As reported earlier this week, three notable Australian musicians were harassed or assaulted at their own gigs this weekend. One of those musicians was Maz De Vita, WAAX frontwoman, who was assaulted at Newcastle’s The Cambridge Hotel.
Now, the venue has released a lengthy statement condemning the behaviour and nothing that is indeed not an isolated incident.
“We’re extremely disappointed to hear about the behaviour of a patron last night towards a member of the band WAAX,” a statement posted on the venue’s Facebook page read.
“We are working with the band to identify the perpetrator. We are extremely grateful for the bravery of the band for calling out this behaviour however we know that this isn’t an isolated incident. There’s a culture shift that needs to happen in order for our community to move forward.”
“Everyone has the right to be comfortable in their workplace, and unwanted behaviour including touching, towards anyone is something we do not tolerate,” the statement continues.
“For all people coming to The Cambridge, our main priority is for you and everyone coming through our doors – whether it be patrons, performers, staff, photographers, contractors and security or others – to have a good time and a safe night out.”
The Cambridge has since given an update, saying they’ve identified the perpetrator and he has received a life ban.
Directly following the incident, WAAX released a statement on their Instagram, written by De Vita, saying how degraded she felt.
“I don’t know who you are,” Maz said, “but you know who you are and I want you to know that your disgusting behaviour is not welcome in our music scene or anywhere really.
“It is totally disrespectful and plain fucked up. Musicians work really hard to make music and perform it. We deserve some fucking respect.”
Read The Cambridge’s full statement below.
