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East London venue apologises for saying bashment and trap music attracts a “poor quality demographic”
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 27 June 2017
An East London venue has apologised after its General Manager told the promoter of a benefit show being staged to raise money for victims of the Grenfell Tower fire that the acts he had booked would attract a “poor quality demographic”.
Taireen Hussein from Haqiqi Events posted a screenshot of the email he received from Jordan Wells at the Trapeze Bar in which the venue’s GM says he has seen the publicity for the promoter’s event and “I am disappointed that I see your artwork and flyers have described your music genres include bashment and trap music”.
The email says that the venue was not aware that this was the kind of music due to be played at the benefit show, before stating “these types of music are crap and we do not entertain them as they attract [a] poor quality demographic and result in problems”.
The venue’s comments, of course, suggest discrimination against certain genres based on the kinds of audiences it is assumed they will attract. Such discrimination has been criticised in the past, though usually its licensing authorities and police forces who are accused of employing such discriminatory practices.
After Hussein cancelled his event and posted the venue’s email to Twitter, the company that operates the Trapeze Bar distanced itself from Wells’s comments. Miroma Leisure also pledged to make its own contribution to the Grenfell appeal if Haqiqi Events decided to stage their show at its venue after all.
According to IQ, the statement from Miroma Leisure reads: “The owners of Trapeze apologise for the recent actions and opinions expressed by the Trapeze General Manager. Trapeze [is] committed to a policy of welcoming all guests into the venue and does not discriminate in terms of race, age, colour, sex or national origin”.
It goes on: “The management team of Miroma Leisure, owners of Trapeze, are undertaking a full investigation of the matter and will take affirmative action following the outcome. We have spoken with the promoters and offered them another date of their choice and offered to double the money raised on the night for Grenfell as a gesture of goodwill. We plan to assist the promoters to raise awareness of the new date. We will be proud to announce the new date in due course and do everything possible to make the event a resounding success”.
Hussain is yet to decide whether to reschedule his show at Trapeze.
