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Louise Thomas
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Pop-rock band The Last Dinner Party have addressed a controversial security policy that apparently singled out some male ticketholders as they were entering the venue.
As fans arrived at the Engine Shed in Lincoln, male attendees were reportedly questioned about their knowledge of the band and searched by security staff.
One man wrote on X/Twitter that upon arriving 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.”
He claimed that security had grilled him about what his favourite song by the Brit Award-winning group was.
Another man wrote: “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 [TV quiz show] Mastermind to get into a gig.”
The Last Dinner Party, comprising members Abigail Morris, Lizzie Mayland, Emily Roberts, Georgia Davies and Aurora Nishevci, ultimately ended up cancelling the show due to illness.
“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,” the band said in a statement shared to their Instagram Stories.
“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.”
TLDP’s statement concluded: “Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend our shows. We are appalled and disappointed that anyone was made to feel otherwise.”
It added that the cancellation of their show was due to “a sudden illness within the band” and apologised to ticketholders.
Statement regarding The Engine Shed searching on condition of entry at The Last Dinner Party event on the 28th of September pic.twitter.com/odaXrtOvwm
— The Engine Shed (@engineshed) September 29, 2024
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.
Organisers confirmed they would be instigating an independent investigation to review all of the reports and make recommendations on further actions to be taken.
The Last Dinner Party released their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, in February to positive reviews; they were named as the winners of the Brit Awards 2024 Rising Star prize in December.
