Yusuf 'utterly shocked' over abusive reaction at 02 show

SINGER YUSUF Islam said yesterday he was "utterly shocked" by the angry reaction of some fans to his concert at the 02 in Dublin on Sunday night, describing it as something he had "never experienced".

In a blog on his website, the former Cat Stevens noted the possibility that some of the more verbally abusive audience members may have arrived directly from the Ireland vs Australia rugby match in Croke Park in a "refreshed" state.

"The tendency of some to drown away the blues of a hapless draw with a few more gallons of Guinness obviously didn't help either," he said.

Yusuf's show was marred by booing and slow handclapping by a small section of the audience, and a number of individuals shouted crude language at the performer.

The problems began when, one third of the way through the show, the singer introduced a preview of his upcoming West End musical, Moonshadow.

A cast of 10 actors took to the stage and sang some of his best known hits - including Matthew and Son, Wild World and Father and Son. Yusuf did return to play a number of songs, but some audience members had already walked out - hurling personal abuse at the singer as they left.

In an article titled "A Stormy Start To The Tour" on yusufislam.com, Yusuf writes: "[The Dublin show] was an unnerving one, especially for the cast and creative team who had put their entire bodies and souls into the Moonshadow section, so I can only feel sorry for them.

"They did a great job, and 90 per cent of the audience that night and some major reviews recognised that. Philosophically and educationally I have gained something from the experience, so has the public generally, and we can now move on to the next gig a bit more prepared.

"One thing is clear: many of the fans didn't know much about the Moonshadow section - and some thought I wasn't coming back on stage. That can easily be fixed with a free programme for the night and me personally informing the audience of what's going to happen."

Advertisements in the print media for a number of weeks before the show stated it would include a Moonshadow segment.

In his blog, Yusuf wrote: "My voice doesn't seem to have altered, which for many fans is already a Godsend. But to not expect me to sing my favourite new songs, from two carefully and thoughtfully created albums, and demand a 'Beam me up Scotty' return to the Cat Stevens persona of yesterday, is more than any amount of imagination can hope for."