Instead of focusing their attention on a game of Candy Crush or desperately avoiding eye contact with fellow humans, tube passengers on the Bakerloo line in London were ambushed by a “fully fledged rave” led by drum’n’bass MC Harry Shotta on Monday night.
The tube rave – which featured flashing lights and a soundsystem – took place as the train travelled from Embankment to Paddington, where British Transport Police (BTP) officers shut down the event.
The stunt was concocted by YouTube prank channel Trollstation, and featured a performance by DJ Discoboy and the aforementioned Shotta, an award-winning MC who at first pretended to be an unsuspecting member of the general public before he got on to the mic.
A video uploaded to YouTube showed people entering the carriage, some dancing to the music and others stepping closer to the action with trepidation.
The BTP Paddington Twitter account recounted that the ravers were “lighthearted” and “co-operative” when the rave was shut down by authorities.
A spokesman told the Associated Press: “Officers attended and spoke with a man who agreed to turn off the speakers and the light systems. They then left the station.
“Whilst officers relish any opportunity to experience underground drum and bass (sic), we’d kindly ask DJs to refrain from using the tube as a pop-up club.
“It may be the Easter holiday, but there is a time and a place and we’d ask everyone to consider other passengers using the network.”
Organiser Discoboy told the Press Association: “There was a great atmosphere. The police shut it down, but they were cool about it.”
