Tired, Wet Fans Angry With the Black Eyed Peas

By Jo Piazza Posted Jun 10th 2011 09:00AM

It doesn't take much to anger a typical New Yorker, so imagine just how pissed the crowd of thousands were after waiting in sweltering heat for six hours -- then two more in the rain -- and then being told that the Black Eyed Peas concert in Central Park simply was not happening.

"What, Will.I.Am can't play in the rain? Is Fergie's hair gonna get wet," said Queens resident Brian Moriarty, 26, who lined up with his girlfriend at 3 p.m. hoping to get a prime general admission spot close to the stage.

The pre-show festivities with performances by Taylor Swift, Carole King and Tony Bennett were scheduled to start at 5 but were delayed due to bad weather, leaving folks like Moriarty stranded in the sopping wet heat. Gates were finally opened to concert-goers at 7:45, but once fans had finally settled into the park the police department announced they were shutting everything down due to lightning.

The Band Sings About Having to Cancel

Aerial Image of Crowd

"We won't go," chanted the crowd of some 20,000 New Yorkers (of the 60,000 originally scheduled to attend the performance meant to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation). And many of them did not. Police had to close in on the groups who believed that by squatting in the meadow they would be treated to the Peas' musical stylings.

In a statement, the Robin Hood Foundation said: "The heat wasn't going to stop them, the rain wasn't going to stop them, but the lightning-it stopped them. It came down to safety for everyone."

They hope to reschedule soon and will be providing more information "in the next week or so" on the foundation's website.

While weather is certainly something entirely out of the Black Eyed Peas control, the canceled concert put another black mark on the band's brand following what can only be described as a disastrous performance at the Super Bowl earlier this year. The Central Park concert was a chance to redeem themselves with fans in a high profile venue. Unfortunately with no rain date on the horizon, the Peas will have to find a new venue to prove their worth.

Anti-BEP Twitter sentiment ran high Thursday night with some haters calling it an act of god.

Taboo told fans in a tweet that Fergie was really bummed about the cancellation. She was probably less bummed than the thousands who packed the streets of the Upper West Side searching for a cab in the downpour with sunburned noses, soaking shorts and nary a Peas song in their heads.

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Fergie and BEP Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 09: (L-R) Singers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas perform during the Black Eyed Peas and Friends Concert for NYC to Benefit the Robin Hood Foundation at Central Park, Great Lawn on June 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Getty Images North America

Fergie Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 09: Singer Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas attends the Black Eyed Peas and Friends Concert for NYC to Benefit the Robin Hood Foundation at Central Park, Great Lawn on June 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Fergie Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 09: Singer Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas performs during the Black Eyed Peas and Friends Concert for NYC to Benefit the Robin Hood Foundation at Central Park, Great Lawn on June 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Fergie Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 09: Singers Natasha Bedingfield (L) and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas attend the Black Eyed Peas and Friends Concert for NYC to Benefit the Robin Hood Foundation at Central Park, Great Lawn on June 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Fergie Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 09: (L-R) Singers apl.de.ap, will.i.am, and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas perform during the Black Eyed Peas and Friends Concert for NYC to Benefit the Robin Hood Foundation at Central Park, Great Lawn on June 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Fergie Snapshots

Tags: Black Eyed Peas, Central Park

Comments

(40)

Friday 10 June

By sue

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You must either be 8 or 80.

By Tracie Smith

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This just PROVES these 'celebs' don't care about the average person...only about themselves. They could have said something BEFORE people stood in line for 8 hours...HELLO!!!!
There's NO WAY I would have waited in line THAT long for ANYONE, let alone TAYLOR SWIFT...PLEASE!!!!!

By Chet

Right because they told people to wait in line for that long? And they also had psychic powers to know lightning was going to cause the police to force the cancellation? What exactly did the B.E.P. do wrong?

By themeeker

Well, there really was a lot of lightning in NYC last night. Even though it's a rotten shame, I think they made the right decision. How much blame would they have gotten if someone got hurt?

By Barbara

Do you people not realize lightning can strike them in the rain?
And what performer wants to perform wet after all that planning, makeup of acts.

By ofalaska

Right...Taylor was too good to be caught on a stage with them, although the whole purpose was for The Robin Hood Foundation that helps poor kids, which is why she took time off from her sold-out tour (as always) to donate the time and her band. New York is just a dsyfunctional cluster-fuuuucc of over-crowded lunacy anyway.

By KR

Their music sounds like it was written by a 12 year old and performed by karaoke rejects. If you bothered to wait that long to see them, you got what you deserved.

By Tricia

Chet, seriously, you bring reaon and careful thought to one of these conversations? WTH!

By Joyce

Chet, every time they make "music" they are doing something wrong.

By Ashley

Of course they cant play in the rain. They cant risk the machines that auto tunes everything for them getting wet and/or ruined.

By hot momma

I agree w/Chet. Shuff happens, BEP is good n all but they can't control the weather for an OUTDOOR show in the SUMMER. Ummm, watch one of the 1 zillion weather channels before you go... DUH! Boo Who, they were hot and wet. Who cares.

By lancelegstrong

The BEPs made the right call in this case.

But to stand around for 8 hours in miserable conditions waiting to see what we all saw at half time during the last Super Bowl? There's the real mistake right there.

By bogey

OH NO!!!!!! No Black eyed peas. Life as we know it is over.

By brauns311

Thats what you loosers get for paying to see a bunch of no talent bs.They are the worst act ever!

By diane

"losers"

By fjreoespt

Somehow I don't understand how the performers are being blamed for something that wasn't their decision. If the concert had went on and lightning had struck a crowd of 20,000 people how many would have died and who would you be pointing fingers at?
Whether the concert starts or it doesn't is up to the organizers not the performers. If the concert had started and the B.E.P.'s failed to show, then you would have a right to blame them, but you don't.
I'm tired of weak minded people spreading hate because they don't have anything more constructive to do.

By mattf0504

or understand what they are reading NOT their fault do they control the weather

By bellars

Umm wtf? They did not make the decision, it was park officials and police. People are not smart at all!

By isalcefus

If it was storming, lightning,windy, rain and electricity don't go well together, what is wrong with you? If you stood out there for 8 hrs, who has the problem?

By goldie

Concert promoters, police and park officials cancelled the show, the BEP wanted to go on. Will was on twitter saying he wanted to go on! They were upset. But... let's be real, lightning was awful there, and it could have easily hit people standing in an open space, let alone the electriciy for equipment. Grow up Everyone!

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