The Ocean’s Facebook post the other day about not being allowed to stage dive at Summer Slaughter Tour has stirred up quite a reaction.
“What are these stupid ‘no jumping into the crowd’ rules on a tour which gloats about being the ‘most extreme tour of the year?'” the band said on Tuesday. “This is the 5fth night in a row that we can’t go into the crowd because of stupid agency or venue policies… Someone tell these dumbfucks that stage diving doesn’t kill people, and that stage barriers and 6 foot ditches won’t stop us from leaping into the crowd, they just make the leap a little longer and a little more dangerous for everyone.”
Summer Slaughter Tour organizer Ash Avildsen was taken back by the post, issuing a statement today responding to the band.
“Summer Slaughter is called ‘The Most Extreme Tour Of The Year’ because of the music. It’s the only tour that puts 10 national acts who play progressive, extreme music all on one stage inside a club during the summer in North America,” Avildsen said. “It’s not called this because of bands doing vintage stage antics.”
He continued, “Jumping off things at a venue doesn’t make you extreme, it makes you dangerous. Sure it’s a cool thing to watch if no one gets hurt, who doesn’t love eye candy? But the reality is people get injured…”
He added, “I invited you to play because I appreciate your music, so start appreciating the venues and people who are making it possible for you to be here. While you keep taking notes from Dillinger on stage, be sure to take them off stage too. They carry their our own tour/liability insurance. Might want to look in to that bud.”
The band’s Robin Staps responded again saying policies at some venues have been so strict that security wouldn’t even let band members back on stage after a jump.
“Stage diving is a beautiful thing,” he added. “It’s an intense interaction between the crowd and the band. It’s the crowd that actually makes it work, for if they cleared out and if there was none to catch the singer, he would face plant on the floor.”