New York (CNN) It was an only-in-New-York moment: the announcement of a surprise Kanye West performance that drew throngs of people to the streets of Manhattan in the middle of the night. But instead of a concert to remember, the night ended with a hoard of disappointed fans and allegations that police used pepper spray to disperse them.
People hoping to see the Grammy-winning artist packed the sidewalk and streets outside a Manhattan concert hall for hours early Monday after his scheduled show at the Governors Ball, an area outdoor music festival, was canceled Sunday due to a forecast of severe weather.
"We're doing PABLO at 2 am in Manhattan. sorting out where now," Virgil Abloh, West's creative director, wrote online at 10 p.m. Sunday. West had been set to perform songs from his seventh studio album, "The Life of Pablo," at the festival.
Though a location for the surprise concert was never disclosed, fans began to gather shortly after Abloh's announcement outside Webster Hall, a large music venue in the East Village. The concert hall had hosted electronic music duo Galantis earlier Sunday night as part of the Governors Ball series, and rumors of the secret concert quickly circulated on social media.
West frequently uses social media to connect with fans and often announces on Twitter when he's dropping new music, most recently Friday with his new single from the compilation album "Cruel Winter."
As the hour of the so-called pop-up show approached, sweaty young fans crammed shoulder to shoulder outside Webster Hall. Dozens of New York police vehicles and officers encircled them. The crowd of locals and tourists bellowed chants of the rapper's name and took Snapchat videos of the chaotic scene. Roars rippled through as celebrities, including hip-hop star ASAP Rocky, pushed through the mass.
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