Britney Says Lightning Storm Forced Her To End Mexico
Show Pop singer left stage after four songs during final show
of world tour.
Take ambassador off the list of careers Britney
Spears might want to pursue if she ever tires of singing. The pop
star, who seems to have no problem maintaining good relations with
fans at home, suffered another international incident this past
week by twice angering her Mexican fans, who chanted, "Fraud!" when
she cut short the final show of her world tour. It's customary for
American artists playing to international audiences — who don't
get to see certain performers as often — to go out of their way
to charm fans, either by adopting local protocol, attempting the
language or striving for punctuality. Spears already had a brush
with how different cultures have modified expectations when she
was booed in England in March for arriving late and then not lingering
and signing autographs outside the London premiere of "Crossroads."
There, she was only late and unavailable, not rude.
But upon landing in Toluca, about 40 miles from Mexico City, on
July 23, Spears gave a waiting crowd the one-finger salute. Understandably,
Mexican fans and press took it as a snub, prompting an apology from
the singer, who said the obscene gesture was intended for paparazzi,
not fans. "I am human," she later said at a press conference. "And
like everyone else, sometimes I get mad too."
Then perhaps she can understand why her fans got
mad. Four songs into her concert at Mexico City's Foro del Sol on
Sunday, Spears added insult to the previous injury by abruptly cutting
the show short due to rain, outraging the crowd of 52,000. Saying,
"I'm sorry, Mexico. I love you. Bye," Spears left the stage during
the set's fifth song, "Stronger." Fans booed, hurled chairs and
other items, and chanted, "Fraud!" according to reports in local
newspapers Milenio and El Universal. Some fans refused to leave
the stadium, despite PA announcements that the show was over.
Afterward, Spears, her record label and concert
organizers Ocesa Presenta blamed thunder and lightning for the short
set. "I'm sorry I couldn't finish the show for my fans," Spears
said in a statement Tuesday (July 30). "The Mexican fans are one
of the best audiences to play for. We decided that we had no choice
but to cancel the show after the storm and lightning showed no signs
of clearing up." Initial reports of the incident didn't indicate
the cause of Spears' abbreviated set or mention the rainy weather
conditions, which are considered typical for the region. Concert
organizers said fans will begin receiving refunds later this week
for the tickets, which had cost between $14 and $190.
Ocesa Presenta director Guillermo Parra told El
Universal that although concerts in Mexico City normally anticipate
rain, and concerts from artists such as Bon Jovi and 'NSYNC have
continued in the rain, Sunday night's incident involved special
circumstances. "There was no trick nor deceit," Parra told the paper,
"but climatic conditions cannot be controlled." "A hazardous lightning
storm made it essential for Spears to depart the stage," Jive Records
said in a statement. "Spears began the show during a break between
two rainstorms, but the degree of risk to the audience and stage
crew associated with the second storm, an electrical storm, made
it impossible for the show to continue."
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