The Insane Clown Posse was forced to cut their final performance short during the annual three-day Gathering of the Juggalos fest this past weekend. This years' gathering -- held at Toledo, Ohio's Seagate Convention Center -- kicked off Friday, July 13th and for the first two days proceeded with only minor incidents: a few drug and alcohol-related arrests and a Friday arrest stemming from the assault of a police horse.
But on Sunday, an estimated 150 ICP fans rushed the stage during the band's final set. Management ended the concert early, to the dismay of fans who paid $110 for a three-day pass, though no arrests were made.
Toledo Chief of Police Mike Navarre says that the rambunctious fans were "common in a setting where there are no reserved seats." Navarre believes that the desire for souvenirs initially prompted a few fans to get onstage. After failed attempts by security to keep the Juggalos off the stage, a larger mass of fans ended up destroying some of the band's equipment. "Management had no other choice," Navarre says defending the decision to end the show early, but adds that verdict was followed by the chanting of, "We fucked up!" by disappointed Juggalos.
Jim Donnelly, The president and CEO of the Seagate Center says that the concert-goers were, "just having a good time," until ICP was forced to end their set early after Juggalos had gotten their equipment too wet with the traditional Faygo pop that is sprayed around. As for the reason the fans rushed the stage, Donnelly commented that "[The fans] have done this, as I'm led to believe, in most of their concerts."
The Juggalos had encountered trouble at a concert earlier this year at the Paroquet Springs Conference Center south of Louisville, Kentucky. After a bomb threat kept the band from taking the stage on March 7th, several fans lashed out, resulting in the arrest of five Juggalos on various charges of disorderly conduct, inciting a riot and assaulting a police officer.
But both Navarre and Donnelly agreed that the incident was contained. "It was an interesting event, particularly for a community like Toledo that is not used to hosting 7,000 fans of that nature," remarks Donnelly. "Overall the community was very impressed by their politeness."
Navarre goes on to say that the vast majority of fans were very well behaved and, "just as normal as my own four teenagers."
SPAN CLASS="hed">JEAN GISMERVIK
(July 17, 2001)
