Friday very excited and ready to play our first show ever in India at the F1 Rocks concert," the band wrote in a statement. "However, immediately at the end of our afternoon press conference at a hotel near the venue, we were notified that there was a serious question as to whether the show could proceed with regard to the safety of the concert audience. And our first and foremost concern is always for the safety of you, the fans." Unfortunately, that statement was made after thousands of fans had already made their way to the venue. They wouldn't find out about the cancellation until moments before the show was scheduled to start. Predictably, then this happened:
The AFP reports that one man broke his leg and many more were injured in the melee that followed. Three of the concert's organizers were arrested shortly afterward and charged with cheating people and breach of trust. (India has some strict anti-lying laws.) The concert's promoters, DNA Entertainment Network, were also banned from staging any more shows in the New Delhi suburb of Gurgaon. As for Metallica, they played last night in Bangalore, which will now mark the band's first concert in India. That performance went smoothly and peacefully.
[Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images]