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Croydon Gig
JLS performed a
return homecoming gig at Fairfield Halls in Croydon and there were some issues
with safety where some people got injured. I did attend this gig and it was
amazing, I did get in and have photos located in the gallery section of this
site - Check out the photos which will be coming soon,
also check out videos I have published on YouTube located at
http://www.youtube.com/user/xfJLS08. Please note I was behind the stage in
the family section in the dress circle above and behind the stage.
Nearly 3,000 screaming fans had flocked to the free performance by the boyband four.
But the first-come, first-served event turned into disaster as youngsters were crushed against crowd barriers by people shoving to get in.
Paramedics and police rushed to the 2,000-seater Fairfield Halls in Croydon, South London.
Fan Amber Read, 13, said: “I couldn’t breathe — I was being crushed. It was terrifying.”
Steph Pritchard, 14, added: “It was chaos. People were on the floor but others were treading on them.”
One girl suffered a fractured hand, one had stomach injuries, and another had difficulty breathing.
Three other fans became unwell.
Two were taken to nearby Mayday Hospital for treatment.
JLS — Marvin, 23, JB, 21, Ortise, 21, all of London and Aston, 20, of Peterborough — face Eoghan and Alexandra in Saturday’s final.
X Factor finalists JLS have expressed their sadness and bewilderment after their free homecoming Croydon gig left multiple casualties in its wake.
Security guards at Fairfield Halls were forced to form a human chain as they battled screaming teens desperate to catch a glimpse of X Factor heart-throbs.
Croydon-born JB, and his bandmates Aston, Marvin and Oritse were set to make their entrance at 5pm yesterday but had been forced to wait two hours in their stretch Hummer until the furore died down.
Meanwhile four ambulances ferried injured girls from the crowd and treated youngsters for epileptic fits, a fractured arm and a sprained ankle.
JB, Jonathan Gill, said: "We had heard there were six injuries and a girl broke her arm.
"We are so sorry for her and feel terrible. We do not want people to get hurt when they watch us play."
Marvin Humes added: "We were worried when we were in the car. We were sitting in a private road because police were worried what would have happened if we turned up."
Meanwhile, furious fans have hit out at the "shambolic" organisation in messages posted on our website.
Sarah, from Croydon, said: "I ended up in hospital. Me and my friends were so scared and crying our eyes out, the Fairfield staff are useless.
"My mum went up to a woman and said, 'We need an ambulance people are havin fits have broken their arm and have passed out,' but the woman said, 'Whatever, what do you want me to do about it?'"
Jessica, from Croydon, said: "The organisers of Fairfield Halls should be sacked. I was waitin to see JLS since 2.50pm. Luckily I managed to see them but I was badly injured.
"The whole thing was a disaster!"
Andrew Hart, from Croydon, witnessed the events unfold throughout the day.
He said: "I saw security guards trying their best to help people and bring some kind of order to the situation but they didnt look like they had the experience, planning or numbers to deal with such a huge mass of obsessive fans.
He added: "I really feel that the emergency services should have been better prepared as the few police that arrived on scene, (as far as I could see only after things started getting ugly) had to call in specialist public order officers for backup!"
But others blamed the schoolchildren who pushed forward at 4pm.
Sarah, from Croydon, said: "They went crazy, and were so uncontrollable. Everyone was just barged.
"I had to drag kids against the wall that were seperated from parents so they wouldn't get trampled on. People were being pushed towards the pillars.
"It was really ridiculous and very badly organised. To then be told we wouldn't get in at 5.30pm was a joke.
"I do blame the school kids for ruining that event. They were told not to bother joining the queue, but did anyway, and then resulted in madness."
For the full exclusive backstage interview, and more coverage, see the Advertiser on Friday.
Buzzing from their homecoming gig, JLS were blissfully unaware of the full extent of the chaos.
The boy band had been made to wait near to Fairfield Halls in a stretch Hummer for two hours while crowd control measures were taken.
When it was finally deemed safe for them to be allowed out they quickly waved to the waiting crowd before being ushered inside.
The gig was meant to have started at 6pm.
But Jonathan "JB" Gill, who lives in South Croydon, and his band mates Aston Merrygold, Oritse Williams and Marvin Humes, only made it on stage at 7.30pm.
For those that made it inside all of what had happened outside seemed to quickly be forgotten when the group performed Rihanna hit Umbrella.
However, seconds after finishing their second song -- Working My Way Back To You, by the Detroit Spinners -- the boys were pulled off stage.
Schoolgirls had been edging dangerously close to the singers and producers feared the teens would end up on the stage.
Marvin said: "We were scared we were going to get rushed and our first thought was to protect Aston because he is the little one."
JB was amazed at the manic scenes as they performed.
He said: "Stewards lined up to fend off the crowd.
"Fans were reaching out and I touched their hands but they nearly pulled me off stage."
Before they returned for their final song the frantic audience were ordered to return to their seats.
But when the boys re-emerged there was no stopping the excited fans who threw a baseball hat, a school tie, a cardigan and even a bra onto the stage.
JB said: "The screaming was so loud that on stage we could not hear ourselves and we improvised most of it.
"We sung as loud as we could sing, but it was not loud enough. We do not know if we were in tune or in time."
When told of the chaos outside before the gig, the band apologised to anyone who had been hurt or hadn't been able to get in to see them perform.
JB said: "We heard there were six injuries and a girl broke her arm.
"We are so sorry for her and feel terrible. We do not want people to get hurt when they watch us play."
Marvin added: "We were worried when we were in the car. We were sitting in a private road because police were worried what would have happened if we turned up."
Statement on www.itv.com/xfactor about the JLS Homecoming Gig.
The scenes at the JLS gig in Croydon resembled the Beatlemania of the ‘60s, thousands of screaming fans turned up to see the new fab four and the concert was delayed for a time before security could get the excited crowd under control.
An X Factor spokeswoman said: “The initial swell of numbers at the entrance to the JLS gig led to five minor injuries which were treated by St Johns Ambulance staff, with one person taken to hospital for treatment on a fractured wrist. Police, who were present throughout, and 25 security staff employed for the event worked quickly to immediately control the situation in conjunction with Fairfields’ own staff and the concert passed without further incident.”