Travis Scott’s 2021 Astroworld concert in Houston ended in tragedy, leaving 10 people dead and hundreds injured. Now, the rapper filed a motion, claiming that he was not responsible for safety at the event.
Scott’s attorneys, led by prominent litigator Daniel Petrocelli, filed a motion on Monday in a Houston court, arguing that the rapper should not be held responsible for the incident, as the safety and security at live events is “not the job of performing artists.” His attorneys argued that even though the event was held under Scott’s name and branding, he is merely an onstage performer.
“Like any other adrenaline-inducing diversion, music festivals must balance exhilaration with safety and security—but that balance is not the job of performing artists, even those involved in promoting and marketing performances,” Petrocelli wrote. “Which only makes sense: Performing artists, even those who engage in certain promotional activities, have no inherent expertise or specialized knowledge in concert safety measures, venue security protocols, or site-design.”
Petrocelli went on to note that Scott’s team supported festival organizers’ efforts to eliminate that risk by agreeing to remove certain rides and other attractions at the site.
This follows bombshell news that organizers had doubts about the festival’s capacity before the event. According to new filings obtained by the Houston Landing, the event’s safety director Seyth Boardman told the festival’s operations director he was worried about cramming so many people in front of the main stage to see Scott perform, noting, “I feel like there is no way we are going to fit 50k in front of that stage.”
Reports also found serious issues with the site plan; an employee of the event production company BWG settled on a site plan that made room for 44,000 people in the general viewing area, plus 3,500 in a VIP area. However, if they had used the correct seven square feet per person standard, they would have known the site plan had capacity for 32,000 people in general admission and 2,500 people in a VIP pen, which marks a whopping 15,500 short of ticketed attendance.
One of the most staggering statements regarding the safety of the festival was made by a festival dispatcher in the command center just minutes before Scott took the stage.
“I would pull the plug but that’s just me,” the dispatcher wrote in a message that was just made public last year. “Someone’s going to end up dead.”
In a suit filed last year, representing 17 concert attendees that suffered personal injuries and emotional trauma from the music festival, Scott, promoter Live Nation, rapper Drake, Apple, and ASM Global LLC are named among the 11 defendants. The plaintiffs are seeking $1 million, claiming negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent hinting, training, supervision, and retention.
“Tragically, due to Defendants’ motivation for profit, at the expense of concertgoers’ health and safety, and due to their encouragement of violence, multiple people lost their lives, and scores of others were injured at what was supposed to be a night of fun,” the lawsuit reads.
The first trial — among hundreds — against the festival are set to begin in May. In recent weeks, many of the defendants named in the first trial have been asked to be dismissed from the litigation, including Drake.
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Who do you think should be held responsible for the tragedy at Astroworld? Let us know in our poll below:
Travis Scott filed a motion to be dismissed from a lawsuit stemming from the Astroworld tragedy, which left 10 people dead, claiming that he was not responsible for safety at the event. Who do you think should be held responsible?
— TicketNews (@TicketNews) March 29, 2024
