NEWS
An OVO takeover was anticipated at Kendrick Lamar's Grand National Tour stop in Toronto to support the hometown hero, Drake.
However, the planned gathering was quickly dispersed by Toronto police as concert goers arrived at Rogers Centre. The OVO takeover was meant to be a peaceful gathering in support of the Drizzy. Fans participating in the takeover informed social media that they were forced to leave after authorities received concerning calls.
In a statement shared on social media, the organizers of the OVO takeover wrote the following:
"Unfortunately, we have to cancel the OVO Takeover. We genuinely just wanted to bring people together, have some fun, and create good vibes for the city. But unfortunately, some people decided to report us, falsely claiming we were planning to "start trouble" or cause chaos. Because of those reports, police were already on high alert and were quick to shut down anything that even looked like a crowd forming - including us."
The statement would share that the gathering wasn't expected to draw large numbers. It originally began as a joke that quickly transformed into a movement. It would even draw local media attention.
"We didn't expect things to blow up the way they did," the organizer wrote. "What started as a joke turned into a full-on movement, and y'all made that happen. Shoutout to the media outlets that pulled up - CTV, CityNews, CP24, Virgin Radio, MuchMusic - and most importantly, shoutout to every single one of you who showed love and made this real."
Thankful of the united support of Drake fans across Toronto, the organizer's statement would request fans that attended the gathering to message them on social media and organize another outing.
The statement continued: "To make sure your time wasn't wasted, if you pulled up at all, DM us any videos or photos you took - we'll be mailing out hoodies to everyone who came through. Just give us a few days to process everything. We'll also be running a few giveaways over the next couple days to get the rest of the hoodies out. We're honestly disappointed it had to end like this — it was all meant for the culture, for the city, and for the fun of it. But the fact that so many of you cared enough to show up means the world. Thank you for turning something spontaneous into something unforgettable. We'll be back."
Kendrick Lamar's Grand National Tour in Toronto has helped the city become one of the top five stops on the tour based on tickets sales, according to StubHub. The OVO takeover's disperse follows the postponement of Drake and Kai Cenat's livestream set for Thursday evening (June 12) at 8 PM EST.
Perry Farrell has released another public apology following an on-stage confrontation involving his bandmate Dave Navarro.
The Jane's Addiction frontman was involved in a physical altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro last year during a live performance, an incident that prompted the band to cancel their reunion tour and eventually led to their split.
“I'd like to address what happened on stage last year,” Perry, 66, said in a statement shared across both his personal Instagram account and Jane's Addiction’s official page. “I've reflected on it and know I didn't handle myself the way I should have. I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show.”
He went on to admit that he did not meet fan expectations and described himself as deeply remorseful toward everyone impacted by the incident.
“Jane's Addiction has been at the center of my life for decades. The band, the songs, the patrons, and the impact that we've had on music and culture mean more to me than any words I could ever possibly write down,” he shared.
“My aim has always been to give our audience the best possible show, something real, honest and positive. In Boston, we fell short of that, and I'm truly sorry to everyone who was impacted.”
Jane's Addiction also issued its own statement regarding the altercation, which ultimately led to the group’s remaining members filing a lawsuit against Perry alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
“Today we are here to announce that we have come together one last time to resolve our differences, so that the legacy of Jane's Addiction will remain the work the four of us created together,” the band wrote, signaling that the group would not move forward with Perry. “We now look forward to the future as we embark on our separate musical and creative endeavors.”
