The Killers say crew sexual assault claim is ‘entirely unfounded’

The Killers’ legal team say they have conducted an investigation into allegations of sexual assault and misconduct by crew on a tour several years ago and found them to be “entirely unfounded” .

In a lengthy statement sent to Sky News, the rock band said they had found no evidence to back up claims made in a blog post by a female sound engineer, who detailed an incident involving another woman after working on a tour in the US more than 10 years ago.

However, they did identify a former “problematic” touring crew member who would make “sexist remarks and rude comments”, and expressed “regret” that the woman “felt she had nowhere to turn with her concerns at the time”.

They also announced plans to make improvements for future tours and urged anyone who might have further information about the claims to get in touch.

The woman who wrote the blog post detailed an incident in a dressing room in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2009, involving another woman who was heavily intoxicated – but did not state that any members of the band were involved or present.

She was interviewed as part of The Killers’ legal team’s investigation, they said, along with other crew members and staff from the time – the year after the band released their third album, Day & Age.

The legal team said they were “unable to find any corroboration whatsoever of a sexual assault at the Milwaukee venue”.

They summarised their investigations into several “heartbreaking” allegations made in the post, saying they wanted the findings to be “clearly detailed” to show the claims were “entirely unfounded”.

They confirmed that the woman, an audio technician, joined the crew for three weeks, starting in April 2009.

“It was established that this temporary audio technician received much of the information she shared from a second or third hand source,” the statement said. “She confirmed that she did not witness the alleged events herself.”

It was also confirmed “that she did not interact with any band members on the tour,” the statement continued.

During their investigations, the band’s legal team did establish that several crew members from the time identified a former front of house (FOH) engineer for the band as “a problematic workmate”.

There was a “pattern of poor management by this person, and a series of sexist remarks and rude comments caused the female crew member on the audio team great distress”, the statement said. “This type of behaviour is considered unacceptable by The Killers and their team.”

The engineer was “terminated from the touring team in 2013”, they said.

The alleged victim of the “dressing room” claim, who was given an “after show” pass from the FOH engineer, was traced as part of their investigation, the legal team said, and they were able to “confirm with her that she did not experience, witness or hear about a sexual assault”.

While it was ascertained there could be “vulgar language” and that “crass jokes” were sometimes made by the touring crew in 2009, “crude language of this type is now extremely rare”, the statement said, with management becoming “increasingly vigilant on this front” and verifying that “aggressive or derogatory language by crew results in dismissal”.

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The statement continued: “Tour management and band members recognise that sexual language can be weaponised to make women feel unsafe in a predominantly male environment. They consider continued vigilance on this issue to be their responsibility.”

The Killers and their team “are committed to a safe and inclusive space for everyone whilst on the road”, they said.

“Due to these allegations, and the very clear belief that this temporary crew member felt she had nowhere to turn with her concerns at the time, The Killers plan to take immediate action for future tours.

“The band believe there should always be an easy way to report a situation that is concerning to anyone on the road with them, no matter their status or how briefly they are joining for.

“They expressed regret that the temporary crew member was made to feel unsafe and bullied during her brief time with the band and understand that it is not always feasible for touring crew to raise concerns with their immediate superiors…

“The Killers would like to take this opportunity to assure their fans – and the families of their current crew – that their tours are a safe, familial and professional working environment.”

The Killers – Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr – formed in 2001 and are preparing to release their sixth album, Imploding The Mirage.

(c) Sky News 2020: The Killers say crew sexual assault claim is ‘entirely unfounded’