Astroworld Fest Tragedy: Lawsuits Coming

On Sunday, a stream of loved ones and fellow concertgoers stopped at a growing memorial outside of the stadium to place bouquets, light tiny wax candles and write a few words on posters for some of the deceased. 

While paying respects, some attendees raised more questions about the chaotic scene not even 48 hours prior, reports The Houston Chronicle. 

For 37 minutes after Houston police and firefighters responded to a “mass casualty” event at a packed Astroworld rap concert where attendees were crushed against the stage Friday evening, Travis Scott continued performing.

Police officials said the promoter, Live Nation, agreed to cut the show shortly after multiple people collapsed at 9:38 p.m. But concert attendees said Scott appeared to play his whole set and finished at 10:15 p.m. Concert staff ignored pleas from fans to halt the show, including some who climbed onto camera platforms to point out others who had collapsed and needed medical attention.

A review of videos and social media posts that documented one of the deadliest concerts in U.S. history raises questions about the official timeline of events put forth by local officials, the swiftness of their response and their ability to communicate effectively with concert promoters during the disaster.

LA Times 11/7/21

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said he had enough officers onsite to handle the crowd of 50,000. But he also said he could not have abruptly ended the show for fear of sparking a riot his department could not control.

The delay restricted the movement of first responders, who were still transporting limp bodies when Scott finished his final song, “Goosebumps.”

Eight people died, including 14- and 16-year-old high school students. Scores were injured.

Saturday brought shock and mourning. Live Nation canceled the second day of the festival. Scott offered his condolences. Houston and Harris County officials defended their planning for the event but pledged a thorough investigation into what went wrong.

Two veteran concert promoters of major shows — one with experience in Texas — said the plans and procedures between promoters, showrunners and local officials outline exactly how to pull the plug on a show. Neither would comment publicly because Live Nation, the company that managed Astroworld, is a dominant force in entertainment booking.

Often, a performer with a high-energy and complex performance such as Scott’s would have a direct line to a producer or stage manager via an earpiece. The producer/manager would be in constant contact and have the ability at practically any time to tell a performer what is going on and that a show is being abruptly halted.

Cancellation can come from various people along the process, ranging from the artists themselves to promoters and police. Stage crews can, in a matter of seconds if necessary, turn off all power to the stage and broadcast safety and security messages on video boards and over the audio system.

Live Nation did not use the PA system or video boards to broadcast any safety messages Friday evening, attendees said.

On Friday, the concert began with early signs of trouble. Hundreds of Scott’s fans stormed a VIP security checkpoint at 2 p.m. and bypassed metal detectors. Some were trampled during the rush; others were detained.

It wasn’t the first time fans had breached fences or security barricades at Scott’s performances — the same thing happened at the Astroworld Festival in 2019 and in past performances in other cities.

At 8:39 p.m. attendee Jorlyn Santana, 19, standing near the front of the stage on the left side, shot a video of of concertgoers hopping barricades because of overcrowding. Security staff with a flashlight treated a man lying prone.

Scott began performing at the concert at 9:06 p.m. Around that same time, the crowd of 50,000 people began pressing toward the stage, officials said.