US rapper Tyler, The Creator said a “rowdy” crowd forced him to cancel his first UK show since a ban on entering the country was lifted.
The Odd Future co-founder had announced the gig in Peckham, south-east London, with only a few hours’ notice, and surprised fans by tweeting a picture of himself outside Buckingham Palace.
However, minutes after the show was due to start, Tyler wrote on Twitter: “Too rowdy, cops cancelled it, go home, i tried, the gate climbing nail in the coffin, they go nervous, too bad was a cool idea but hey, , igor out now.”
The tweet was later deleted.
LONDON; IGOR; 3PM; WILL UPDATE YOU LATER WITH LOCATION pic.twitter.com/bscofwIxta
— Tyler, The Creator (@tylerthecreator) May 18, 2019
The Metropolitan Police said the event had been cancelled by the venue due to overcrowding issues, adding that there were no crimes, reported injuries or arrests.
Toby Stanton, 19, travelled from Bethnal Green in east London to get to the show and said people were climbing over cars during a rush to get in the venue.
Tyler was gonna do a free pop-up concert in London andddddddd it’s canceled #sad pic.twitter.com/konVPVATm4
— Milli (@MylesForsett) May 18, 2019
“We turned up on the overground and people were sprinting towards the venue, the cars were trapped in the crowds and people still sat in them … people [were] climbing over the cars.”
Loooool Tyler, The Creator just shut down Peckham @tylerthecreator pic.twitter.com/AReDykmMwR
— T (@tobyyyy69) May 18, 2019
“Every time they opened the gate a little bit to the venue people charged towards the gate and then bounced back when they closed it.
Mr Stanton added that local residents “seemed fuming they couldn’t even get home”.
The artist, whose real name is Tyler Okonma, was banned from entering the UK in 2015 by then home secretary Theresa May due to lyrics said to encourage “violence and intolerance of homosexuality”.
LONDON, IGOR, 3PM pic.twitter.com/lrYNPrPAY6
— Tyler, The Creator (@tylerthecreator) May 18, 2019
It is understood the ban was lifted from February 13 and he arrived at Luton Airport in the early hours of Saturday.
At the time of the ban, he posted on social media: “BASED ON LYRICS FROM 2009 I AM NOT ALLOWED IN THE UK FOR 3-5 YEARS ( although i was there 8 weeks ago) THAT IS WHY THE SHOWS WERE CANCELLED.”
The Home Office said: “We do not routinely comment on individual cases.”