‘Little Monsters’ cry over cancelled Gaga gig

JAKARTA. Student Darren Lim could not hold back his tears after hearing that his idol, American diva Lady Gaga, cancelled her planned concert in Jakarta.

“I just heard the news and I am really shocked. I was hoping that it was just a hoax,” the 18-year-old told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Darren is one of the 124 Gaga’s fans, nicknamed “Little Monsters”, slated to perform a flash mob dance at EX Mall in Central Jakarta on Sunday at around 4 p.m. to show their support to the singer.

Dressing in costumes that resemble Gaga’s unique outfits, the fans were planning to post the dance video on Youtube in a bid to ensure the “Poker Face” singer performs in Jakarta.

However, local promoter Big Daddy Entertainment confirmed on Sunday morning that Gaga’s management had decided to call off her performance in Jakarta, initially slated for June 3, citing “security reasons”.

Darren, a Santa Maria high school student, said that his heart was broken by the decision, lamenting that he had been saving his money since October last year for the concert ticket.

“I started to save my money since Gaga was rumored to perform in Jakarta [in October last year]. On March 10, when the tickets went on sale, I arrived at the ticket box in FX Mall in Jakarta since 3 a.m.”, he said, adding that he finally purchased the ticket at around 4 p.m. that day.

The Grammy-award winning singer was scheduled to perform before her fans at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on June 3.

A total of 52,000 tickets, with prices ranging from Rp 465,000 (US$50.75) to Rp2.25 million, had already been sold since tickets sales opened on March 10.

Simon Sibarani, the 19-year-old flash mob dance coordinator, criticized authorities for exaggerating Gaga’s concert issue amid pressure from local hard line groups, which he deemed as the reason why Gaga’s management did not believe in Indonesia’s security.

“Tens of thousands of ticket buyers have had their rights taken away just because the police bowed to such pressure. For me, it just did not feel like living in a democratic country,” he said.

He added that Gaga’s fans would still perform the flash mob as scheduled.

“The show must go on. We still love Lady Gaga, until the end of time,” he said.

Gaga, known for her live performances and eccentric fashion sense, has received been the subject of a backlash from hard line groups in Indonesia.

The groups accuse her for indulging in pornography and promoting “satanic values” in her music.

One of the groups, Islam Defenders Front (FPI), has threatened to intercept the singer once she “landed” in Jakarta. FPI also planned to rally on June 1 should Gaga proceed with her Jakarta concert. (The Jakarta Post)