A technical hiccup brought a moment of suspense during Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter concert in Houston at NRG Stadium on June 28, when one flying stage prop tipped mid-air. The concert was the kickoff to the North America leg of her long-awaited tour.
The incident happened during “16 Carriages,” a soulful ballad from her Cowboy Carter album. As Beyoncé was lifted above the sold-out crowd on a red convertible car platform, an actual car in front of a Flying Nimbus—a big part of the narrative art of the show—the platform tipped at an unsafe angle after hanging high above the stage with no other safety precautions accounted for.
While wearing a harness, or other safety device, the singer calmly and repeatedly said “Stop, stop stop” into her microphone, signaling to the crew to stop the stunt. The rig stopped mid-air, at an exaggerated angle to the floor, and the crew carefully and slowly lowered back to the ground, a moment later.
The stunt malfunctioned and her safety was never in peril. The show continued, once the platform was safely secured, and she thanked the audience for being patient, approximately twenty minutes later. Shortly after, she spoke to the audience again and said “If ever I fall, I know y’all would catch me.” Fans applauded her calm, measured handling of the episode and so did various media outlets.
Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé's production company, later acknowledged that it was a technical glitch and safety protocols have been followed and no one was injured.
Immediately afterward, Beyoncé made visible changes to her 2nd Houston show; she removed the flying car prop from the performance and took the song "16 Carriages'' out of the set list. The set was thereafter done as planned. These measures seemed to be for safety reasons.
The decision not to repeat the stunt indicated the production's sense of accountability regarding safety. Though fans were disappointed they were not able to see that dramatic moment, a lot of fans displayed their support of the decision, applauding Beyoncé's professionalism and quick response to the issue.
This incident is a reminder of the hazard involved in putting on a major production like this one, even for artists who are known for executing perfect shows. The flying car had been part of previous international legs of the tour and was expected to be a big moment visually in North America. What comes next for this prop is uncertain.
However, the actual performance received rave reviews. Both nights fans filled the stadium and were screaming loudly with support during each show.
Beyoncé has not provided any further comment on this incident since the Houston concerts, and there hasn't been any official word on whether the aerial element of the performance will return at any of the other show stops. For now, it looks like the show's commitment to safety will take priority as it rolls through the next stop.
Image Source: People.com
