A poignant three-minute memorial film was released by Afrobeats sensation Asake to commemorate his debut appearance on a UK stage following the tragic event that resulted in the deaths of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson.
In December of last year, a mob rush outside the O2 Academy Brixton sadly claimed the lives of the two.
On Sunday night, Asake made his return to London with a moving performance, a poetry reading dedicated to Rebecca and Gaby. The public was urged to provide the police with any information they may have about the occurrence as the tribute video came to an end.
33-year-old Rebecca and 23-year-old security guard Gaby were killed in the chaos caused by the audience at Asake’s first-ever UK performance on December 15.
The O2 Academy Brixton has been closed since that terrible night as Lambeth Council examines its license status. The Metropolitan Police are still investigating the event.
After an hour and twenty minutes of waiting, Asake’s supporters showed compassion and remembered him by standing patiently outside the O2 Arena on Sunday night. Poet Aina More gave a moving three-minute memorial poem to the victims lost to start off the program.
The news clips detailing the horrific incident were woven in with the poet’s poignant lyrics, which were complemented by piano melodies.
The mournful atmosphere was perfectly captured by Aina More’s potent poetry, “Some came out that night and ain’t returned, we need to hold this moment.”
Many people in the audience could relate to the poem’s affirmation that “Up at 02:30 thinking Gaby Hutchinson could be me,” which offered a sad reflection on the tragedy. Her words, “Rest well and be free, rest in peace Rebecca, our sister,” rang true. Aina More spoke profoundly.
Amidst the tribute act, white-clad dancers appeared on stage bearing white flower bouquets. When the names of the victims were announced and when the homage came to an end, the audience cheered enthusiastically.
Police officials sent out educational fliers outside the venue in an attempt to get possible witnesses to come forward and assist with the current investigation.
Rachel Otto, who had been at the disastrous Brixton concert and came back to see Asake perform, talked about how the horrific event affected her personally. “I just wanted to come back and see the artist that I love after going to the tragic Brixton event,” she told BBC Newsbeat.
Throughout the event, Rachel’s thoughts were with the families of the victims, and she described the experience as “bittersweet,” highlighting the significance of the lives lost.
Rachel expressed her hope that concert safety will improve as a result of the regrettable occurrences at Brixton. The length of time it took for the inquiry to wrap up irritated her, so she said, “I hope it’s a learning curve for everybody.”
Another concertgoer from Brixton, Toye, thought back on how emotionally taxing it was to relive the events of that evening. “The things that happened there make me very sad,” he said.
Toye noted that Asake’s most recent performance had more security than the previous one, but he saw it as a plus. He commented, “That gig’s organization wasn’t good at all.” “However, I can see that this security is doing it correctly.”
After the tragedy, he emphasized how important it is to keep celebrating Afrobeats music, highlighting the genre’s longevity and potential to be the driving force for future good change.