BLUNDERPOP
Chicks On Speed vs male chauvinist pigs in Spain
On June 10 2006 Chicks On Speed was supposed to headline the Oxygena festival in Cordoba, Spain. But they didn't. Because they weren't allowed to. Or more precisely: because they were dragged from the stage kicking and screaming. The reason? Low attendance and a convenient insurance policy of the festival organisation.
Here is a short account of events by Kiki Moorse, Melissa Logan and Alex Murray-Leslie, which the latter kindly mailed to Blunderpop.
CHICKS ON SPEED PHYSICALLY VIOLATED BY SECURITY PROMOTERS AND SPONSORS AT OXIGENA FESTIVAL IN SOUTHERN SPAIN
We had one of the worst experiences of our 10 year musical career on Saturday night, we were physically violated and dragged off stage by security, Ortiz Padillo Promoters and commercial sponsors at Oxigena Festival, near Cordova (Cordoba), in Southern Spain. We were denied our right to perform at the festival as contracted and our fees were not honoured. It was clear that the public attendance of the festival was extremely low and the promoters wouldn´t allow us to play for this reason, so they could claim insurance on the premise, of a cancelled headlining act. The promoters and Sponsors falsely claimed that “the band is late" as we entered the stage at 1.25am, 5 minutes prior to the planned stage time of 1.30am as contracted.
Photo documentation has been taken away from us, our camera was smashed and memory card stolen.
We want to expose these criminal acts and the organisations responsible for abusing and robing artists through their business practices and the unethical networks of festivals and concert promoters. It´s clearly a case of abuse against women, destruction of personal property, breach of contract and assault.
We´re pretty freaked out & scared by what we experienced. It would be really good to have your support in any way, the organizers were trying to make quick cash from the festival. Look out for scammers that are abusing musicians and swindling young people looking to have a fun evening.
Chicks On Speed (try to) explain to the crowd why they aren't allowed to perform
Shortly afterwards the band is being manhandled from stage
And here are a few pix of the incident taken by fans
(this link will take you to the COS website)
(story continues)
KEEP MUSIC ABOUT ART, CULTURE & A WILD FUN TIME TO BE TOGETHER & NOT A MEANS FOR HORRIBLE MEN TO MAKE PILES MONEY.
Oxygena festival , La Rambla , Cordoba , Spain, 10. June 2006 .
Chicks on Speed were physically violated and dragged of stage whilst trying to perform their live show, by numerous brutal security personnel, because the festival organiser had made a deal with his corrupt insurance "friend" to collect "no show" insurance, on the grounds of us supposedly appearing late for the show.
Our rider and contract stated a show time of 1h30 am , we were side of stage at exactly 1.25am.
There was a crowd of ca 200 people (who had all payed 25-35 euro entrance ) gathered front of stage as soon as we started the intro song and video projection. We got on stage began the show, after 2 minutes, the power was cut, we didn´t want to disappoint these people and stayed on stage, starting a very unplugged, acapella show. The crowd was chanting and rioting against what was going on and wondering why there was no sound ,we all tried to explain to the front row, that we wanted to do the show, but the promoters wouldn´t let us perform. (difficult , because the mics had been taken away) We continued to protest and sing with the audience, hoping that someone would turn on the sound, until shockingly, we were forcefully dragged off stage by around 12 male security guards.
New York artist and COS collaborator, AL Steiner was with us on stage as part of the performance, her camera was smashed and her memory card stolen, (including proof of the violence against Chicks on Speed)
We are now doing our best to expose these people THEY MUST BE STOPPED! Our booking agency Primary Talent is taking the promoters to court but we must stop this kind of abuse of artists from ever happening again !
Please send all feedback to the Blunderpop mail. You can also leave a comment and/or contact Chicks On Speed on their own website.
Here is a short account of events by Kiki Moorse, Melissa Logan and Alex Murray-Leslie, which the latter kindly mailed to Blunderpop.
Chicks On Speed actually performing (on another festival, that is)
CHICKS ON SPEED PHYSICALLY VIOLATED BY SECURITY PROMOTERS AND SPONSORS AT OXIGENA FESTIVAL IN SOUTHERN SPAIN
We had one of the worst experiences of our 10 year musical career on Saturday night, we were physically violated and dragged off stage by security, Ortiz Padillo Promoters and commercial sponsors at Oxigena Festival, near Cordova (Cordoba), in Southern Spain. We were denied our right to perform at the festival as contracted and our fees were not honoured. It was clear that the public attendance of the festival was extremely low and the promoters wouldn´t allow us to play for this reason, so they could claim insurance on the premise, of a cancelled headlining act. The promoters and Sponsors falsely claimed that “the band is late" as we entered the stage at 1.25am, 5 minutes prior to the planned stage time of 1.30am as contracted.
