An Australian Stevie Nicks fan who was removed from the singer’s Melbourne show on Thursday night says she was kicked out of the venue and “treated like a criminal” because she wouldn’t stop dancing.
57-year-old Jo-Anne George was dancing during Nicks’ performance at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday night, before being kicked out by security halfway through the set, Fairfax Media reports.
George said she wasn’t approached by security when she was dancing in the aisle during the support act, but that all changed during Nicks’ set.
“The security came up about three times and told me to sit down,” she told Fairfax.
“The next minute three of them had me and were dragging me along the floor of the aisle. They threw me out of the stadium. I have never been so humiliated in my life. I was assaulted and treated like a criminal.”
George said the incident left her with a sore back and bruises on her arm, and also caused her to feel depressed and anxious.
“I’ve paid for a ticket I want to dance. I’m only 5’5, it’s not like I’m 6’7 or anything,” she said. “All I wanted to do was dance.”
Meanwhile, Rod Laver Arena management has said that George was removed by security because she left her allocated seat and disrupted other concertgoers, who filed a number of complaints against her.
“The individual was asked to return to her seat a number of times and after failing to cooperate was ejected,” a spokesperson said.
“I don’t know what’s happening with Melbourne if you can’t dance anymore,” said George. “I just don’t know what’s going on.”
Stevie Nicks’ 2017 Australian tour wrapped up with a show in Yarra Valley on Saturday.
