Over the weekend, Your Arms Are My Cocoon, Stomach Book, Dead Butterflies, and Porcelain Stars played an all-ages show at Chicago's Chop Shop that, according to the artists, quickly spiraled due to a lack of preparation and what they described as "horrendous behavior" from venue security.
All four bands have since shared a joint statement on social media outlining their concerns. They cite issues with crowd control at the barrier, reports of groping, and aggressive interactions involving security staff. The post also includes email correspondence with the venue, along with video clips showing the crowd chanting against Chop Shop and security interfering with the performance.
Their full written statement:
"Everything was running smoothly until the crowd energy started to pick up, with attendees crowd surfing and stage diving. It was clear the venue was not prepared for this, although they admitted to the fact they expected this exactly. No barriers at all, only retractable belt barriers. Through the past 100+ shows I've been to, I've never seen a venue attempt to use this as an excuse of a proper barricade.
Next is the horrendous behavior of the venue's security. The number one thing a security guard should know is how to de-escalate situations, and they did the exact opposite. In a show full of mostly minors, security decided to carry people out of the venue with no warning for crowd surfing, swearing out people, arguing with the bands that brought them a sold out show, groping attendees at the barricade, and so much more. A complete disrespect to every attendee that night, with security laughing at the situation at hand.
I advise anyone in Chicago to stay away from the Chop Shop, and please share this if you desire to spread awareness of what went down last night. This is a business that does not deserve our support, and I recommend to bring your business elsewhere."
The bands also shared direct messages from attendees describing their experiences at the show, including allegations of misconduct involving security. Full post below.
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