Tom Petty’s concert at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles was shut down by fire marshals on Saturday night after the venue was deemed unsafe about midway through the performance.
After a cover of the Grateful Dead’s "Friend Of The Devil,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were forced to stop playing. Petty told the crowd that a fire marshall informed him they were 100 people over capacity.
Rolling Stone reports that he jokingly asked members of the audience if they would volunteer to leave, and then played “Melinda” after saying "I’ve done my job, now I’m gonna do what I do best." After they finished the song he told a very angry crowd "We’re being told we have to go." When the lights turned on, the audience thundered in boos.
After the incident, the band took to their website "First and foremost, the safety of our fans is our primary concern and the most important consideration. To those fans who attended last night's show at the Fonda Theatre, we are as frustrated as you are!"
The band then numbered what they know to be true, although they admitted they’re “still investigating exactly what happened.”
They confirmed “The number of tickets sold was NOT above the legal capacity of the building. The venue and Ticketmaster documentation confirms this,” and “The Fire Marshal decided that the number of people on the floor (as opposed to on the upstairs balcony or terrace) was unsafe.”
They also told fans they will keep them informed and "The shows at the Fonda tonight and Tuesday will go ahead as planned and we are working with the venue, the promoter and the Fire Marshal to ensure that this problem will not repeat itself."
Fox News reports at their show on Sunday, Petty made a point to say everyone will "get reimbursed" even if it has to come out of his own pocket.