Response to KuKo's Booking Crew statement from 19.07.2022
We are responding to KuKo’s Booking Crew public allegations that harm our reputation on professional, political, and personal levels. In their statement KuKo accused us of verbal and physical aggression. We want to correct and complete the story of what happened on Sunday, July 3.
Re: physical assault allegation (“physical attack on a representative of the band”)
After we posted our statement in front of Triebwerke on Sunday afternoon, a representative (who was also apparently a “mediator”) from MDB came, tore down, took the statement, and tried to destroy it. A crew member asked stage security to stop this, which they didn’t. Two of our crew members asked for the statement back, which was refused by this MDB representative. We then grabbed it from the hands. There are several people, including stage security, who witnessed this interaction.
Although we understand our response can be perceived as violent, we do not believe in violence as a way of communication. The act of tearing down the statement was aggressive, and it was triggering to be silenced - again. It was KuKo’s responsibility to reach out and check any accusations coming from MDB. This demonstrates a double standard - when we came to Kuko with our concerns about MDB, they took the time to get a statement from the band.
Re: “verbal-aggressive behavior” towards booking crew representative
On Sunday morning, after waiting for 5 days for a written, official decision from KuKo (which never came), our crew met at Triebwerke to discuss options. Two hours before the stage opening, the KuKo booking crew sent one representative to talk to us. We had already experienced a lack of support and transparency from KuKo, who kept us ignorant of their decision until the last minute. We were frustrated, upset, and hurt with the situation. So, we spoke straightforwardly and loudly. We asked difficult questions, and criticized KuKo's way of handling the situation on a political and professional level. At no point did we threaten or become abusive.
We understand that this discussion must have been stressful for the representative. We are sorry that she had to face our frustration alone, which was not directed at her personally, but towards the decision makers in general. We wish the circumstances would have been different, and we had realized the harm of this one-against-all setting that KuKo initiated in the first place. We don't understand this decision, especially considering the sensitivity of the situation.
Re: “Fusion as a free space for all, without room for discrimination”
Being a FLINTA* feminist sound crew is a political statement on its own, and for years, Fusion Festival invited us to be a part of a shared political space. We believed in this. We put our hearts, strengths, and professional expertise in building a space on Fusion where FLINTA* people feel empowered and comfortable. Working as a FLINTA* person in the music world means dealing with sexism on a daily basis.
By asking KuKo to move MDB to another stage, we were asking to support the empowering, feminist vibe of our stage. We believed they would empathize with us, that we don't want a band with a macho attitude and controversial misogynistic history to play on our stage.
In the early stage of this conflict, it would have been easy for KuKo to support us as a FLINTA* collective AND keep the band on the festival, by simply moving them to another stage. Yes, that would have involved booking logistics, but supporting a feminist movement on Fusion should definitely be a priority - especially when the expectation is to create a “free space for all without room for discrimination”.
Since these events, KuKo has not tried to contact us, nor attempted to resolve this conflict in a constructive manner. During the festival, both sides were stressed and overworked. And we all know that in such situations, communication can easily go wrong.
KuKo booking crew posted a statement that adopted the defamatory accusations of MDB without confirming their validity. It was KuKo’s responsibility again to reach out to us and check any accusation coming from MDB.
While processing KuKo’s statement, we felt their rhetoric and tactics are reminiscent of mainstream political rhetoric, especially in self-victimization. We hope that both the Kuko crew and MDB take the time to self-reflect on their feminist politics, power relations, hierarchy, and handling of this situation.
The people who raised awareness concerning MDB’s attitude, took the time to write down their thoughts. You can find it here:
https://de.indymedia.org/node/211670
SoundSysters
FLINTA* feminist sound crew