American pop-country singer Post Malone performed in Guwahati, Assam on December 8. While the artiste’s setlist and performance did got the town grooving, the concert also made noise for several other reasons–some good and some bad. Here are the highlights that made Post Malone’s concert one of the most talked about event in recent times.
Tribute to Zubeen Garg
In a sweet gesture during the performance that left the Guwahati crowd cheering for him, the singer paid tribute to the late Assamese iconZubeen Garg, who passed away earlier this year. He interacted with the audience, saying, “To be in the home of the great legendary Zubeen tonight, ladies and gentlemen. I just hope everyone’s having an amazing day and an amazing night. My name is Austin Richard Post, and I’ve come to play some street songs.”
An oops moment
In a video that has surfaced from the concert on social media, Post is seen suffering a tumble off stage as he was making his way down the steps to greet the audience. As he was performing his hit Sunflower, barefeet, he slipped causing the singer to slide down the rest of the steps on his back. While the security personnel around the stage were seen rushing to assist him after the fall, Post remained unfazed and got back on his feet quickly and carried on greeting his fans.
Safety issues for women
Emma, a foreigner tourist who attended the concert, claimed she and her friend were harassed and touched without consent at the event as she shared avideo showing her try to navigate her way through the crowd. “Do you think concerts are a safe place for women in India?… As two women in the crowd, both me and Amina were touched without consent within minutes of entering the packed area,” she claimed, adding, “Sadly because of what happened we were no longer able to enjoy the concert. This isn’t ‘normal crowd pushing’. It’s part of a wider issue of violence against women and the way harassment is minimised in public spaces. No concert, no matter how big, should make women choose between enjoying the music and guarding their bodies.” However, Emma added that the incident wasn’t a reflection on the city and its people on the whole as they were quite respectful and helpful to them, including some men who defended them and provided them safety after the incident.
No to make up, yes for cigarettes
A woman names Nilanjana put up a video on Instagram talking about her experience of the concert, claiming that she was shocked to see that makeup wasn’t allowed inside the venue but cigarettes were. “When we went to get it back right after the concert, it was lying on the floor… Half of it was lost, other half was destroyed,” she said, adding, “I saw some people smoking cigarettes and other smokable items… so why were they not stopped at the securities.”
