The Daily Swarm

via LA Times Pop & Hiss:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/08/potentially-dangerous-activites-lead-to-hard-summer-shut-down-full-refunds-offered.html

Before any of the headline acts took the stage, the sold-out Hard Summer dance/electronic event was shut down at the Forum. As Pop & Hiss reported earlier, the event was declared a “hazard” by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, according to an Inglewood police representative, and the sold-out crowd was told to go home.

Promoters confirmed the “hazard” status late Sunday night. In a statement posted on the Hard Summer website and distributed to the media, organizers wrote that the event was destined for shutdown after concertgoers were seen “jumping from the balcony to the floor, along with numerous other potentially dangerous activities.”

via Hard Fest Website:

We were required to shut down Hard Summer at The Forum last night by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. They declared the event a “hazard” after seeing concertgoers jumping from the balcony to the floor, along with numerous other potentially dangerous activities. The Inglewood Police Department backed the decision of the Fire Department and assisted in the clearance of the venue.

While we, the promoters, worked with the authorities to consider other options to continue the concert, ultimately they made the decision based on the safety of the concertgoers. We are happy to report that there were no major injuries.

We are offering refunds to all concertgoers.

UnderworldLive:

The venue was sold out & there was a good buzz about the place. We went back to the dressing room, got drinks & started pre-gig chatter like always. rick & I wandered out into the arena to check the vibe & it was feeling really good. Then we noticed some people climbing down onto the dance floor from the 1st tier & this is when I started to get an uneasy felling. The was something out’ve sync with the goodvibes we always feel here. At any moment the flow of people coming over the barrier could’ve turned into a cascade & people could’ve been badly hurt. I watched with increasing concern as it continued unstopped. It began to give me a feeling similar to the one I had that tragic night in Athens & my concern for the safety of the audience, should anything have kicked-off or gone wrong, grew swiftly.