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'We were all Justin Bieber fans and now we hate him' 'We were all Justin Bieber fans and now we hate him'
(7 months later)
It's safe to assume Justin Bieber has never had to get the last tube home or worry about double maths on a Tuesday morning. But if he's never had to face the wrath of British parents, then he has now. "Utter contempt," said one. "A shambles," said another and, most witheringly from one dad: "We were all fans and now we hate him."It's safe to assume Justin Bieber has never had to get the last tube home or worry about double maths on a Tuesday morning. But if he's never had to face the wrath of British parents, then he has now. "Utter contempt," said one. "A shambles," said another and, most witheringly from one dad: "We were all fans and now we hate him."
Bieber's crime was to be two hours late – or 40 minutes, he contends – on the first night of four at the O2 arena in London.Bieber's crime was to be two hours late – or 40 minutes, he contends – on the first night of four at the O2 arena in London.
There were boos (video), tears and reports of clock-watching parents anxiously whistling their kids to the exit after a couple of songs.There were boos (video), tears and reports of clock-watching parents anxiously whistling their kids to the exit after a couple of songs.
The O2 apologised for the delay quite promptly, via Twitter at 11.08pm. What angered many was that there was no such apology from Bieber until lunchtime on Tuesday.The O2 apologised for the delay quite promptly, via Twitter at 11.08pm. What angered many was that there was no such apology from Bieber until lunchtime on Tuesday.
"Waking up to a crazy day," he tweeted at 12.28pm. Then the explanation: "Last night I was scheduled after 3 opening acts to go on stage at 935 not 830 but because of some technical issues i got on at 10:10..so ... I was 40 min late to stage. there is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and Im proud of that.""Waking up to a crazy day," he tweeted at 12.28pm. Then the explanation: "Last night I was scheduled after 3 opening acts to go on stage at 935 not 830 but because of some technical issues i got on at 10:10..so ... I was 40 min late to stage. there is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and Im proud of that."
He continued: "I never have any intent to upset or let anyone down. and Im not okay with things being exaggerated. once again sorry for anyone upset."He continued: "I never have any intent to upset or let anyone down. and Im not okay with things being exaggerated. once again sorry for anyone upset."
That won't be enough to mollify many parents, most of whom said it was more like 10.20pm when Bieber first appeared. Financial analyst and blogger Louise Cooper had taken her nine-year-old daughter to the concert as a birthday present.That won't be enough to mollify many parents, most of whom said it was more like 10.20pm when Bieber first appeared. Financial analyst and blogger Louise Cooper had taken her nine-year-old daughter to the concert as a birthday present.
"There were teenage girls crying outside," she said. "The ladies sitting with us had to leave after 20 minutes and they had spent £70 each on a ticket, which is really bad."There were teenage girls crying outside," she said. "The ladies sitting with us had to leave after 20 minutes and they had spent £70 each on a ticket, which is really bad.
"It's one thing if your demographic is 50-year-olds, but his demographic is lots of little girls who need to go home and go to bed.""It's one thing if your demographic is 50-year-olds, but his demographic is lots of little girls who need to go home and go to bed."
Writing on the Guardian's Comment is Free, she added: "We managed to see almost an hour and caught a few of the big hits, but my daughter was disappointed to miss Boyfriend and the one where he gets a female fan on stage and croons to her.Writing on the Guardian's Comment is Free, she added: "We managed to see almost an hour and caught a few of the big hits, but my daughter was disappointed to miss Boyfriend and the one where he gets a female fan on stage and croons to her.
"On the way out there were crying teenagers being dragged away and worried parents waiting for their children to come out of a gig that was supposed to finish at 10.30pm.""On the way out there were crying teenagers being dragged away and worried parents waiting for their children to come out of a gig that was supposed to finish at 10.30pm."
