Kat Katz, the vocalist of US grindcore band Agoraphobic Nosebleed, has issued another statement about decision to leave the group.
On Thursday, we noted how longtime Agoraphobic Nosebleed vocalist Kat Katz had quit the band after ten years, citing “bullying” as the reason for her departure.
While Katz noted she was hoping to “find a band that respects me and treats me as an equal”, some fans criticised the remaining members of Agoraphobic Nosebleed for a rather lacking and dismissive statement about her departure on Facebook. In response, the band soon issued a longer, more detailed statement in regards to Katz’ departure.
“Katherine Katz has been with us in ANb since around 2007-2008 and we have been fortunate to work with her,” the group wrote. “Since that time, Kat has always been treated with respect as a person and as an artist and every bit as an equal to any other member of the band.”
As the statement continued, the members of Agoraphobic Nosebleed recalled a recent incident which revolved around them being unable to find Kat Katz while she was apparently attending to someone “who was having an apparent mental emergency”.
“A couple of days later, Kat wrote an email to the entire band,” the band wrote, “explaining that she understood our concern but that she was an independent woman and didn’t appreciate being treated unequally from other members, even claiming that we wouldn’t have been so worried about any other band member in a similar situation.”
“The email thread went back and forth between all members until Kat finally felt that she was being ganged up on, and she quit the band. No pejorative words were used. No disrespect was conveyed.”
Now, Kat Katz has also issued another statement, noting that her decision to leave was not based on one singular incident, but rather a prolonged period of gender-based bullying.
“My decision to leave Agoraphobic Nosebleed after our appearance at Quebec Deathfest in Montreal symbolized the end of a series of uncomfortable events I have experienced over the last several weeks with the band,” Katz wrote.
“These experiences included situations in which I felt my presence as an equal member was no longer respected, and my gender served as a reason to belittle my presence and my opinion on the personal dynamics and inner workings of the band.”
“As someone who has performed within the extreme music scene for many years and remained (to my own detriment) quiet about experiences prior to my work with AnB of harassment and sexualized bullying, I decided that for my own well-being, the cycle of misogyny, overt and unwanted sexual behavior directed towards me had to stop.”
“While I considered quitting immediately after our show in Montreal, I first consulted with several of my close friends to see if I could cope with what happened because I loved playing in this band and despite our differences, respected my musical colleagues,” she continued.
“However, after considering the disrespect demonstrated towards me as a musician, a woman, and as a prominent member of AnB, I decided to leave.”
“The response by my former bandmates to my decision has been extremely disappointing, but not entirely surprising,” she concluded.
“Unfortunately, it is common for people to assume that women’s accounts of harassment come from a place of hysteria and hypersensitivity, versus the responses by their male colleagues that for the most part, are perceived as ‘the truth’ – especially within a male-dominated musical genre and culture.”
“I am saddened that my decision to leave has caused additional strife, but despite that, I wish my former musical colleagues the best in their future endeavors.”
Agoraphobic Nosebleed are yet to respond to these new claims, or outline their plans for the future.
Check out Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s ‘Not A Daughter’:
