Sunday, February 21, 2016

Petition launched to close Webster Hall after fight involving rapper Skate Maloley and security


[Image via Spin]

There are multiple reports about a fight last night at a sold-out concert at Webster Hall featuring rappers Nate "Skate" Maloley and Derek Luh, fans and security.

Much of the reporting seems to be based on accounts posted on Twitter, where the incident became a trending event.

According to one report, Luh lunged at a security guard ... then "was dragged off stage and security began shouting at fans to go home, leading to outrage among the fans near the stage. Some of them also got into altercations with security guards, leading Nate to step in and 'defend his fans.'"

There are accusations that the security guards used a taser on a concertgoer.

Per Complex:

According to Maloley, he was midway through his set when he noticed that the security in front of the stage were assaulting a group of fans and decided to intervene on their behalf. Maloley, as you can see on the video below, reached down toward one of the security personnel after allegedly catching him using a taser on a fan close to the stage and was overwhelmed by the security force as the crowd watched on in horror.




CBS 2 talked to two fans who were at the show.

“He grabbed like security like off of a fan, and that’s when he got like stomped to the ground,” one woman said.

“They picked him up and threw him on the ground and starting kicking him,” the other said.

A police source told CBS 2 that there weren't any assault complaints, arrests or charges filed. It wasn't clear if there were any injuries.

The Mirror published the following sentence: "The event echoes the famous Rolling Stones Altamont tragedy in which a riot erupted among fans and the Hell's Angels."

Webster Hall posted the following message on their Tumblr:

Saturday’s incident is being fully investigated, as there are misreports about what took place. Webster Hall’s staff do NOT carry tasers and are not armed. They carry strobe flashlights. The safety of all guests is always our primary focus.

Meanwhile, fans of the rappers created an online petition to shut down Webster Hall. Per the petition: "Webster hall is disgusting after tonight 2-20-2016 they no longer deserve to be in business they had no right to race those people and assault skate, Derek and the others. It was all unnecessary [sic] and something needs to be done about it."

As of 8:30 p.m., there were 4,176 signatures.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Meh. You pays your money you takes your chances.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, let's shut down the entire thing because of some vague event took place instead of a petition that says "Webster Hall needs to do something about their security." Y'know a lot more "we want something done about this to make it better in the future" and a lot less "we want blood and to lash out blindly at an entire institution like a baby."

Anonymous said...

“He grabbed like security like off of a fan, and that’s when he got like stomped to the ground.”

The eloquence is astounding.
I have no idea what that "sentence" even means.

Anonymous said...

Is this is what the owners of Webster Hall have in mind for that new place they want to put in Nino's pizza, The Honey Fitz? Will it too have bouncers stomping on people? The rapper got 20,000 retweets, and had to cancel his Boston show since his crew was so beat up. Talk about a social media disaster for Webster Hall.

Anonymous said...

The video only shows one side, just saying....and the report of Webster Hall security having tasers is false. Many of them do carry flashlights that have a pulsating beam on them, which to some might seem like a taser. Regardless, security shouldn't put their hands on performers unless they are assaulted themselves first.

Furthermore, the person who compared this to the Stones at Altamont is a moron. Nobody died in this incident. Ugly, yes, but assault and getting beaten and stabbed to death are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Anonymous said...

“He grabbed like security like off of a fan".....

Anonymous said...

I will sign the petition if it keeps a few more douchebags in their own neighborhood. There was an assault on 12th and 4th last Thursday between folks that appeared to be coming out of WH, spilt open head, cops, ambulance.

Eminem Domain said...

I'm sure there must be a real estate developer who can take it advantage of the situation to get Webster Hall shut down and put up a nice new condo. This is prime real estate, it would be a shame to see it go to waste. Hello Ben Shaoul?. Hello Icon?

Anonymous said...

