English dubstep DJ Joshua Steel aka Flux Pavilion had nothing but good intentions throwing a free show in Santa Monica for 1,000 fans. As part of a MTV project the show was supposed to be a bit more secret than it turned out to be.
LA Times reported that three times as much people came to the gig with free tickets. Santa Monica’s Hangar 8 venue has a maximum capacity of 1,500. No wonder the police shut down the event with as much as 2,000 fans trying to get inside. The set by Flux lasted about 45 minutes until the riot teams arrived.“So…Helicopters and LAPD with riot gear outside this airport hangar right now,” Flux tweeted, adding “so LAPD are turning people away, what the f**k???” Joshua’s FB page was lighting up with complaints by fans who had a hard time getting in, and rude handling by the policemen outside.
MTV stated that:“Turnout for the concert far exceeded the 1,000 capacity for the venue. Prior to turning fans away, officers of the Santa Monica Police Department called in backup to help manage the crowd. At approximately 11 p.m., organizers considered it best to end the event earlier than scheduled. Fans filed out in an orderly fashion and no one was hurt. MTV Iggy thanks the fans who showed up for the performance and regrets any inconvenience caused by its early end.”
Unlike other concerts turning sour in the recent times, this one ended with no casualties nor injuries. Flux was really happy about that as he tweeted: “I’m so glad to hear nobody got hurt last night, pepper spray was just a rumour. Wow I’m gobsmacked truly. All I can say is, you guys are the reason I’m here, your support means the world to me.”