Melbourne band The Football Club have pulled out of Splendour In The Grass 2017 after allegations of abuse were made against a member of the band.
In a statement, The Football Club’s Ruby Markwell says, “In light of recent events, for the time being, all future Football Club plans are put on hold. We won’t be performing at Splendour in the Grass. We were absolutely thrilled to be invited and would like to thank Splendour, and Triple J Unearthed for the opportunity.
“I strongly deny these allegations, and will be dealing with them through the appropriate channels.”
The Football Club were awarded a spot on this year’s Splendour In The Grass lineup after winning a competition held by triple j Unearthed.
Triple j Unearthed previously confirmed that The Football Club would remain on this year’s Splendour lineup, but has now said in a new statement that the band pulling out of Splendour “is the right course of action at this time”.
“Following allegations made against the band online over the last few days, The Football Club will be withdrawing from all future shows, including their appearance at Splendour In The Grass. triple j Unearthed believes this is the right course of action at this time,” says triple j Unearthed.
“This page has required moderation over the past few days to remove potentially defamatory posts, including criminal accusations. It has not been moderated with the intention of silencing commentary: this issue is incredibly complex, and we have heard and listened to the complaints made.
“If this has brought up any issues for you personally, here are some places you can go to get help: Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/; Beyond Blue: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/; Qlife: https://qlife.org.au/; Minus18: https://minus18.org.au.”
Splendour In The Grass has declined to comment.
UPDATE: The Football Club Guitarist Leaves Band Following Abuse Allegations Against Bandmate
