Up until now, I’ve been very careful about what I’ve written about the fracas which seriously injured one fan during the Black Lips show this past Thursday. However, over the past couple days, I’ve been able to independently verify the events which occurred at Beachland Ballroom during their performance. Multiple sources are telling me that the Black Lips’ Jared Swilley was indeed directly involved in the incident which resulted in one concertgoer being hospitalized over night. What follows is an email I received from an acquaintance of the injured party, as well as a call for photos and videos you may have from last Thursday’s show.
Mr. Lipold,
There are some conflicting reports out there about what when down at the Beachland Ballroom during the Black Lips recent show last Thursday.
The only thing I’m sure of is that my friend was severely assaulted by Jared Swilley. Mr. Swilley’s reps claim that he had no part in the violence that occurred but I have reports from witnesses that Mr. Swilley jumped off the stage and elbowed my friend in the throat, twice. The cops present had to call 911 and he was stretchered from the venue.
It is claimed that Mr. Swilley was coming to the aid of a woman who had beer thrown on her. Getting covered in beer is what you’d expect to happen during a Black Lips show. Getting your throat shoved in by a band member is not.
I’m not sure exactly what my friend wants to say about the incident (and there is more), but I would like to see the record set straight. Please look into this incident. No arrests have been made as of yet. I can put you into contact with the person injured but I think he would like to remain anonymous for now. I’m hoping that people will come forward with movies, photos, etc. that show what really happened.
My friend is uninsured and the medical bills he accrued from the incident will surely put him under.
He and I were avid Black Lips fans, and I hate to even write about the incident, but I feel that this act of violence will get passed off as just another stage antic.
(Name Withheld)
If you have photo or video documentation of the altercation between the Black Lips and their fans which occurred after they had played “Cold Hands,” or if you were a first hand witness to what went down, please contact me at irockcleveland at gmail dot com and I will pass your information along to the interested parties. Like the writer of the email said, what happened Thursday night, if accurate, is not just another case of the Black Lips living up to their reputation of being wild and crazy guys. One man was seriously injured and there will be medical bills to pay.
The Black Lips, Gentleman Jesse and His Men, Hot Cha Cha, and The Weakends Live at The Beachland
Updated 5:28 PM
