A mum has told of the moment her autistic daughter became 'very anxious' when crowds were suddenly plunged into darkness at a Sam Smith concert on Wednesday night (May 24).
Thousands of fans were told to go home after the 'Unholy' singer cancelled their show at the AO Arena four songs into the set. There had initially been speculation of a 'power cut' at the arena as the lights dimmed for a number of minutes and Smith disappeared off stage.
However, the sold out crowds were then told the show had been cancelled due to 'vocal issues' - something the performer then confirmed on their Instagram story in an emotional public statement a short while later.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
Following the incident, which fans said left them 'gutted' and 'fuming', the singer explained that they had recently battled a virus and that there was 'something wrong' with their voice, adding they were 'heartbroken' at being unable to finish.
One mum, Allison Thomlinson, had been long anticipating the sold out gig, having bought Sam Smith tickets for her autistic daughter Sophie, 11, for Christmas. However, she said after four songs, crowds were 'plunged into darkness' as the singer ran off stage.
"As soon as Sam on and revealed the set, it was just amazing. Sophie was so excited and we thought wow, this is going to be such an amazing show," she said.
"With Sophie having a disability and being autistic, we go in specific areas without stairs. We had a brilliant view and everyone was just so elated. Sam looked to be tearful at the beginning as they announced the show would be dedicated to Tina Turner.
"They sang Too Good at Goodbyes and we were told there was going to be a surprise at the end. Everyone was buzzing. Then they ran off stage and we thought it must have been for a costume change or something.
"We were plunged into darkness suddenly, which is when Sophie became really anxious and upset because we were in the pitch black and I couldn't tell her what was happening.
"She was confused because nobody was saying anything at first and we had been looking forward to it so much. She was getting quite upset so I took her outside to the corridor.
"After about 10 or 15 minutes the lights came up a bit more and people were talking and confused, and you could hear people saying they would miss their last trains home. It just happened so suddenly."
A number of fans at the show told the Manchester Evening News that it was first announced there had been a technical issue until it was confirmed the show had been cancelled due to Smith's vocal issues around 20 minutes later.
Pictures and videos from inside the arena were shared across social media, with many fans saying they were 'gutted' that the performance had been suddenly halted.
"Yes of course it was disappointing, but it was not the end of the world," Allison added. "Sophie was more upset on the way home that she was seeing comments and people trolling Sam online afterwards. She made a comment about how damaging it could be for their mental health, and I was so proud of her for that."
On Thursday (May 25) Smith issued another statement saying they would be cancelling more performances after their concert in Manchester abruptly ended. Rescheduled shows set to take place in Birmingham and Glasgow have been postponed, and fans will be offered refunds.
Smith said they were 'heartbroken' but were acting upon advice from doctors after the singer had suffered a vocal cord injury.
The statement shared on the singer's Instagram stories reads: "Due to vocal issues during last night's Manchester performance, regrettably we will be cancelling the rescheduled Birmingham and Glasgow Sam Smith shows. Refunds will be available at point of purchase for all three dates; Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow .
"A spokesperson said 'doctors have advised due to a vocal cord injury, Sam must have complete vocal rest. Sam is heartbroken to have had to cancel these shows but they have been told by doctors that if they keep singing they will do permanent damage to their voice. If they take some rest they will be able to perform again."
The story was shared with their 14.7 million followers with a caption on top reading: "I'm so sorry [heartbroken emoji]."
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
