NYC Shows Postponed Following Irving Plaza Shooting

Live Nation has postponed six concerts as a result of last week’s deadly shooting at Irving Plaza where T.I. was scheduled to perform.

Police arrested rapper Troy Ave, whose real name is Roland Collins, one day after the May 25 incident that left one dead and three injured. Collins was reportedly seen via security camera footage walking into the backstage performers’ lounge and firing a gun. Killed was Collins’ own security guard, 33-year-old Ronald McPhatter. Collins was shot in the leg.

Photo: Elijah Rodriguez via AP

Image made from a video shows people inside Irving Plaza in New York after shooting.

Police found three guns in a car used to transport Collins to the hospital, according to The New York Times, citing a police official “who declined to be named.” The same official told the newspaper that police believe one of the discovered guns was the one seen in the security video.

Now it appears last week’s shooting is affecting concerts scheduled at Irving Plaza and the Gramercy Theater. By way of The New York Times comes word Live Nation has postponed three rap shows at Irving Plaza that were to feature Joey Bada$$ June 2, Mac Miller June 3 and Vince Staples June 4. The performances were to be held in conjunction with this weekend’s Governors Ball Music Festival at New York’s Randall’s Island.

But rap acts weren’t the only ones affected by Live Nation’s postponement decisions. Guns N’ Roses tribute band Appetite For Destruction along with Black Fire Pistol were nixed from the Gramercy Theater schedule in addition to Live Nation postponing rapper YG’s gig at the venue. Black Fire Pistol moved its show to Saint Vitus in Brooklyn while Appetite For Destruction rescheduled its Gramercy show to Aug. 12, according to The New York Times.

Live Nation spokesperson Jim Yeager issued a statement saying that last week’s shooting has resulted in “an overabundance of caution” and that the promotion company was “coordinating a going-forward strategy with the New York Police Department that may also include a curfew,” according to the Times.

“Because these discussions are ongoing, we will be postponing a few of our upcoming shows at Irving Plaza and Gramercy,” Yeager said.

However, the Times points out that the NYPD issued its own statement that “contradicted” Live Nation’s message, saying that the “organization’s decision to cancel the event was in no way influenced by the NYPD.”