We all know how easy it can be for things to get out of hand at a concert, but the Swedish House Mafia concert which took place last Saturday in Phoenix Park has been described as absolute mayhem.
The Irish Daily Mail reports that three men died and, last night, another was in a critical condition in hospital. Nine people were stabbed with knives and broken bottles. Sex acts were performed out in the open, and the crowd drank to excess and took illegal substances throughout the concert.
The most seriously injured stabbing victim was knifed four times in the back and kidneys, and according to reports, the attack on him was completely unprovoked.
Gardaí suspect that at least two of the deaths at the gig are drug-related. Concert goers have said that there was ‘widespread’ drug-taking. Even before the concert began, a large group of people gathered in the park drinking, fighting and disrupting traffic.
The Irish Independent reports that a 23 year old man is expected to appear in court today in relation to the stabbings. It is believed that he will be charged for at least four of the attacks. However, last night gardaí say they believe that there may have been other people involved.
Speaking about the mayhem, concert promoter MCD said that it had taken “every precaution as far as possible” to ensure that people would be safe at the gig, but MCD also added “there’s only so much one can do.”
Already serious questions have been raised about the level of security at the gig – especially since it has been revealed that someone managed to smuggle a knife into the venue.
Speaking yesterday, Denis Desmond, the managing director of MCD, openly condemned the violence which took place.
He said that the anti-social behaviour was not reflective of the “vast majority” of the fans who turned up to watch the Swedish House Mafia perform. He also stated that public safety was the main concern of staff at the gig and that the number of gardaí and security guards at the concert was in excess of the number usually required by law.
“Ticket holders entering the site were subject to a search permissible by law. Every precaution, as far as possible, was taken to ensure the safety and security of the audience at all times,” he said.
“Despite our best efforts…there is only so much one can do to combat anti-social behaviour,” he added.
