DRW Entertainment says it and TISM apologised to the band and arranged additional protection for their second Sydney performance.
TISM and tour promoter DRW Entertainment have backed Laura and the Hell Cutz after the support act reported harassment at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. Responding to BLUNT, DRW says both apologised to the band and arranged protection at the barrier and merchandise stand for the following night’s performance.
In their public statement, reproduced by The Music, Laura and the Hell Cutz described objects thrown on stage, sexual remarks and objectifying comments at the merchandise desk. They said they had felt “extremely unsafe and uncomfortable on multiple occasions recently”, with their first Sydney performance prompting them to speak out.
The band supported TISM across two nights, with the Enmore’s official running order listing them on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October.
DRW details its response
In a statement supplied to BLUNT on 4 November, DRW Entertainment’s David Roy Williams said he learned after Friday’s show that the women fronting the band had received offensive comments on stage and at the merchandise stand, and had a can and a bottle of water thrown at them. He said DRW and TISM had apologised for those audience members’ behaviour and thanked the band for speaking publicly.
Before Laura and the Hell Cutz performed on Saturday, Williams said, an announcement called for respect towards women in the audience, crew and on stage, and encouraged patrons to report incidents to security.
“We put TISM crew and DRW staff at the barrier and had security accompany the band to the merch stand,” Williams said. “No incidents were reported at this show.”
Those measures followed public statements from TISM and DRW condemning harassment, object-throwing and aggression, and urging audiences to report misconduct.
Williams separately described hearsay reports of aggressive crowd behaviour at earlier shows. He said those reports prompted announcements before TISM’s sets in Brisbane and Perth. He said crew and venue staff also held security briefings before every show.
“We will keep making stage announcements and asking venues for proper security and clear avenues to report incidents,” Williams said.
“To men reading this we have a message: aggressive or inappropriate behaviour towards women has no place at our shows, or anywhere else.”
DRW’s statement said TISM supported its contents and would not issue a separate response. Laura and the Hell Cutz had not responded to BLUNT’s request for further clarification at the time of writing.
According to DRW’s tour listing, the No Mistakes tour concludes at UOW UniBar in Wollongong on Friday 6 November, with Totally Unicorn and Ashpit supporting.
MORE IN News