Webster hall should stick to rock and dance. Rap shows always have problems it's the culture

E. Lewis said...

Let me explain a couple of things. As a frequent goer of this place and having friends that have worked at Webster for years, security is NEVER armed and is highly trained. I feel this so called rapper was just trying to exaggerate the story to make excuses for people who didn't know how to behave, and for him to get more media attention. It's sad that he's exploiting the hard working people that I know and spreading lies just because he and his people don't know how to behave.

JM said...

I've seen a lot of great shows there, of the rock variety. Not one single incident of violence at any event I ever attended in 30 years, going back to the old Ritz. And all of the performers kept their shirts on. Funny how that all seems to work.

nygrump said...

Where is Kevin Shea when you need him, he'll get this place shut down.

Anonymous said...

If Webster Hall were to be shut down because of security it should be because they continue to illegally block the sidewalk on the north side of 11th St and treat it as an extension of their property.

I lived on the block for 8 years and the concerts themselves were rarely an issue. It always pissed me off that bouncers would force pedestrians to walk in the street or on the other side (which is also illegally narrow due to the buildings on the south side of the street co-opting the sidewalk).

The issue was always screaming drunks at 3 and 4 am getting into fights and just general misbehavior, and fucking taxis and B&T douchebags honking constantly because the street was blocked.

BTW - I reported this blocking of the sidewalk many times to 311 - they said it was an NYPD issue (which is bullshit) and NYPD said it's a 311 issue. Useless.

Anonymous said...

Take it back to Nebraska, Skate. You stay there and we will keep Webster Hall.

Anonymous said...

LOL, really that's reason to close Webster hall? Seems a bit overblown.

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of the non-incident which virtually happened with Google Glass, an EV restaurant, some Glass-holes and Yelp. Why would anyone shut down a business in NYC because some teenage fans living in South Dakota think they have the right to do so? Social media has a lot less power to change anything than its users thinks it does.

Anonymous said...

This is because the rapper culture has no respect for life. Instead it promotes violence in its lyrics and in its hand signals which are all taken from gang signs originally.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the manager of Webster Hall needs to focus on Webster Hall and the numerous problems there instead of looking to open more nightlife establishments in the neighborhood, like the Honey Fitz.

Anonymous said...

This is pretty silly. I love the picture of Skate Maloney smoking weed outside with underage kids post show. Looks like a 15 mins of fame grab

Anonymous said...

I had to internet search "Skate Maloley" and his "music". Jesus H Christ. This stuff would have sounded played out in 1999. More power to him for being able to sellout a place like Webster Hall but Jesus H Christ. Who are these kids eating up this stuff? I feel bad for them actually. They are victims. They are too immature to know any better. Any kid who bought a ticket to a "Skate Maloley" show, has been seriously led astray at some point in their life. Not condemning, or saying anything needs to be done about it, just lamenting.

Anonymous said...

nygryump: you mean Kevin Shea vs. University of The Streets? No-one came off any the better after that brouhaha: http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/09/musicians_call.html
http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/university-of-the-streets-owner-speaks/

Anonymous said...

Closing the venue in response makes no sense.
If there were abuses, then file criminal charges against those responsible and get it sorted out properly.

The venue is one of the last live music venues in the Village. I've seen many great shows here.

If you're a fan of the performer, or any performer, closing venues makes no sense, as then there will nowhere for the performer to...perform.

Maybe Webster Hall needs to be more selective in its booking.

- East Villager

Giovanni said...

This guy's rap music makes Kanye sound like Beethoven. In addition to the Boston show they just got cancelled in Charlotte. I bet no other venue wants to deal with this guy's brand of drama.

Anonymous said...

10:54: You are right. Totally derivative. Gansta rap circa 1999. Get his sorry ass back to wherever the hell he's from.

Makeout said...

@ Giovanni- That was fucking funny.

Anonymous said...

Appropriating hip-hop was the best thing that ever happened to mediocre white guys who were born too late for the Nirvana/Pearl Jam grunge aesthete and too boho scraggy to get into $$$ metrosexual hipsterism.

But at least they got their privilege working for them, because hey, no assault complaints, arrests or charges filed!

Anonymous said...

