Thousands Evacuated From QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE Gig In Australia

AAP reports that thousands of fans were forced to temporarily evacuate a concert by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE in Hobart, Australia Friday night (April 4) when a stage light overheated, filling the venue with smoke.

Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) said the Hobart City Hall was cleared just before the band was due to take to the stage.

"The evacuation of the packed out venue was achieved with minimal effort that was made a lot easier by the cooperation of the patrons and abundance of emergency exit doors in the hall," the TFS said.

Fans waited on the footpath while firefighters fixed the problem — the light had overheated, melting its cover.

The concert began about 20 minutes late.

"The Tasmania Fire Service commends the concert patrons on their cooperation in vacating the premises quickly, allowing the source of the smoke to be rectified and the concert to get underway without much of a delay," the TFS said.