How Run the Jewels, X Ambassadors & More Musicians Make Their Concerts Safe for Female Fans
Going to concerts is one of the most joyous and exuberant events one can experience. Being able to come face-to-face with your favorite artist along with thousands of like-minded people is the best. Despite the overall enjoyable experience, for women, concertgoing can sometimes feel uncomfortable or even dangerous.
Backstage at KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas, bands like Prophets of Rage, Walk the Moon and The Lumineers spoke about what they do to ensure the safety of their fanbase, specifically their female fans.
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“We call out any lunatic who is doing anything,” X Ambassadors lead singer Sam Harris says. “If I see anything, I will shut it down onstage right then and there.”
Prophets of Rage’s Tom Morello echoed Harris’ sentiment, saying, “We will stop a show if we see anything going the wrong way with female fans in the crowd.” And Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike even took it to the next level to make sure the women in the audience felt protected. “If I see you touching a woman,” the rapper explains, “I’m very serious about it. I’ll jump in the crowd and punch you in the face until my hands bleed.”
Nicholas Petricca of Walk the Moon reminds everyone that live shows are about “community and togetherness and oneness” and that everyone should enjoy the moment together, no matter their differences.
While the two-day concert event was the setting for yet another incident involving physical harm to women — when Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme was caught on video kicking a female photographer — backstage the rest of the artists present were very vocal about making all their fans feel welcome and also working harder to insure their concerts are indeed a safe place.
“Anyone who comes to our show, you should always, always feel safe,” Harris says. “If you do not, you let us know. We will make sure it never happens again.”
–Additional reporting by Marya Gullo
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