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R.E.M., Queen Nix London Gigs
07/07/2005 7:35 PM, E! Online
Charlie Amter
Terror attacks wreaked havoc on London Thursday, as bombs ripped
apart three trains in the Underground and tore through a double-decker
bus. At least 37 people were killed, and some 700 injured by the blasts,
the deadliest incident in the city since the Nazi air raids of World War
II.
In the wake of the bombings, which were attributed
to an al-Qaeda faction, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police
requested the public not to make "unnecessary trips," and London's
entertainment scene ground to a halt, with concerts canceled and the
West End theater district shut down.
Everything from
Billy Elliot, The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre and
Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre to stalwarts like
Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera went dark. The
Ewan McGregor-led revival of Guys and Dolls was shuttered, as
were the plays Some Girls, starring David Schwimmer, and The
Postman Always Rings Twice, with Val Kilmer.
On the
musical front, a Brixton Academy gig by techno pioneers the Prodigy has
been rescheduled for Aug. 8.
And larger outdoor
concerts, including anticipated Friday and Saturday shows in Hyde Park,
were also rescheduled. "Due to the tragic circumstances today, the
Safety Advisory Group for Hyde Park has agreed that the planned Queen
and R.E.M. concerts for this weekend will be postponed," organizers
announced. The long-planned Queen show, originally slated for Friday,
will now happen on July 15; R.E.M.'s planned Saturday gig will be pushed
to July 16.
"We're all devastated to wake up and see the
apalling bombing in London. Our hearts go out to all those innocents so
cruelly attacked," said Queen guitarist Brian May.
Meanwhile, Queens of the Stone Age and Sum 41 had to cancel their
respective weekend gigs at the Astoria and Somerset House. Both concerts
are expected to be rescheduled soon.
It's not just London
events that are up in the air. Billboard reported that Snoop
Dogg's Sunday gig at Manchester's MEN Arena may be scrapped.
One artist who had no gigs to cancel but apparently needed
to be associated with the incident was Omarion.
Inexplicably, the former B2K singer's publicist released a brief
statement just hours after the bombings. "T.U.G./Sony Recording Artist
Omarion was in London during the tragic bombings that struck this
morning," the statement read. "He would like his fans to pray that he
has a safe trip and a safe return home. He appreciates your support."
The R&B singer, in London for Live 8, was uninjured in the
bombings, leaving many to question the appropriateness of the
statement.
Asked by a Reuters reporter why anyone should
pray for him, the musician's rep responded: "He wasn't hurt or anything,
but just the fact that he was there and all that."
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