A venue in Lincoln has apologised for the treatment of some male attendees at a planned concert by the Last Dinner Party – which the band ultimately cancelled shortly before show time due to illness.
On X, one man wrote that on arriving at the Engine Shed, he was “funnelled into a dark corner with other men, told I might be a pervert cus I’m alone and then taken into a room alone with a security guard where I was interrogated and searched. Feel sick.” In subsequent comments, he said he had been asked what his favourite song by the British group was.
Another man wrote: “I rocked up there tonight at 8.45 on my own, no queue, I got asked how long I had liked them for, and to name my favourite song. I thought it was a bit strange and the first time I’ve ever felt like I’m on mastermind to get into a gig. Now I’ve read this I understand why now.”
A third said they were “whisked away, searched, asked condescending questions”.
In a statement posted to X, the Engine Shed said they were aware of reports online that the entry procedure that night “fell far short of our venue entry policy, which requires all attendees to be treated equally and subject to the same entry requirements”.
It said that a preliminary investigation had shown that after security were told about incidents at previous gigs by the band, “the venue management team made an ad-hoc change” to policy.
“Although the policy was changed with the right intentions, it is clear that this change resulted in the treatment of some guests, which was not acceptable, and the Engine Shed would like to fully apologise to anyone affected.”
It said that an independent investigation was under way and that further staff training would be implemented.
The Last Dinner Party posted a statement on Instagram saying that the policies were “created and enforced by the venue at their own discretion, and were not made in consultation with us.
“They do not reflect our beliefs and would not have been implemented had we been made aware of them in advance … Our shows are intended to be safe, welcoming spaes for everyone, which is something we deeply care about. Seeing inclusivity embraced by our fanbase is one of the best parts of performing live.”
They said that “everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend our shows” and that they were “appalled and disappointed that anyone was made to feel otherwise.”
The theatrical, Mercury-nominated band also cancelled a show in Cardiff at the weekend owing to illness.
