Cruel World Festival in Pasadena shut down over severe weather alert

Cruel got canceled.

Cruel World Festival came to an abrupt end on Saturday night when a severe weather alert and threat of lightning ended Iggy Pop’s performance with an announcement that fans should immediately evacuate the festival grounds.

Thousands of fans shouted their dismay at the announcement, primarily due to the cancellation of headliner Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees fame, in what would have been her first U.S. performance in 15 years.

There were fans in tears at the news.

Steffine Aguirre of Alta Loma stood on the field shouting for a refund along with other fans.

“I’ve seen Siouxsie many times, and she comes out when Morrissey doesn’t even show up,” said Aguirre, who like many of the fans that refused to leave the field, was dressed in a black Siouxsie T-shirt.

Aguirre said she did not believe Siouxsie would leave her fans in the lurch. At a minimum, she said she thought the singer would say something to them even if she did not perform.

“We’re not going to leave until they take us off the property,” she said. “They should refund everybody’s money.”

The shutdown came this way: Iggy Pop went on stage at 8:45 p.m. while the Human League started five minutes later on a smaller stage across the Brookside at the Rose Bowl golf course.

But as Pop sang “Raw Power,” flashes of lightning were seen in the distance behind the main stage in the east. The singer continued his set for several more songs until 9:12 p.m. when during a jazzy version of “The Passenger” the volume from the singer’s microphone was cut and an announcement on the PA told fans they should immediately evacuate.

Pop attempted to continue until someone approached from the wings, whispered in his ear, and walked off with him.

“OK, we have lightning, we need to evacuate the stage I’m told,” Pop said.

The field lights came up, and the stage video screens filled with red-and-white warnings to seek shelter.

Fans slowly started to leave, though 20 minutes later large crowds still filled large parts of the field.