Cruel World Festival resumes a day after being halted due to lightning storm
Fans got a second chance to see Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop at Pasadena's Rose Bowl tonight, after last night's Cruel World Festival was cut short due to a lightning storm and a severe weather alert from the National Weather Service.
Saturday night performances by Iggy Pop and Human League had been plagued by lightning and sound mishaps before organizers pulled the plug and evacuated the area shortly after 9 p.m. -- and before Siouxsie could take the stage for what organizers billed as her only North American performance in 2023.
"At the direction of (the) Pasadena Fire Department, the venue was evacuated due to unsafe weather conditions and lightning strikes in the area, verified by the National Weather Service," representatives of FKOA/Goldenvoice said on social media. "Siouxsie and Iggy Pop will be back at Brookside at the Rose Bowl Sunday, May 21 with Siouxsie performing an extended set."
Organizers said all Saturday passes will be honored when the doors open at 5 p.m. Sunday.
FKOA/Goldenvoice founded the festival in 2020 as an annual music event at Brookside at the Rose Bowl featuring top new wave, post-punk, gothic rock and alternative rock performers.
Others who were scheduled to perform this year included Billy Idol, Echo and the Bunnymen, Adam Ant and Modern English.
The inclement weather became apparent mid-way through Iggy Pop's set when his microphone cut out and an announcement was made soon afterward that festivalgoers would have to leave, according to a review and report at louderthanwar.com.
"OK, we have lightning, we need to evacuate the stage I'm told," the singer reportedly told the crowd.
The NWS warning said its radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm with the potential for lightning, 50 mph wind gusts and pea-sized hail.
Performer Kitten Kuroi wasn't sure the remaining performances had been canceled, but decided not to take any chances after appearing on stage with Billy Idol.
"We ran out of there so fast and I couldn't communicate with any of my friends that were in the festival," she said on Twitter.
Some attendees said the evacuation process was chaotic, but most were glad at least some of the performances have been rescheduled for Sunday.
Sunday evening's forecast called for a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the San Gabriel Valley.
