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Artist News
Cabbage vocalist denies accusations of sexual assault at Kasabian show
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 21 April 2017
The band Cabbage have denied accusations that vocalist Lee Broadbent sexually assaulted a girl during a performance supporting Kasabian in London earlier this week.
The allegation came from Twitter user Nicole Rushworth, who said that Broadbent had “stood on the barrier [and] proceeded to put his hand down his trousers, fondle himself, then rub his hand over the girl, ragging on her hair, basically forcing her face first into his crotch”.
The father of the unidentified girl referenced in Rushworth’s tweet, who was accompanying his daughter to the show, reportedly complained to security staff who “then brought out the singer to apologise to the girl and all he did was start an argument with her dad. He flat out refused to apologise and got aggressive with him, stating that it was all part of the act”.
The band has refuted this version of events, saying in a statement on Facebook: “We completely deny the accusations put against Lee this morning. His hands were never down his trousers, although he did go down to the barrier to interact with the crowd, as he does at all Cabbage shows. After a complaint was made Lee took it on himself to apologise, which is what any decent person would do if he learns that someone has been offended. Lee met with them, discussed the situation and hands were shaken before father and daughter left and then they stayed for the rest of the show”.
They continued: “Security guards and everyone who saw the show know that these complaints are completely unfounded. We’re very shocked and deeply troubled by these fabrications. Anyone who’s listened to our music, been to one of our gigs or read one of our interviews knows that we would never engage in any of the actions that this tweet accuses us of”.
Since the initial allegation was made on Twitter, there has subsequently been much discussion on the social networks over whether or not putting his hands down his pants is a thing that Broadbent commonly does on stage.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Quietus about the alleged incident, the Safe Gigs For Women organisation said: “We have had multiple reports from different people about the incident at the Kasabian/Cabbage show. We’re planning to reach out to Kasabian and Cabbage/Lee Broadbent … to see if they’d like to discuss it with us. We want to understand what they have to say about it, in hopes we can hear their side and discuss issues of consent in the context of the artist/fan relationship during a gig. We’d also be happy to provide referrals to the girl and her father if they feel the need for them, as we do all victims of sexual assault at gigs who come to us”.
Find more information on SGFW click here.
