In the wake of the fatal crowd surge at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival on Nov. 5, people across social media are using the incident to raise awareness about crowd safety during live performances. On Friday night, Scott paused his performance after he spotted an ambulance in the 50,000-person audience around 9:30 p.m., when the Houston Fire Department reported a “mass casualty incident.” At the time, 25 people were being transported to the hospital, but Scott continued his set until 10:15 p.m., playing for nearly half an hour while the danger in the crowd persisted.
Fans across social media have openly expressed their outrage at Scott for performing under such critical circumstances, and the singer is currently being sued by multiple people who suffered lasting injuries from the crowd surge. A day after the festival tragedy, Scott posted an apology on Twitter, writing, “I am absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life. I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”
The chilling truth is that the Astroworld festival is not the first time concertgoers have lost their lives due to negligence. Standing-room-only concerts are some of the most dangerous to attend, according to safety guidance expert Paul Wertheimer, and the layout of the festival itself has since been cited as the primary cause of the Astroworld tragedy. Authorities are currently conducting a criminal investigation surrounding the incident, and everyone involved – including Live Nation, the promoter for the Astroworld festival – are cooperating.
Despite cooperation from the venue and promoter during the investigation, the physical, mental, and emotional suffering that resulted from the events at this year’s Astroworld show cannot be undone. In an attempt to prevent such tragedies from happening again, people across social media are sharing clips of Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Teyana Taylor, Linkin Park, Billie Eilish, and more artists who stopped their shows to help those in need and didn’t continue until they were sure everyone was OK. See some of the heartwarming moments for yourself ahead.
Getty Images / Scott Dudelson
Teyana Taylor Stopping a Concert in 2021
During a show in Los Angeles on Nov. 8, Teyana Taylor stopped the show to get help for a woman in the front row of the crowd. “Bring her up here. Sit her right there. Get her some air,” Teyana instructed security. “You good? Say rose petal,” she asked the woman, making sure that she was OK before she continued with the show.
Getty Images / Dave M. Benett
Adele Stopping a Concert in 2011
In 2011, Adele stopped a show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo theater when she noticed a fan had passed out. “Stop! Stop! Stop!” she told her band. “Someone fainted again, right in the middle. This happened last night, as well . . . Is anyone coming to you? Has it been sorted?” Adele then continued to point in the direction of the person who’d fainted and call for help until she was sure that someone was coming to provide assistance.
Getty Images / Brian Rasic
Dave Grohl Stopping a Concert in 2017
Dave Grohl stopped a Foo Fighters show in London in 2011 when he noticed a child in potential danger. “Hold on one second,” he said as he stopped playing his guitar. “Does that kid need somewhere to sit? Get that kid a real seat . . . You’ve gotta take his parents too now, come on. This is a family occasion. Bring him up on the side right there. I’ll sing a song to him.”
WireImage / Jeffrey Mayer
Linkin Park Stopping a Concert in 2001
In 2001, Linkin Park stopped a show in London to get help for a fan who’d fallen down. “We gotta look out for safety first, for real. Nobody gets hurt. That’s number one,” Mike Shinoda told the crowd before Chester Bennington started leading everyone in a helpful chant. “When someone falls, what do you do?” he shouted into the mic before the crowd chanted back, “Pick them up!”
FilmMagic, Inc / Jeff Kravitz
Nirvana Stopping a Concert in 1993
In 1993, Kurt Cobain stopped a Nirvana concert and jumped out of his seat to stop a man who was reportedly trying to sexually assault a woman. After Cobain told the man off, Krist Novoselic led the audience in laughing at the man as he exited the crowd.
FilmMagic / Jeff Kravitz
Billie Eilish Stopping a Concert in 2018
During a performance of “Ocean Eyes” in Sweden in 2018, Billie Eilish stopped the show to give water to a fan who was about to pass out. “I’m also about to pass out. We’re all just passing out,” a fan said. “What can I do to help?” Billie asked in response before passing out more water to the grateful crowd.
