The Last Dinner Party have spoken out about a security policy at one of their gigs that apparently singled out some male ticketholders as they attempted to enter the venue.
Fans arriving to watch the indie rock band - who won the Rising Star nod at this year’s BRIT Awards - perform at the Engine Shed in Lincoln on Saturday said they were left “feeling sick” after male attendees were reportedly questioned about their knowledge of the Nothing Matters hit-makers and searched by security staff.
One gig-goer told on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, how he was “funnelled into a dark corner with other men, told I might be a pervert cus I’m alone and then taken into a room alone with a security guard where I was interrogated and searched. Feel sick.”
Another compared their experience to being on BCC quiz show Mastermind, writing: “I rocked up there tonight at 8.45pm on my own, no queue, I got asked how long I had liked them for, and to name a favourite song.
“I thought it was a bit strange and the first time I’ve ever felt like I’m on Mastermind to get into a gig.”
After all that, the show ended up not going ahead as the five-piece comprising of members Abigail Morris, Lizzie Mayland, Emily Roberts, Georgia Davies and Aurora Nishevci, cancelled due to illness.
Addressing the outcry online, they issued a statement on Monday reading: “We’ve been made aware of some security policies implemented at our show in Lincoln on Saturday that have understandably left many of our fans feeling uncomfortably and disrespected.
“We want to make it very clear that those policies were created and enforced by the venue at their own discretion, and were not made in consultation with us. They do not reflect our beliefs and would not have been implemented had we been made aware of them in advance.”
They continued: “Our shows are intended to be safe, welcoming spaces for everyone, which is something we care deeply about. Seeing inclusivity embraced by our fanbase is one of the best parts of performing live.
“Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend our shows. We are appalled and disappointed that anyone was made to feel otherwise,” the statement concluded.
They additionally apologised for having to cancel the show, explaining that this had been due to “a sudden illness within the band”.
In a separate statement, the Engine Shed said they had become aware of reports online that the entry procedure “fell far short of our venue entry policy, which requires all attendees to be treated equally and subject to the same entry requirements”.
A preliminary investigation apparently found that the venue management made “an ad-hoc change” to policy after security were told about incidents at previous gigs by the band.
“Although the policy was changed with the right intentions, it is clear that this change resulted in the treatment of some guests, which was not acceptable, and The Engine Shed would like to fully apologise to anyone affected,” its statement said.
