It might be the sort of thing that only bands and people who are paid to write about music would notice, but crowd safety and comfort has become quite the issue in the last year or so. But very few bands are actually doing much about it beyond occasionally shouting down/standing up to unruly fans or saying that it really sucks when fans don’t feel safe.
Not so with Massachusetts fuzz-rockers Speedy Ortiz. They’re rolling out a help hotline for fans to call if they feel unsafe at their shows supporting their new album, Foil Deer.
The hotline allows fans to text the band directly with their name and where they are in the venue, so that security can be alerted and sent to help.
Frontwoman Sadie Dupuis took to Twitter to talk about the new system, and no-so-subtly suggest that other bands should try something similar.
This help hotline is a new system we're trying out, but one we hope will make our shows a lot safer & more fun for all. We love you folks.
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) September 7, 2015
sometimes as a showgoer i've felt unsafe & didn't know what to do. as a performer i've always have an easier time getting security's ear
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) September 7, 2015
i'm hoping we can leverage our privilege as performers to help keep our friends in the crowd safer. we'll see how it goes but i'm optimistic
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) September 7, 2015
and if this hotline help system does seem to work, we hope other bands will set them up too. hint hint ;)
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) September 7, 2015
The band will have quite a few chances to sort out this new technology. The tour kicks off tonight in Columbus and runs through November, with 29 stops.
09/08 Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness
09/09 Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Back Room
09/10 Champaign, IL @ Institute 4 Creativity
09/11 Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
09/13 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
09/14 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
09/23 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
09/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
09/25 Portland, ME @ State Theater
09/27 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
10/05 Berlin, Germany @ Comet
10/06 Hamburg, Germany @ Golem
10/07 Cologne, Germany @ Blue Shell
10/09 Turin, Italy @ Spazzio 211
10/10 Bologna, Italy @ Covo Club
10/13 Düdingen, Switzerland @ Bad Bonn
10/15 Brighton, England @ The Haunt
10/16 Manchester, England @ Sound Control
10/17 Dublin, Ireland @ Whelan’s
10/18 Leeds, England – Brudenell Social Club
10/21 London, England @ Tufnell Park Dome
10/22 Glasgow, Scotland @ Stereo
10/23 Birmingham, England @ All Years Leaving
10/26 Brussels, Belgium @ Le Botanique
10/28 Nijmegen, Netherlands – Merleyn
10/29 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Bitterzoet
10/30 Lille, France @ La Péniche
10/31 Nantes, France @ Soy Festival
11/06 Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
(Via Stereogum)