Sad thing is now @shakegilinsky and @fuckwebsterhall are now slandering innocent people who had nothing to do with this situation. Seems like the fans of Skate really don't know when to quit. This dude is trying to stretch his 15 minutes of fame and it's pathetic.

4:10 P.M. said...

Remember when cops in Williamsburg referred to the hipsters and transients there as marshmallow, because they're soft and white? Maloley and Luh too are marshmallows.

WELLENDOWEDpaul said...

I had front of line passes for WEBSTER HALL, and had to enter before 12 midnight. At 11:55 pm, I showed white bouncer outside at entrance, he denied. I kept it up. And asked for Murphy the manager whom I know, which bouncer said that he was not working (but found out later he was indeed working). He complained I was over the rope, which I truly was not, but remembered the red rope was hanging down and rope was touching the ground, and my foot happened to just be over it, so not like I climbed over. And he was talking about various celebrities he did not like to another bouncer -especially minority and gay celebrities- and I kept insisting about the passes I had, which he kept ignoring. Just around midnight, he comes charging me, with his fists out, punches me in the chest, as someone from behind me, pulled on my suit jacket and I was violently pushed and pulled to the ground, which my hand hit the sidewalk and broke my right finger. And I was dragged into the street (11th street), while my wallet went flying. They dropped me in middle of street. While a nice thin white bouncer came to me with my wallet. Between this, and the other incident of the son of the Webster hall owner in trouble for raping a woman and holding her hostage -against her will- in a locked room, WEBSTER HALL SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN! They have the worst security. Violent security. Prejudice security. (I couldn't get a lawyer to sue, and when I did, one lawyer only wanted to sue for $1,000 -and at most $1,500 dollars- to which I thought how can a woman get millions of dollars from McDonald's for hot coffee she spilled on herself). Everybody, sign the petition, get lawyers to sue, and hound the NY City to close down Webster hall!

Anonymous said...


It's amazing that those "artists" have any fans at all. An incredible lack of talent and stupidity are usually not considered attributes but someone they're making it work (for them). I never thought the EV would ever entertain garbage like this, but times really have changed. By the way, Derek Luh's photo on his Twitter page makes him look like a young Indira Gandhi. Nice work...

Anonymous said...

@4:24: Did you go to the police? If not, why not?

Anonymous said...

These comments are hilarious.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised the floor hasn't collapsed yet. If they really want to shut it down, check the structural integrity of the building.

Anonymous said...

Hey Paul, what does a woman do with a 10" penis? Seriously?

Anonymous said...

I used to book events at WB. Never had issues with the security. I've also worked on or attended some amazing shows there. Some of the managers were pretty shady. They'd get drunk, take their sweet time and screw up the money. They really don't care about the music or the art, they just want the money. So no surprise this happened.

There's always some drama at hiphop shows. The organizers never have the equipment situation together; the audience will pre-game, give the bar staff attitude and not tip; somebody always gets robbed; the performers will walk in with their attitude and treat everyone like shit. Usually venues would hire extra bouncers if it's a hiphop show. Skate's other shows probably got canned because the venue's realized it's way too much trouble.

Even though they claim it's a sold out show, I won't be surprised if there were a whole lot of comps.

Unknown said...

A white rapper from Nebraska ? How is that even legal ?

Anonymous said...

3:26pm nailed it.

Webster Hall is some shady shit e.g. Harley Flanagan of Cro-Mags getting stabbed there 7/6/12 (Google it cuz I'm not getting into it here other than he got stabbed, too.)

Unfortunately, Webster Hall has landmark status which means the physical place will never be torn down which means it will most likely always be a D3/DDD/Triple D (Douchebag Dance Dungeon.) It'll just go under another name most likely with "At Webster Hall" affixed to it. Same shit different name and ownership.

New York Pharaoh said...

Made the New York Observer's news roundup today, but got you beat by a nose about someone finding a cooked horse’s head inside a beer box. http://observer.com/2016/02/on-the-market-the-met-museum-is-still-free-yet-another-brooklyn-airbnb-shut-down/.