We all just let out a collective sigh of resignation today at Tone Deaf, as we’re sure a number of women reading this will too.
It’s been a terrible week of music-related misogyny, starting off with the backlash against Bliss N Eso after a series of offensive instagram photos, and then again today with international music star Cee Lo Green unleashing the most offensive comments on rape and consent we’ve read by someone so high profile in recent memory.
Now allegedly there has been another incident in Australia, that reportedly took place at an all ages Amity Affliction concert in Perth earlier this week.
Video footage posted online on social media claims security guards at Redhill Auditorium sexually assaulted a young girl by refusing her re-entry into the venue unless she exposed her breasts.
Bart Primrose, who was present at the incident, whipped out his phone and began filming before other security guards intervened to remove him from the entrance to the venue. “I’m past your jurisdiction and what he’s doing is not OK,” Primrose can be heard saying in the video as guards continue to harass him.
Allegedly the girl had asked the security guard if it would be OK if she left the venue to speak with some friends, and he agreed, but on her return he gave her the ultimatum of exposing herself or being refused reentry.
“He was basically asking her “you’ve got to show us your boobs.” – witness Bart Primrose“I went there to pick friends up, it was supposed to finish around eleven but it ran late, which is why people were darting in and out,” Primrose told local radio station 6PR. “I’m waiting and the girl, the teenager, wants to come back in.”
Primrose says he heard the girl plead with the security guard “you said I could come back in”, before the guard says to the girl “you know what to do” and nods at her chest. He was basically asking her “you’ve got to show us your boobs.”
“She protests, and he says it again, so she lifts her top up and shows him her breasts and when I saw that I was like that’s not on and grabbed out my phone and began filming and he made her do it a second time.”
“When I started filming the other bouncer that was closest to me tried to block me and tell me that I couldn’t film.”
In 2013, Big Day Out fired a video technician who urged female patrons to “get em out” on the big screen during the performance of Vampire Weekend.
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Tone Deaf spoke with Red Hill Auditorium where the alleged incident took place. Management have spoken with the contracted security company and the guards involved, who told the venue they believe it may all be a mix up. However, the venue won’t be releasing a full statement until they have verified everyone’s accounts of the alleged incident.
“Obviously if somebody has been hurt we want to know about it so that we can take appropriate action.” – Marcus Sarich, owner Red Hill Auditorium“We’re pushing the security company as hard as we can,” said owner Marcus Sarich. “From our point of view, if what they are saying actually did happen then this will disappear in five minutes. We’re keen to have this all resolved. Obviously if somebody has been hurt we want to know about it so that we can take appropriate action.”
When queried whether security footage from the venue could be used to get to the bottom of the incident, Sarich revealed that the venue doesn’t have any security cameras installed.
The Amity Affliction and their management also spoke to Tone Deaf, and are “shocked and appalled” by the alleged incident. “We are taking the allegations against the security personnel at Red Hill Auditorium very seriously,” they told Tone Deaf.
“After being made aware of the alleged incidents we immediately made contact with the promoter of the concert who was responsible for engagement of all security. We have been assured by the promoter that investigating the alleged incident is of the highest priority and they will make a further statement after completing this investigation. We will not make any further comment until we have spoken to all parties involved.”
“The Amity Affliction are shocked and appalled by these allegations and have always promoted an inclusive and safe environment for their fans for the 10 years they have been performing together.”
Photo by Jarrad Seng www.jarradseng.com
