I enjoyed Monday’s show so much that I decided I was going to find a way to get tickets for Thursday’s show. I asked around and found out a friend and her boyfriend had Covid so they could not go so I bought two tickets and convinced my friend to come with me.
Monday was such a great night, great vibe – couple of things from the show went viral and I saw a few tweets of people boasting that they paid £20 to some security guard and got in but I did not think anything of it. I went to work and after work, I went home, got ready and went back to Brixton. Knowing where we had to go for the queue I steered my friend to the back.
Once I got to the back I started feeling strange. Like each step I took my heart was beating faster – which is not uncommon as I do get anxious in crowds but this was different. I started feeling a bit lightheaded so my friend and I stepped out. We walked to the other side of the road where I could rest on the wall where I had a full blown panic attack.
I felt like I could not breathe at all. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was sweating profusely! My friend called an uber and get got in and left Brixton for A&E but as we got out of Brixton I felt better so we changed to go to my house.
I went to sleep and woke up the next day with texts, missed calls and group chats wondering where I was as everyone knew I was going to the concert. I was confused a bit dazed from the sleep like I am fine whats going on?
Then 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 and 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 dont 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