R&B singer Akon is seen continuing his Australian tour in Sydney on Tuesday, a day after leaping into the crowd to help quell fighting during his Melbourne concert. (Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images)

Violence erupted at an Akon concert in Melbourne Monday night, with nearly 20 people suffering injuries from fighting and the hit R&B singer and music producer leaping into the crowd himself in an attempt to quell one of the scuffles.

According to Australian media reports, groups of young men in the massive crowd picked fights throughout the evening concert at the city's Melbourne Park arena.

Police arrived on scene at about 9 p.m. local time, after dozens of people overwhelmed the security guards and burst into the concert, which featured the popular Sengalese-American singer and U.S. rapper T-Pain.

At one point, Akon stopped performing and jumped into the crowd. After striding across the arena floor and perching on the shoulders of a security guard to be better seen, the singer and music producer appealed for calm and urged fans to stop fighting.

"I don't know if you know how hard it [was for] me to get here. It took almost two years for Australia to let me back in the country," he declared, adding that he was not about to let those brawling ruin the evening.

Dozens of amateur videos of the event appeared on video-sharing website YouTube.

In the end, about 18 people received medical treatment — including two security guards who were attacked outside the arena — and six were hospitalized, police said. Later, others formally filed reports of being assaulted at the concert.

The authorities ejected about 50 people from the venue and also arrested a 21-year-old man for assault.

"The artist and his management have expressed their disappointment in the behaviour of a small group of disruptive patrons," said a statement from Melbourne Park officials.

On occasion, Akon has leapt into the audience to deal with a clash amid concertgoers near the stage.

He also pleaded guilty to endangering a minor, over a 2007 incident where a young concertgoer who tossed a Frisbee at him mid-performance was brought onstage and the singer tossed the teen back into the crowd.