Fans furious at Travis Scott’s 20-minute Istanbul debut set
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Travis Scott made his Istanbul debut on May 31 in a 20-minute show, falling short of the promised 90.
PHOTO: REUTERS
ISTANBUL – US rapper Travis Scott angered fans in Istanbul after a performance that lasted barely 20 minutes, with the audience booing as he left the stage early on June 1, footage on social media showed.
On his first tour of Turkey, the 35-year-old hip-hop star made his Istanbul debut late on May 31 and was to hold another event at the western Izmir resort on June 1.
The Istanbul event was billed as “a performance that goes beyond a classic concert” with a limited audience of just 2,500 fans, according to one of the websites selling tickets, which started at US$330 (S$422).
The advertising blurb promised a 90-minute “DJ set and mic” by the Houston-born rapper, starting at 11pm local time, between performances by lesser-known artistes.
But fans said Scott turned up 90 minutes late and slipped away after a 20-minute appearance, despite being the headliner.
“Shameful event. They said he would start at 11pm, he arrived at 12.35am,” wrote a fan called Ala Artan on Instagram.
“We waited for hours standing up, he performed one song then left. We wasted our money.”
Others demanded their money back on the Instagram account of promoter TemaCC.
One fan, Orhan Jung, said he had paid more than US$1,000 for a VIP ticket – more than twice Turkey’s monthly minimum wage – and denounced the event as a disgrace.
“None of the promised VIP benefits were provided,” wrote Jung, who was posting stories from the venue throughout the evening.
“Travis stopped by for 10 minutes and left.”
But TemaCC’s chief executive Taylan Ozcan defended Scott’s performance, saying the rapper had been “at the heart of the event” for the entire evening.
“He hosted the party for an hour... then he gave an exceptional performance for 20 minutes,” Ozcan said in a statement to Turkish media.
Advertising for June 1’s show promised a similar event.
“Travis Scott will deliver a high-energy club show experience that goes beyond classic stage formats, engaging with the audience,” the Biletino ticketing website said, with prices ranging from US$215 to more than US$5,000. AFP
