The Band Perry Postpone Delaware Concert In Response To Threats
The Band Perry postponed their Delaware concert this past weekend after an employee at the venue reported two white males made “alarming statements” about the event.
According to Rolling Stone, the band, consisting of siblings Kimberly, Reid, and Neil, were set to take the stage at Americana Bayside Welcome Center’s Freeman Stage for their set on Sunday (July 3) when organizers and the band’s management decided to postpone the show because of the threats made.
Dzmitry N. Papou turned himself in to police on Monday night (July 4). The suspect, 35, was released on bail after authorities charged him with felony terroristic threatening. Although police know who the second suspect is, they have not arrested him yet. The investigation is ongoing.
The Band Perry shared a short message on their Facebook page on Sunday night apologizing to fans.
“Due to heightened security concerns, and for the safety of our fans, the show has been rescheduled for August 17,” the message read. “While we are sad we don’t get to see you tonight, we love you and consider your wellbeing and security our top priority. We’ll see you soon.”
Since The Band Perry officially postponed the event, details have been moved to August 17 on Freeman Stage’s official website, with a message for fans who had tickets for the original date.
Venues appear to be a bigger target as time goes on. Last November, as The Inquisitr reported, a shooting at Bataclan concert hall in Paris claimed 89 lives. One person was shot and killed before a T.I. concert at New York City’s Irving Plaza earlier this year, and then former The Voice contestant Christina Grimmie was killed during a meet and greet after a show in Orlando last month.
“What both of these incidents illustrate is that no event is too small and that there are vulnerabilities, regardless of whether these (attacks) are terrorism, hate crimes or someone who is mentally disturbed. It’s a completely new day in terms of how we have to look at these things,” Russ Simons of Venue Solutions Group told USA Today, referring to both Orlando incidents.
There don’t seem to be any standard security protocols for venues; instead, it depends on the specific venue and the budget.
“Is it in a high-crime or high-risk area? These are all things you want to look at to determine what the risk is,” John White of Protection Management explained.
The security experts interviewed by USA Today came to the same conclusion–canceling fan events, as some artists did immediately after Grimmie’s death, won’t solve the long-term issue. Venues all across the country need to permanently tighten their security, especially when it comes to how fans are searched before entering the venue.
Earlier this week, girl group Fifth Harmony encountered an issue between their fans and security. While touring South America, some fans claimed that the security guards were overly aggressive with fans who were trying to get the singer’s attention. One fan even accused a guard of acting inappropriately towards her.
The group released an official statement defending their security team, insisting that the guards did not get out of line.
#Respect pic.twitter.com/G3Wvos0ojz
— Fifth Harmony (@FifthHarmony) July 4, 2016
“Our security team is set up and in place to protect us when and our privacy when people go beyond normal boundaries,” the group tweeted. “They would never intentionally harm one of our fans.”
The Band Perry’s decision to postpone the Delaware concert was a smart one, but hopefully this doesn’t become the norm for large events.
[Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Images]