Getty Images / Scott Dudelson
A$AP Rocky Stopping a Concert in 2019
In 2019, A$AP Rocky stopped a concert when he noticed fans were piled on top of each other and crushed against the barrier. “Everybody back up,” he told the crowd. “Pick them girls up!” he added, pointing at a group of women who’d nearly been crushed. Rocky continued to yell at the crowd to back up until everyone was safe before continuing the show.
Redferns / Jim Dyson
Harry Styles Stopping a Concert in 2019
At a Los Angeles show in 2019, Harry Styles stopped mid-performance to ask the crowd if everything was all right. “I have a very serious question. Are you OK in there?” he asked, pointing the mic at the audience. When they responded they were not OK, Harry sent help for a woman who had fallen down and asked everyone to take “one very slow, very gentle step back.”
WireImage / Taylor Hill
Green Day Stopping a Concert (Year Unknown)
During a performance of their song “Homecoming,” Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong stopped the show to admonish some older fans who were bullying the younger members of the audience. “That’s not f*cking appropriate now. These kids are just trying to have a good time. You don’t have to f*cking muscle them around, all right?” he said before continuing the rest of the song. “Nobody’s f*cking getting hurt. Come on, be cool!”
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Lady Gaga Stopping a Concert in 2017
Lady Gaga stopped a show in Connecticut in 2017 after she noticed a fan bleeding. “Meredith, I’m so sorry that you got hit in the face and that you’re bleeding,” Gaga told the fan as paramedics made their way to her. “We’re gonna make sure that you’re OK.”
WireImage / Zachary Mazur
Niall Horan Stopping a Concert in 2018
During a concert in Argentina in 2018, Niall Horan stopped mid-show to address the safety of the audience when he noticed things were getting out of hand. “We don’t want anyone getting hurt or squashed. This swaying is very dangerous,” he said, encouraging the crowd to back up. “It’s not gonna work for the rest of the night. Let’s organise this before we go any further, OK? . . . Your safety is my responsibility.”
WireImage / Rick Kern
Panic! At the Disco Stopping a Concert in 2014
During a show at the Houston House of Blues in 2014, Brendon Urie from Panic! At the Disco stopped the band’s performance. “Make some room – hold on. Let’s be reverent for a second,” he said, instructing the crowd to part “like the Red Sea” as paramedics made their way to a woman who’d experienced a seizure. Once the woman was taken to safety, Brendon said, “We’re cool? Thank f*cking god,” and continued with the show.
Getty / Gerardo Mora
Fall Out Boy Stopping a Concert in 2014
Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz stopped a 2014 concert in Florida when a fan fainted. “We’re going to stop for a second here. Somebody in the front row needs some help,” he said into the mic in the middle of “Thnks fr th Mmrs.” “If everyone in the front row could just give them so room, that would be awesome. Just back up a little bit. We’re just going to take a minute here. Then we’re going to pick up exactly where we left off.”
Once the woman had been safely carried away by paramedics, Patrick Stump addressed the crowd, saying, “The coolest and most important thing is that we’re all together on this. When somebody goes down, we help them up.”
Redferns / Ollie Millington
Slipknot Stopping a Concert in 2019
At a Slipknot concert in California in 2019, singer Corey Taylor stopped the show when he saw fans getting crushed in the pit section of the arena. “Are you all right?” he asked, halting the concert until fans agreed to back up and make more room for each other. “I’m not starting this song until you motherf*ckers back up. We are all here together, so back the f*ck up!” Once the audience complied, the concert resumed.
Getty Images / Michael Ochs Archives
Rage Against the Machine Stopping a Show in 1997
During a 1997 performance in Arizona, Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha stopped the show to confront a man who had reportedly ripped a woman’s shirt off. “We’ve almost had to f*cking stop shows all over the country, and I’ll tell you why,” he said. “It’s because some people think that because they’re at a show, because there are women dancing and trying to have a good time, that they have the right to tear their f*cking tops off,” he said. “That’s f*cking bullsh*t!”
As the crowd cheered, de la Rocha went on to call out the fact that women should feel safe at concerts and not be afraid to have fun because of people who don’t respect them. “Women are forced to live in fear in their schools, and in their communities, and shouldn’t have to come to a Rage Against the Machine show and be afraid of that sh*t right there,” he said. “You can’t f*cking do that. We’re gonna stop it if it happens again.”
