Sewer fatberg of ‘grease and rags’ forces Bryan Adams to cancel Australia show

Canadian singer Bryan Adams performs during a concert in Mumbai, India last year. (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times/Getty Images/File via CNN Newsource)

A giant fatberg forced Bryan Adams to cancel a concert in Western Australia on Sunday night after authorities warned it could cause the venue’s toilets to overflow, posing a potential health risk.

The sold-out show at Perth’s RAC Arena was called off just hours before the Grammy award-winning singer was due to perform on his “So Happy It Hurts” tour, disappointing thousands of fans, as workers scrambled to remove pools of water near the venue.

“Water Corporation crews are working to clear the large blockage of fat, grease and rags, which has caused several wastewater overflows” near the arena, the water company said in a statement.

“People should avoid contact with any pooled water … as it may be sewage.”

Adams apologized to fans for the short-notice cancellation.

“I’m really sorry we couldn’t make this happen tonight — I was so looking forward to seeing you all,” he wrote on Facebook on Sunday. “I appreciate your patience and support and can’t wait to be back and play for you as soon as we can reschedule.”

Show organizers promised refunds for ticket holders, adding that the cancellation was out of their control.

“Last night’s concert could not proceed due to an external Perth Water Corporation issue, which was unable to be fixed in time,” booking agent Frontier Touring said Monday in a Facebook post, adding it was deemed “unsafe for patrons to enter RAC Arena.”

“The cancellation of (the) show is bitterly disappointing, and we thank fans for their understanding that while every effort was made for the show to proceed, this matter was outside of the control of Bryan Adams, Frontier Touring and RAC Arena,” the post said.

But the explanation came too late for frustrated concertgoers, who said they were left waiting for hours outside the venue before the show was called off, public broadcaster ABC News reported.

“It was obvious early afternoon that there was a serious issue,” said one commenter on Facebook in reply to the booking agent’s post. “Disgraceful to make people stand outside the venue for hours before making the decision.”

Another user said: “Devastating … 15,000 people waiting on the streets for hours.”

Adams is scheduled to perform in Sydney on Wednesday ahead of shows in Brisbane and Melbourne before his tour moves to the United States next month.

Fatbergs (the word is a portmanteau of fat and iceberg) form over time as items that can’t be broken down are flushed or washed down drains instead of disposed of correctly.

They can cause major blockages to cities’ sewer systems. In 2021, a massive, 330-ton fatberg wreaked havoc in Birmingham, UK when it clogged a city sewer for weeks.

By Edward Szekeres, CNN