Concert safety; should performers take more action?

Megan Puente, Staff Writer

The feeling of going to a concert is amazing, you are with all of your friends having a blast and such a fun time. One of the most popular places to go to a concert in Maryland is Merriweather Post Pavilion. Going to concerts is an experience that I will never forget and filled my heart with so much happiness. Recently there has been some problems at concerts. In my opinion concerts need to be a lot safer, there are many problems that have happened.

Unfortunately, some haven’t had the same experience as me. Even though concerts are so thrilling, there are a lot of safety problems like overcrowding, falling and even drugs or alcohol. On November 5 in Houston, Texas, Astroworld occured. This event was hosted by Travis Scott and 50,000 people ended up showing up. It was so overcrowded that the concert goers  ended up dropping to the floor and the crowds were crazy, since travis scott encouraged them to “rage”. The performance started at 9pm but got intense after 30 minutes. 

Fans were ready for Travis Scott to perform, crowds of many people gathered around the stage. They were full of excitement to see their favorite artist perform, but that went downhill quickly.  Since so many fans were at the show, many had to fight for their lives. It was so tight that many couldn’t breathe and ended up collapsing, which made them unconscious. At 9:30 pm an ambulance entered the crowd. Full of fear and horror, fans and strangers helped to get these bodies to safety. Unfortunately some of the reactions to the ambulance were immature, fans were dancing on them and blocking the way. The cries for help and the thought that they weren’t gonna make it out alive was heartbreaking to many people. One of the things that the workers should have done is not let some of the fans sneak in without bands or rush the gate; but they let that slide. By the end of the night thousands were injured and 8 died.

Many ask whose fault this is. Since I was not personally at the concert, I do not have the full story. This should’ve been under control and taken care of better. This was not  a normal experience, people shouldn’t be getting trampled to death. Travis Scott could’ve seen the ambulance lights or the screams of fear, I believe he could’ve stopped the concert but he didn’t. The workers could’ve helped more and not just stood there. It is very disappointing and unacceptable that they had fans going up to them yelling “people are dying” and they didn’t do anything. The fans tried to get as much help as they could, but felt ignored. Everyone needs to do their part to make it safe. The fans wanted to have a safe and fun time.

The website ticketsto.org has many ways to make your next concert experience safe. Next time you attend a concert, think of things like dressing properly; the more you have on, the more you are going to sweat. Another one is to know the location, if you feel in danger you should know where the exits are to get to safety. The last important one is to tell your family and friends where you are. 

Travis Scott is now being sued for 10 billion dollars on behalf of the victims. Concerts need to be more safe so everyone can have fun and not get hurt. I believe that the Travis Scott concert shows how they can be dangerous sometimes and that the fans need to be more careful. Next time you go to a concert, have fun and be safe.