Tracy Wilson, from Hertfordshire, told BBC Radio 5 Live she arrived at the O2 with three youngsters at 6.30pm. They waited and waited, and by 9.30pm "there were lots of boos". She added: "There was no announcement, no reason why and a lot of parents were complaining, irate, the O2 people said there was nothing they could do. A lot of people had to leave early and miss half the concert."Tracy Wilson, from Hertfordshire, told BBC Radio 5 Live she arrived at the O2 with three youngsters at 6.30pm. They waited and waited, and by 9.30pm "there were lots of boos". She added: "There was no announcement, no reason why and a lot of parents were complaining, irate, the O2 people said there was nothing they could do. A lot of people had to leave early and miss half the concert."
A spokesman for the O2 said it successfully put its contingency plans into action to get people home. "It was quite a smooth and sleek operation," he said. That involved making sure there were plenty of taxis, that nine Clipper boats were on standby and the tubes were still available. Bieber got off stage at 11.47pm and everyone was away by 12.10am, he said.A spokesman for the O2 said it successfully put its contingency plans into action to get people home. "It was quite a smooth and sleek operation," he said. That involved making sure there were plenty of taxis, that nine Clipper boats were on standby and the tubes were still available. Bieber got off stage at 11.47pm and everyone was away by 12.10am, he said.
On Bieber's statement that there had been "some technical issues", the spokesman said: "No comment."On Bieber's statement that there had been "some technical issues", the spokesman said: "No comment."
Bieber may have been in trouble with parents but a spokesman for Greenwich council said there was no breach of any licensing agreement and no action would be taken for the concert's late running.Bieber may have been in trouble with parents but a spokesman for Greenwich council said there was no breach of any licensing agreement and no action would be taken for the concert's late running.
Some parents were just glad it wasn't them. The broadcaster Danny Baker tweeted: "Must say, if I was outside O2 waiting for my daughter and just been told Bieber went on 2hrs late, I'd walk on that stage & throttle him."Some parents were just glad it wasn't them. The broadcaster Danny Baker tweeted: "Must say, if I was outside O2 waiting for my daughter and just been told Bieber went on 2hrs late, I'd walk on that stage & throttle him."
Bieber's lateness is not a rock 'n' roll first, although it is unprecedented for a performer whose fans are mostly in their teens. Baker, for example, recalled there being booing when the Beach Boys were an hour late at the Crystal Palace Bowl in 1972. Rihanna was booed quite heartily in Berlin last November for being two and a half hours late.Bieber's lateness is not a rock 'n' roll first, although it is unprecedented for a performer whose fans are mostly in their teens. Baker, for example, recalled there being booing when the Beach Boys were an hour late at the Crystal Palace Bowl in 1972. Rihanna was booed quite heartily in Berlin last November for being two and a half hours late.
The Bieber lateness caps a miserable weekend for the Canadian, who has 35.5m Twitter followers – roughly equivalent to the population of Canada. On 1 March he tweeted: "Big night ahead." The next day, morosely: "Worst birthday", after some members of his entourage were not allowed into the Cirque du Soir club in Soho for his bash. Chased by paparazzi, they reportedly ended up in McDonald's and then went back to the hotel.The Bieber lateness caps a miserable weekend for the Canadian, who has 35.5m Twitter followers – roughly equivalent to the population of Canada. On 1 March he tweeted: "Big night ahead." The next day, morosely: "Worst birthday", after some members of his entourage were not allowed into the Cirque du Soir club in Soho for his bash. Chased by paparazzi, they reportedly ended up in McDonald's and then went back to the hotel.
The gig itself got mixed reviews. The New Statesman's critic wrote: "Tonight is about watching a talented person labouring under levels of fame and physical pressure so severe they turn you from a performer into a panting automaton." Paul Lester, for the Guardian, was kinder, reporting "90 minutes of well-oiled machine melody and slick manoeuvres".The gig itself got mixed reviews. The New Statesman's critic wrote: "Tonight is about watching a talented person labouring under levels of fame and physical pressure so severe they turn you from a performer into a panting automaton." Paul Lester, for the Guardian, was kinder, reporting "90 minutes of well-oiled machine melody and slick manoeuvres".
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