Asake returns to UK for first gig since Brixton crush

21 August 2023

Asake performs onstage during day one of Afro Nation Miami in May. Asake, a black man in his 20s with braided hair tied back wears a white vest and a gold chain, holding a microphone in his right hand. He has a large diamond ring and watch and has heavily tattooed arms and neck. He is lit by stage lights and the staging behind him includes a bright red panel and yellow spot lights. — Image caption,
Asake hadn't performed in the UK since the crush in Brixton in December

By Charlotte Simpson & Riyah Collins

BBC Newsbeat

Asake started his first UK gig since two people were killed in a crush at one of his concerts with a three-minute tribute video.

Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson died after a crowd surge outside the O2 Academy Brixton in December last year.

Afrobeats star Asake paid tribute to the pair with a performance from a poet on his London return on Sunday night.

The video ended with an appeal for anyone who had any information about the crush to get in touch with police.

Rebecca, 33, and security guard Gaby, 23, were killed in the crush at Asake's gig on 15 December.

The Met Police investigation is still ongoing and the south London venue has been closed ever since, with its licence under review by Lambeth Council.

Officers are also still appealing for information and say a 21-year-old woman remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Rebecca Ikumelo, pictured at her graduation. Rebecca is a black woman in her 20s, she wears a mortar board and black university robes with a red trim over a black dress with lace details. She has short hair poking out beneath her hat and wars long dangly earrings and a nose ring. She is smiling at the camera and is pictured outside in front of a basketball hoop and bike shelter

Family photo

Mum-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo died in hospital from her injuries after the crush

Asake kept fans waiting on Sunday night, arriving an hour and 20 minutes late for the one-off show at the O2 Arena.

But before he arrived on stage at the 20,000 capacity venue, the show started with a three-minute tribute poem to Rebecca and Gaby.

The recording, written and performed by poet Aina More, said "we can not forget" what happened at Brixton.

"Some came out that night and ain't returned, we need to hold this moment," she said.

The poem, underscored with piano music, was mixed with news coverage of the crush on a screen.

"Up at 02:30 thinking Gaby Hutchinson could be me," Aine said in the poem.

"Rest well and be free, rest in peace Rebecca, our sister."

During the performance, dancers dressed in white appeared on stage carrying bunches of white flowers.

The crowd cheered at the mention of the victims' names and again at the end of the tribute.

Gaby Hutchinson (right) poses in front of a Blues Brothers mural. Gaby, a white woman in her 20s, has short blonde hair - she wears round sunglasses and a white T-shirt and looks at the camera with a cool expression. She is pictured with her father who stands on her left - he has a grey beard and also wears sunglasses and a white T-shirt as well as a black baseball cap twisted backwards.

Family photo

Gaby, pictured right, had been working as a security dog handler on the night of the gig

Police officers were also handing out flyers outside the gig, encouraging witnesses to come forward.

Rachel Otto was at the Brixton gig and returned to see Asake on Sunday.

"After going to the Brixton event that was tragic, I just wanted to come back and see the artist that I love," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

Rachel knew one of the victim's family and says she had the family on her mind at the concert.

"It's bittersweet," she says.

"It's just a reminder for the family that a life was lost."

Rachel Otto, pictured outside Asake's concert at the O2 Arena in London. Rachel, a black woman in her 20s, has long black hair almost down to her middle. She wears a black leather bomber jacket over a low cut white top and wears a silver necklace with the letter 'R'.

Rachel Otto was at the Brixton gig and returned to see Asake on Sunday

Rachel hopes what happened in Brixton will lead to a change in safety at gigs.

She says it's "very frustrating to see that it's still taken a long time to for them [police] to conclude that investigation".

"I hope it's a learning curve for everybody."

Toye was also at the Brixton gig and says "it's hard to think back to it".

"I'm very sad about the events that happened there."

Toye, an Asake fan pictured outside the O2 Arena in London ahead of the singer's first UK show since the Brixton crush. Toye, a black man in his 20s, is looking at the camera with a serious expression. He wears wide round glasses with a clear brown frame and has his hair trimmed short. He wears a black T-shirt and a bag across his body. He is pictured outside in front of trees and a building with round windows

Toye was at both of Asake's London gigs and had felt nervous about returning

Toye was nervous about coming to see Asake again but says the security was better than at Brixton which reassured him.

"The organisation with that gig, it wasn't good at all," he says.

"But I see the security here is doing it properly."

He says it's important that fans can still celebrate Afrobeats music after the tragedy.

"Afrobeats is here to stay, it's not a passing thing so this could be the start of something really new."

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Asake returns to UK for first gig since Brixton crush

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