15 December 2022 – bruh

To carry on from my previous post regarding the Asake concert in Brixton I went to…

To say I enjoyed Monday’s show by Asake would be an UNDERSTATEMENT! So much that I decided I was going to find a way to get tickets for Thursday’s show. When I asked around and found out a friend and her boyfriend could not go so I bought two tickets and convinced my other friend to come with me.

Monday was such a great night, great vibe – couple of things from the show even went viral. There were a few tweets of people boasting that they paid £20 to a security guard and got in. Honestly I thought nothing of it at the time. Looking back I should have been more wary. After work on Thursday; I ran home, got ready and went back to Brixton. Knowing where we had to go for the queue I steered my friend to the back.

The moment we stepped in line I started to feel strange. Each step I took my heart was beating faster – which is not uncommon as I do get anxious in crowds. This however was very different. I started feeling a bit lightheaded and unsteady, I informed my friend and we agreed to step out of the line. We walked to the other side of the road where I could rest on the wall. I ended up having a full blown panic attack.

If you have ever had a panic attack you know what I was going through. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was sweating profusely! I am guessing my friend called uber because I came to in the back of it en-route to A&E. As we drove out of Brixton I started to feel better so we changed the destination to my house.

Got home, showered and went to sleep and woke up the next day with texts, missed calls and group chats. Everyone was wondering where I was as they knew I was going to the concert. I was confused a bit dazed from the sleep like I am fine what’s going on?

The group chat was flooded with tweets and I was shocked to my core. Literally minutes after my friend and I had left Brixton, the stampede happened. I don’t know if my bruja powers or Spidey senses were what was playing up to get me out of the way in time but – I will honestly never forget that.

Two people unfortunately lost their lives at Brixton Academy that night and the venue is to remain shut as an investigation is conducted. I am well and truly sad to hear this transpired. I blame all the people who were there without tickets. All the security guards who took bribes to let people in. I blame the people with tickets (although valid you should have been let in) and willingly decided to break through that property to get in to the concert. I don’t give a fuck about mob mentality.

In no way shape or form is it Asake’s nor his team’s fault. This is a hill I will stand and die forever.

That’s it for now,

Tillyah x