Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante ejected an unruly concertgoer earlier this month in Phoenix while the band was opening up for Evanescence, and has received criticism online from people who thought she simply kicked the guy out for moshing. In turn, the metal vocalist took to social media to explain that the ejected individual was an “old drunk man punching people in the head.” Footage of the July 15th concert shows LaPlante asking the audience to point out the guy who was apparently getting violent with other fans at the show. She directed security to escort him out of the venue, saying from the stage, “This isn’t a damn gold-medal karate match. This is a rock ‘n’ roll show… let that be a lesson to anyone out there who fucks around tonight.”
After a couple articles about the ejection were posted, some people called out LaPlante, saying there’s nothing wrong with moshing at a metal show, especially for a band as extreme as Spiritbox can be, but the singer pushed back in a series of social media posts. She noted that this guy’s actions went beyond moshing, not to mention that the crowd was also there to see the show’s headliner, Evanescence.
The Incident
While commenting on various X/Twitter posts, LaPlante wrote, “It was old drunk man punching people in [the] head who were facing the stage in small amphitheater vip pit, several times while we were playing. Not appropriate or fun for anyone else there!”
She continued, “I didn’t say what was happening on stage, and it doesn’t say what actually happened in the article, but I wasn’t thinking about the internet when I stopped the show, 3 times we told security about him so that was the final straw and I’m glad I did it, he wasn’t moshing.”
LaPlante’s Response
LaPlante went on to write, “So I get that it’s easy to dunk on us, with the info actually provided. It is what it is, the person who already thinks I’m lame and not a part of this culture isn’t crazy to assume from the article that I kicked someone out for moshing, and I will survive another day.”
She added, “I think it was just because of my ‘karate’ comment, I was trying to make a light joke to kind of break the tension, people were really freaked out by that guy punching kids in the face. I also called it a rock show, bc it IS — we are opening for EV. I’m a guest in their house.”
Spiritbox will continue to support Evanescence through an August 2nd show in Clarkston, Michigan, with tickets available here.
Watch Courtney LaPlante eject the concertgoer, and see her comments on X/Twitter, below.
In conclusion, the incident at the Spiritbox and Evanescence concert has sparked a debate about moshing and crowd safety at metal shows. While some fans have criticized Courtney LaPlante for ejecting the concertgoer, she has explained that the individual’s actions were violent and went beyond moshing. As Spiritbox continues to tour with Evanescence, it remains to be seen how the band will handle similar situations in the future.
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