Hip hop group Fugees had their headline set dramatically cut short at the Diaspora Calling! festival at Milton Keynes National Bowl on Friday night after reaching the venue curfew. Lauryn Hill, 51, and Wyclef Jean, 56, took to the stage shortly after 10pm following an introduction from comedian Dave Chappelle.
The performance featured tracks from Ms Hill's landmark 1998 debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, including Doo Wop (That Thing) and Ex-Factor. She was also joined on stage by her sons, including Zion Marley and YG Marley, with some fans criticising the additional performances for eating into the group's already limited set time.
Fans were left disappointed when Hill and Jean were unable to perform some of the group's biggest hits, including their 1996 multi-platinum smash Killing Me Softly With His Song. Tickets for the show started from £84.50 plus booking fees, with VIP packages up to £199.50. The pair, who reunited in London ahead of the music and arts festival, attempted to address the crowd after their microphones were switched off.
The venue pulled the plug at its 11pm event licence curfew.
Curfew enforcement and screen message
Moments later, the giant on-stage screens also went black at the 65,000-capacity venue. Apologising to the crowd, a message came up on the screen reading: 'Thank you everyone. We're sorry for the abrupt finish. As part of our event licence, we are legally required to finish the show at 11:00pm and cannot continue beyond this time. Thank you for being part of an incredible day, hope you've had an amazing time. Please take care, look after one another, and safe journey home. See you next time!'
Fan-shot footage showed the pair complain to the crew on stage, with Hill pleading to finish the set as boos rang out across the crowd. Ms Lauryn Hill stayed on stage, thanking fans as they broke into an impromptu a cappella rendition of Ready Or Not.
The New Jersey singer, who stepped away from the music industry and public life for over decade, said: 'Maybe you get off the path a little bit, but you got to reclaim that and get back on it. So that was a big deal for us, making up the time.'
Wyclef Jean statement and band background
Meanwhile, Wyclef Jean told the Daily Mail: 'We're really sad how it ended. We was just getting started, so we're hoping to continue next year.'
He added: 'We had so much surprises on the line up and everybody showed up and we really felt the crowd, that love and that energy, it's something that they need, something they feel, it just reminds you of unity. With so much division, the diaspora calling is just to remind everybody to come together.'
Made up of Michel, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, Fugees rose to stardom in the 1990s but released only two albums before their breakup in 1997.
