Evian Christ did not have to cancel his Reading festival show because he had been detained by security – he made the decision himself, the boss of the Reading and Leeds festivals has said.
The DJ and producer, who has collaborated with Kanye West, was detained by security at the Leeds leg of the festival on Friday, and put in a temporary holding pen. He tweeted a video of his incarceration with the caption: “reading fest cancelled (sorry). cuz leeds put me in a cage.”
reading fest cancelled (sorry) cuz leeds put me in a cage #freeevian pic.twitter.com/sArsBnR8fg
— evian christ 2015 (@evian_christ) August 28, 2015
He added that “festival staff didn’t believe I was a DJ and thought I was ‘trying to break into the festival’ after my set.”
However, Reading and Leeds boss Melvyn Benn has explained to NME that it wasn’t quite that simple. “Evian was found in a not very good state in the woods, without being able or willing to disclose who he was. He was effectively held till we knew who he was. He certainly wasn’t prevented from performing under any circumstances. It was his decision not to perform, not the festival’s.”