Photo documentation has been taken away from us, our camera was smashed and memory card stolen.
We want to expose these criminal acts and the organisations responsible for abusing and robing artists through their business practices and the unethical networks of festivals and concert promoters. It´s clearly a case of abuse against women, destruction of personal property, breach of contract and assault.
We´re pretty freaked out & scared by what we experienced. It would be really good to have your support in any way, the organizers were trying to make quick cash from the festival. Look out for scammers that are abusing musicians and swindling young people looking to have a fun evening.
Chicks On Speed (try to) explain to the crowd why they aren't allowed to perform
Shortly afterwards the band is being manhandled from stage
And here are a few pix of the incident taken by fans
(this link will take you to the COS website)
(story continues)
KEEP MUSIC ABOUT ART, CULTURE & A WILD FUN TIME TO BE TOGETHER & NOT A MEANS FOR HORRIBLE MEN TO MAKE PILES MONEY.
Oxygena festival , La Rambla , Cordoba , Spain, 10. June 2006 .
Chicks on Speed were physically violated and dragged of stage whilst trying to perform their live show, by numerous brutal security personnel, because the festival organiser had made a deal with his corrupt insurance "friend" to collect "no show" insurance, on the grounds of us supposedly appearing late for the show.
Our rider and contract stated a show time of 1h30 am , we were side of stage at exactly 1.25am.
There was a crowd of ca 200 people (who had all payed 25-35 euro entrance ) gathered front of stage as soon as we started the intro song and video projection. We got on stage began the show, after 2 minutes, the power was cut, we didn´t want to disappoint these people and stayed on stage, starting a very unplugged, acapella show. The crowd was chanting and rioting against what was going on and wondering why there was no sound ,we all tried to explain to the front row, that we wanted to do the show, but the promoters wouldn´t let us perform. (difficult , because the mics had been taken away) We continued to protest and sing with the audience, hoping that someone would turn on the sound, until shockingly, we were forcefully dragged off stage by around 12 male security guards.
New York artist and COS collaborator, AL Steiner was with us on stage as part of the performance, her camera was smashed and her memory card stolen, (including proof of the violence against Chicks on Speed)
We are now doing our best to expose these people THEY MUST BE STOPPED! Our booking agency Primary Talent is taking the promoters to court but we must stop this kind of abuse of artists from ever happening again !
Please send all feedback to the Blunderpop mail. You can also leave a comment and/or contact Chicks On Speed on their own website.
posted by Blunderpop at 6:55 PM
4 Comments:
Whenever I get more info from Chicks on Speed, I will keep posting updates of the outcome of this incident to the "Official Unofficial" CoS site:
http://www.phinnweb.org/CoS/tourdiary/
Best,
pHinn
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
thanks for speaking out about this.
the only thing that makes me sicker than the violence itself is the way that it's been swept under the rug so very quickly.
I really am stunned to see COS stating "Womens Rights" were violated..or am i with as left as they are. The truth of the situation was brought out with the Insurance pay out.
The fact that the security was males is perfectly normal, to deny that vast majority of males are genetically larger than females and therfore more oftenly hired to keep disorderly people under control is just ignorrant. I have never seen female bouncers or security before as most clubs and venues will hire larger males to keep other disorderly drunk males in control and females if needed its just the way it has always been done and makes perfect sence.
Though it seems the promoters of this particular show were in fact greedy dosent warrant the use of "Discrimination" From the looks of it, It wouldnt have mattered if this were COS or a band like Green Day playing either would have been dragged off stage.
Money dosent know the term "Discrimination" thats the way business works, males kill females over life insurance policys just as females have their husbands put under for the same purpose, the only real violation in this case was questionable ethics. I dont feel it was right what they did to COS and bad judgment but as a business major I can see as to why they would have done it, and I'm positive from everything I have read on this that it had nothing to do with them being women. It would have been the same with men as well and just think when your screaming and kicking and someone has to remove you chances are when they are trying to get their hands on you to drag you out that some parts of the body not ordinarily touched will be, had COS went quietly I dont think this would have been any different then a routine escort.
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