A Rome authorities official has downplayed media studies of disruption and chaos at a live performance by U.S. rapper Travis Scott on the metropolis’s historical Circus Maximus on Monday, saying many have wildly exaggerated and distorted what occurred on the occasion.
The 32-year-old hip-hop star kicked off his Utopia tour on the Italian capital’s monumental web site — as soon as the Roman Empire’s chariot racecourse — to a crowd of round 60,000 keen followers.
In accordance with some media studies, the live performance spiraled uncontrolled when a gaggle launched pepper spray into the group. CNN and others reported some 60 folks required medical consideration.
Then there was speak of an “earthquake” brought on by hundreds of followers leaping in unison after Scott launched a shock visitor — Kayne West — and the viewers went wild.
However chatting with THR Roma, Alessandro Onorato, an alderman for the Rome municipal authorities in command of main occasions, sport, tourism and trend, was eager to deflate the controversies.
First the pepper spray incident.
“The story is just not because it was reported,” stated Onorato. “It was three boys, I’d say three criminals, who tried to assault the cashier of the bar within the middle of the Circus Maximus, utilizing pepper spray as a weapon. The theft was averted by safety, however the three fled. And the cloud irritated the folks close by.”
Some folks required consideration for minor eye and throat irritation however there have been no extreme accidents reported.
“The police have opened an investigation [into the attempted robbery] however so far as the live performance and its administration are involved, there have been no different issues or incidents,” he stated. “Zero medical incidents.”
A 14-year-old was injured who trespassed in an try and view the live performance from a hill close by and fell from a fall 13 toes to the bottom. However, the authorities stress, the accident occurred removed from the venue.
And the “earthquake”? Nicely it simply takes a fast verify on the web site of the Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology to see there hasn’t been a single earthquake in Rome over the interval in query.
The director of the Colosseum, Alfonsina Russo, has up to now warned that vibrations brought on by rambunctious followers might injury the traditional metropolis. “No extra rock concert events on the Circus Maximus,” he has demanded, arguing the location ought to solely be used for opera and ballet.
Onorato, calling such objections “snobbish and loopy,” says the Circus Maximus concert events usher in cash wanted to protect Rome’s historic websites. He stated he thought the objections had extra to do with the music, and the common age of the viewers, than with any actual threats to security or safety.
“The one different main live performance to obtain sturdy criticism was that of [Italian rock band] Måneskin,” he notes. “We welcome security discussions, however there’s the danger that we’re discriminating towards a whole era…personally I’m not a giant fan of Travis Scott’s music, [but] it’s lower than us to resolve which music is nice and which isn’t. Not even throughout fascism did we see that.”
In November of 2021, 10 folks died and lots of of others have been injured at Scott’s Astroworld live performance in Houston. A Texas grand jury declined to indict the rapper together with 5 different people over the live performance deaths.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to representatives for Travis Scott however didn’t instantly obtain a response.
