Last night's anticipated Killers show at Ashton Gate left some fans disappointed after The Manic Street Preachers went on stage half an hour earlier than advertised.
The band was scheduled to appear on stage at 7.30pm yesterday (May 26) as the support act, but started their performance 30 minutes earlier than originally planned. The venue has since issued an apology after concert-goers complained of missing out on parts or all of their set and blamed organisers for listing the wrong timing.
A spokesperson for the stadium said: "We are sorry some fans missed the start of their set. We always try and re-enforce early arrival to ensure fans have plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere before the event begins.
Read more: The Killers at Ashton Gate review: A night Bristol had been waiting years for
"Our Fan Village opened at 3.30pm and we will be underlining this message again for the Elton John concerts. We hope the surprise early start didn't cause concert-goers too much disruption and that The Killers provided an amazing and memorable night."
One fan who contacted Bristol Live said she had to "console" her "gutted" 17-year-old who was looking forward to hearing the band perform. She added: "We got to our seats at 7.30pm just in time to hear James Dean Bradfield say goodnight not 'hello'. I know timings cannot be 100% accurate but they were way off the mark."
Other people took to social media to air their frustrations and said they were still queuing at the entrance of Ashton Gate during the performance, also having also planned their arrival in time for the 7.30pm advertised on the stadium's website. The FAQs for the gig stated: "The fan village will open at 3.30pm and the stadium bowl 5.30pm.
"The support act will commence at 7.30pm and the concert will end at 10.25pm. Please note we will not have the exact time that the artist will be on stage so are unable to confirm this."
One Twitter user who attended said: "Why were the Manics billed at 19:30, yet we got to our seats well before to find them mid-set?"
In agreement, another commented: "We also planned our evening around the Manics starting at 7.30 pm as you said on your schedule!! Was really annoying to hear them playing as we walked up - the ticket cos enough as it was."
While another felt the venue should have ensured its set timetable was correct: "Disappointed to arrive at the ground and find them already on stage at 7.05 pm," they added.
The organisers said despite the Manics' earlier than planned start, it was "proud to host the biggest concert in the city since the pandemic" and that it was "a real celebration".
"Thankfully two-thirds of the crowd were already in the stadium and just over 90 per cent of the whole crowd was in within eight minutes of the supporting act starting playing," the spokesperson added.
The overwhelming majority of commenters have been positive about their experience at the gig, with Killers fans flooding social media with rave reviews. Bristol Live reporter Tristan Cork wrote of the support act in his review: "Eyebrows were raised that a band of such standing would be the support act, and they more than justified that compliment with an energetic performance that toured all their hits, from the opening Motorcycle Emptiness, to Everything Must Go and the collection in between.
"They knew Bristol well, as cousins across the estuary. Bassist Nicky Wire reminiscing: "Thanks for having us in this lovely stadium. We have played in Bristol before. Our first gig was at the Bierkeller. It was great. We played the Fleece and Firkin. We f***ing destroyed the Fleece and Firkin. Oh and the Anson Rooms. We played this song at our first gig in Bristol," as they launched into You Love Us. And Bristol did indeed love them."
Want our best stories with fewer ads and alerts when the biggest news stories drop? Download our app on iPhone or Android
