It was actually supposed to be a contemplative meeting with the fans in East Westphalia. The Kelly Family’s Christmas Party.
The re-formed family band had released a Christmas EP entitled “One More Happy Christmas” with two new songs. So the topic was well prepared for a nice evening in the OWL Arena in Halle/Westphalia.
But after the first song, the show has to be interrupted. A spectator collapsed. The paramedics who rushed to the scene could no longer help. The man died in the vicinity of the multifunctional hall.
As reported by various local media, including the “Westfalen Blatt”, Patricia (53), Joey (49) and Kathy Kelly (59) boarded the stages on December 2nd full of anticipation to the thunderous cheers of the audience.
As the “Westfalen Blatt” reports, the music stopped after just two minutes. “Due to a medical emergency among the audience, our concert has to be interrupted,” said Patricia Kelly.
Members of the Kelly Family laid down their instruments and Red Cross paramedics rushed to meet the emergency patient. A privacy screen was set up in a flash, also to prevent encroaching cell phone photos.
According to local media, the emergency team spent about half an hour on resuscitation measures. After that, the person was taken away.
Anxious moments of waiting for the many spectators; also for the band and above all for the companions of the man. Another half hour after the collapse, Patricia, Jimmy (51) and John Kelly (55) returned to the stage. But instead of Irish-German wise men, there was terrible news: “We pray for the man and his family,” says Patricia Kelly.
It was out of the question to continue playing the concert cheerfully and contemplatively. “Today we can’t have a party on stage,” explains the singer. “In 50 years on stage, nothing like this has ever happened to us.”
The family band later said on their Instagram account: “We ask for your understanding that we canceled the concert and could not continue. Our thoughts are with the deceased and his family.”
A replacement date for the canceled show has not yet been planned.
The fans of the Kelly Family still react with understanding in the socials. “It was the right thing to do and to show that a human life is more important than a celebration,” writes a fan under the organizer’s Facebook post, “A Christmas party would have been tasteless afterwards,” it says elsewhere.