Diaspora Calling’s first UK edition came to an unexpectedly abrupt end on Friday night, as Ms. Lauryn Hill and the Fugees’ headline performance was cut short at Milton Keynes National Bowl.
Hill took to the stage at around 10pm, leaving roughly an hour before the festival’s 11pm finish.
The headline performance still delivered some memorable moments, including Hill introducing her first-born son, Zion Marley, who performed several tracks, before Wyclef Jean joined her on stage as the night moved into Fugees territory.
But then the clock ran out. Just as the Fugees appeared ready to launch into ‘Fu-Gee-La’, the performance abruptly stopped.
Screens around the venue informed festival-goers that the event’s licence had ended at 11pm and the concert therefore had to finish.
The reaction around the National Bowl was one of confusion and disappointment, with sections of the crowd seemingly stunned that one of the most anticipated parts of the night was suddenly over.
The ending was particularly striking after a day that had seen performances from Fireboy DML, Giggs, Erykah Badu and more; and with the Fugees forming such a major part of the festival’s headline draw.
For those who had waited throughout the day to see Hill and Wyclef together, Diaspora Calling ended with one unavoidable feeling:
We weren’t quite finished yet.
Connect with Distract! Watch us on Youtube, like us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
