Genesis Owusu’s triumphant show at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre was cut short Thursday night (March 3) when the venue’s floor cracked and sank mid-performance.
Owusu’s gig at the famed Newtown room was a sell-out, and it kicked off just hours after the hip-hop star’s debut album Smiling with No Teeth collected the Australian Music Prize, a coveted annual award that recognizes the outstanding homegrown album.
Based on social reports, hundred were dancing on the main floor when it collapsed. No one was injured in the incident, likely due to the carpet which covered the damage.
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According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporations, security moved guests to the edges of the dance floor and marked the breach with makeshift barriers.
The show, however, would not go on. “There’s like a real big drop under that so this is actually really dangerous,” Genesis told the audience. “We’re going to have reschedule the show, unfortunately.”
The floor just caved in for @genesisowusu at @Enmore_Theatre pic.twitter.com/Y4hgLa9iQo
— Joe Hardy (@joe_hardy) March 3, 2022
Turning to social media, Owusu reflected on the strange situation. “All silliness aside, everyone is safe and in good spirits,” he explained. “It was nice to feel for things to feel like it was getting back to normal for a second there.”
Owusu is breaking all types of things right now.
The Ghana-born, Canberra raised artist won Triple J’s prestigious J Award for Australian album of the year, then, days later, cleaned up at the 2022 ARIA Awards, wining album of the year, plus best hip-hop release, best independent release and best cover art, awarded to Kofi Ansah and Bailey Howard for their Smiling with No Teeth artwork.
Friday morning, Owusu told ABC’s triple j he thought a mosh pit was forming in the crowd.
“My perspective of the whole thing is we were doing the second song, everything’s going well, I see people like in the middle of the crowd start to form a circle,” the funk exponent explained.
“Then the side of stage hits me in my ear-piece saying, ‘Hold the show! Hold the show!’ and I’m thinking there’s like some technical difficulties, so I’m thinking he means hold the song while we figure this out. But he meant… there is a hole in the floor [and] immediately we had to pause the song.”
See u next time https://t.co/wvrjfHhhLJ
— genesis owusu (@genesisowusu) March 3, 2022
Genesis Owusu & The Black Dog Band wrap-up their tour of Australia in Adelaide, March 13, then embark on a U.S. trek starting March 20 at The Independent in San Francisco. Pan-European dates will follow.
