Terror and possibly all hardcore banned from Ridglea Theater after security incident

Last week during a show at the Ridglea Theater in Forth Worth, Texas, a security guard felt the need to grab the mic and shout "I don't think so!" before handing the mic back to Terror vocalist Scott Vogel. The story has since gone viral, being posted across social media, including our own Instagram thread, which brought out fans to call out the venue for past practices.

Earlier today we reported No Cure and Mychildren Mybride were backing out of a show there, instead moving to a separate venue.

Throughout today, May 8, in the Lambgoat Instagram comment thread, things were stirring, as we saw public responses from the Ridglea Theater President as well as the production company behind the event. Along with all the public comments, we received a response from Ridglea Theater in our inbox stating their policy:

"Ridglea Theater complex has a zerotolerance for
Stage diving
Kicking, punching, windmilling
Ejected
The people in the crowd were attempting to jump the barricades to get on the stage, only one ejection for kicking a minor in the front row.
Our security did a great job and exhibited a lot of restraint after being hit, punched by a very rowdy crowd."

In addition to that, all of the public statements can be read on the 168+ comment thread on our Instagram post embedded below. 

We've tried our best to summarize it all for you below. Strap in, it's a doozy.

The comments were largely critical of the venue, with one fan tagging The Dallas Observer asking them to comment on the allegations made against the theater in the past, namely in a Bored Magazine article.

"@dallasobserver would your music department be interested in running an article about @ridgleatheater staff assaulting concergoers during the @terrorhardcore @frozensoultx show put on by @thirdstringproductions ? I think your readers would like some answers about security establishing a pattern for over a year assaulting their paying customers"

The full comment read:

"Has nothing to do with us. We had multiple meetings to try to turn things around here prior to the show and change the reputation of the venue and how things operate.

Not making any statements until after we meet with them Tuesday to see how they respond and because there was a mass shooting here that seems substantially more important than us making a statement on a concert at this time."

Elsewhere on the thread, Ridglea Theater President Gerald "Jerry" Shults (yes, this Gerald Shults) was way ahead of the Tuesday meeting, leaving statements, and responding to multiple threads explaining what happened at the show.

One fan asked:

"your customers are trying to tell  you something. Are you listening?"

Shults followed up with a definite, "Yes, we are banning Terror, and maybe all hardcore," the comment reading:

"Yes we are banning terror, and  maybe all hardcore. Don't know of a  venue in dfw that will allow stage  diving, punching, kicking and  crowd killing, all the while bitching  about everything" 

Furthermore, he let his feelings be known on the band by saying: 

"Terror worst excuse for a band I have seen in 20 years, lead singer sucks"

Shults continued in other comments across the thread:

"I clearly don't want the hardcore scene, its a disaster. All metal is great, wish they didn't mix the two genres together. No problems with black dahlia people, this insanity of people have a right to stage dive, kicking and punching, crowd killing is the problem.

I admit we could always do better, but in case terror decided they wanted to incite a riot maybe for publicity?

So it's no problem:) terror is banned. Hardcore know our house rules, no stage diving, kicking, punching, crowd killing period. Knocked loose and others know this and don't try to cause a riot like terror did. Doubt there is a venue in dfw that will take them. 

Basically I didn't know a hardcore band was on the bill when third string booked the theater, thought it was all death metal. Btw we just rent space and depend on the people booking to tell the bands and tour manager our policies. I told them right before the show and the tour manager dropped the ball"

"Basically mixing metal and hardcore on the same lineup just invites disaster. Metal wants to mosh, core wants to kick, punch, stage dive and crowd kill. They don't mix

Mosh was awesome, crowd surfing cool, barricade's jumping and attempted stage diving were the problem. , plus continued punching at security"

Shults also explained the reasoning behind the now infamous "I don't think so!":

"(it was) in response to the lead singer saying we get everyone to rush the stage ( stage diving) so Brian said 'I don't think so' lololol"

A fan chimed in saying:

"What happened was Scott threw the mic into the crowd for people in the crowd to sing which is customary at a hardcore show."

Shults then explained further and had one final stinger for the fan:

"Nope he threw it at Brian after he bragged he was going to get the crowd to mob them and Brian said 'I don't think so.'

That maybe the Ridglea Theater new r shirt and slogan:)"

With all of that laid out, we'll leave you for some food for thought...

Can hardcore and metal fans coexist at shows? Gerald Shults doesn't think so, at least not according to the last message he left in our inbox:

"Metal fans rock, so far hardcore fans just want to screw things up for metal fans. Core 'dancing' equals crowd killing, mosh pits and crowd surfing is chill

Stage diving is a recipe for the venue getting sued

Hardcore and metal don't mix"

Update: Third String Productions have shared an official statement on the matter via social media saying:

"We will no longer be booking any shows at Ridglea Theater or Ridglea Room. I think the reasoning is obvious, we want nothing to do with their actions and views on the music we promote and the culture we love. We were optimistic we would be heard and be able to turn things around from their past issues but last weekend was proof they are stuck in their ways and we want no part of that."