Sunday night in Toronto’s Mod Club Theatre started as an enjoyable night for many fans of California band The Story So Far…and then things took a grimmer turn.
Parker Cannon, frontman of the group, was videotaped drop-kicking a female fan from the stage when she attempted to capture a photograph. Cannon had just finished introducing “High Regard,” the final song on the setlist, and turned his back to the crowd. During that time, a female fan was lifted onto the stage, and it looks that she was trying to take a selfie with the band. That’s when Cannon turned around, saw the fan, ran, jumped, and kicked her in the back with both feet causing her to fall face first into the crowd. After this act, cheers can be heard coming from the crowd. What’s more, as the song began, numerous fans started climbing onto the stage to dive into the crowd, all of whom are ignored by the frontman.
According to research, this is not the first time that Cannon has abused a fan. He’s reported to have also kicked a male fan from the stage during a show in Texas when the concertgoer tried to take a photo.
It’s actions like these that give punk, its subgenres, and its fans a bad rap. To be known for violence is a shameful thing when music is supposed to be the conduit of connections, a sense of belonging somewhere in this world. And when someone intentionally decides to act violently toward their own fans, it completely shatters the appeal of the band and the feeling of appreciation fans deserve.
Without support and love from fans, bands are practically nothing. Adoring fans are the ones that give small-time bands the chance to make it big by listening to the music and helping spread their name across the globe because they believe in the band. Just because you make it big doesn’t mean that support stops, either. Dedicated fans will stand behind a band even after they become well-known because that’s what love is. The feelings those initial fans receive from listening to a group’s early music are still there when the new albums drop because of what the music means to them.
Violence against fans, whether perpetrated by other fans or the musicians, should not be so prevalent in any genre of music. It’s not what music is about, and it’s a somber day for any fan when their favorite type of music is shamed with such a label.
You can watch a video of Cannon’s actions in the video below:
