Frost and the fury: Norwich punk gig halted over ice cube spat
Sarah Corbett says she was left feeling furious after Bobby Vylan went on a "rampage" after an ice cube landed on stage - Credit: Mark Evans/ Sarah Corbett
A gig-goer claims she was the victim of a vicious tirade by the lead singer of a punk band – all because of an ice cube!
Sarah Corbett, from Norwich, attended the Bob Vylan punk gig at The Waterfront last Friday — but left feeling furious.
The-53-year-old says lead singer Bobby Vylan, who donned an Ipswich Town shirt and wielded a baseball bat at the crowd, went on a "rampage" over the innocuous mistake, which saw an ice cube lobbed on stage.
At one point Bob Vylan began wielding a baseball bat, all while donning an Ipswich Town top - Credit: Submitted
According to other eye witnesses the gig was halted while the punk rocker ranted over the mic about the incident.
Ms Corbett said: "We were all having fun on the dance floor. I'd put an ice cube down my friend's top for a laugh.
"Another girl then threw it at her friend, but it missed and landed at his feet.
"At that point he stopped the gig and demanded to know who had thrown it.
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"Seeing the girl's face drop, I decided to take the flack and announced it was me. He started abusing me through the microphone.
"As I tried to leave, one of his fans tried to grab me by the throat."
A spokesman for the band said they "completely refute any wrongdoing".
He added: "An ice cube hit the lead singer and he believed it was thrown deliberately — this is unacceptable behaviour."
Mark Evans said everyone was having a great time at the gig, until Bob Vylan decided to shout at a woman in the crowd over an ice cube - Credit: Mark Evans
The band has become well known for their energetic stage shows and uncompromising lyrics.
Their gigs are notoriously lively with pictures online even showing Bobby Vylan crowd surfing with his genitals exposed.
While Ms Corbett waited outside, the fire alarm went off in the venue and everyone was evacuated — including Bob Vylan and and his moshing fans.
She claims the row continued outside when she asked him for an apology.
The band spokesman said Bobby "did not want to engage".
Mark Evans, host of Rebel Arts Radio in Cambridge, had travelled to Norwich to see the "up-and-coming punk artist".
"For me, his credibility has gone", he said. "He just went off on this horrible, bizarre rant, swearing through the microphone. All over an ice cube."
Bob Vylan donned an Ipswich Town t-shirt throughout the gig, which attendees said was great until the end of the night when things turned "bizarre" - Credit: Mark Evans
A spokeswoman for UEA Students' Union, which runs the venue, said they were "deeply saddened" by the incident.
She said: "We are conducting a thorough internal investigation to determine what happened.
"Currently, we have no further bookings with the artist in our diary."
