A highly anticipated Bryan Adams concert in Perth on Sunday night had to be cancelled on public health grounds after a giant fatberg was discovered in a sewer.
The congealed mess of grease, wet wipes and other debris caused several wastewater overflows on the road leading to the RAC Arena.
With the risk of further overflows occurring as up to 15,000 concertgoers made their way to the venue, Perth Water Corporation said there was no option but to cancel the event.
Posting on Facebook, the corporation said: “The Bryan Adams concert at RAC Arena this evening (9 February 2025) was cancelled due to the risk of sewage backing up within the venue toilets, posing a potential public health risk.”
“People should avoid contact with any pooled water in the area of Wellington Street, Perth, as it may be sewage following a major blockage on a sewer main along Wellington Street.”
Heaven on Hold: The fatberg strikes
For those unfamiliar with the term, a fatberg is a huge mass of solidified fats, oils and non-biodegradable items like wet wipes which should not be flushed down toilets.
Because fatbergs cannot be broken down by wastewater systems, they become so large as to cause major damage. Wastewater backing up into streets and homes is only the tip of the iceberg.
In a sewer force main, a fatberg combined with the high pressure present to move wastewater along can lead to cracks developing and catastrophic leaks.
Fatbers are therefore one of the main drivers of sewer force main repair around the world. A far cry from the Heaven Bryan Adams famously sung about in his 1984 hit.
Whilst the song evokes images of love and elation, fans who had travelled from all over Western Australia to see the Canadian megastar in person were left heartbroken.
Thanks to the sewer fatberg, they were forced to turn away from a night they had been dreaming of.
A Run to You for rescheduled dates
Ticket holders were quick to express their disappointment at the cancellation, with many saying it Cuts Like a Knife.
Bryan Adams took to social media to apologise to his fans for the unforeseen event, promising he would return to Perth once the sewer system was fixed. Nothing is too much trouble for Adams; when it comes to his fans, it is always a case of Everything I Do, I Do It for You.
“Perth, I’m truly sorry, but this fatberg situation is beyond our control,” Adams wrote. “I’ll be back to make it up to you — just like I promised when we sang Summer of ’69. We’ll make it happen and it’ll be a night you won’t forget!”
Sit tight then, Adams fans. There will be news soon about when the singer will Run to You.
Fatberg removal involved working Straight From The Heart
City officials immediately began attempts to clear the fatberg, working Straight from the Heart. By 11.15pm on Sunday night, the blockage had been cleared and wastewater overflows stopped.
Perth Water Corporation explained contingencies had been considered, including the use of sucker trucks at the RAC Arena whilst the concert took place.
But the volume of wastewater produced by a capacity crowd was considered too great for trucks to deal with.
The corporation added on Facebook: “We can certainly understand people’s disappointment and frustration. We want to reassure them crews worked incredibly hard to clear this blockage so the concert could go ahead.”
“While last night was an incredibly rare occurrence, it’s an important reminder to not flush things down the toilet or sink that can lead to these problems.”
Having now experienced first-hand the problems a sewer fatberg can cause, Bryan Adams fans will wish they could Take Me Back to the Times when they flushed items down the toilet which should have been disposed off elsewhere.
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