Music

How Boston’s Speedy Ortiz set out to make rock shows safer

Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz performs during Riot Fest on August 28 in Denver. Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images

By Beau Collins and Caroline Reilly

September 11, 2015

3 minutes to read

If you run into any problems at a Speedy Ortiz show, don’t worry: The band’s got your back.

The acclaimed Boston-rooted indie rock band, led by songwriter Sadie Dupuis, has announced explicit “safe space’’ guidelines for its shows and a hotline for audience members who feel harassed or threatened.

“It’s important to us that our shows be inclusive,’’ Dupuis, also a guitarist and singer, told us in an email. “Too often some of us have felt excluded from rock scenes that are largely homogenous, and at which the unchecked entitlement of the predominantly white straight cismale attendees can manifest into a violation of safety for those who don’t fit that type.’’

The band, known for its supercharged guitar play and trenchant, enigmatic lyrics, spelled out its policy in a statement that will be posted at future shows.

“We believe that as a concertgoer you have a right to an inclusive, welcoming performance space,’’ the statement says. “Harassment and intolerance will not be permitted at tonight’s show. This includes, but is not limited to: racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, & all other oppressive and marginalizing actions and microaggressions.’’

The hotline allows audience members to send texts directly to the band, which plans to take up any problem directly with the venue’s staff.

“Contact us any time & let us know if you are in trouble,’’ the band’s statement says.

Dupuis told us that the Boston indie scene in which her band operates is a close-knit and supportive community – but that that hasn’t made it immune from harassment and exclusion.

“Like many other rock scenes,’’ Dupuis wrote, “it’s predominantly populated by musicians who are white and male. And I have plenty of friends who perform in Boston who are women or people of color who have felt shut out, or experienced straight up aggression, from people who described themselves as feminist allies.’’

These are not new ideas for the Allston-bred band. Speedy Ortiz has advocated for all-ages venues and safe spaces since it formed in 2011. Dupuis says the new safe space policy is a manifestation of the inclusive stance the band has already expressed through its music.

The band’s second full-length album, Foil Deer, released in April, is partly about standing up for yourself in the face of bigotry.

“Certainly I would consider my songwriting to be feminist,’’ Dupuis said. “And so I think this hotline is an extension of what those politics mean to me, which is equal treatment and opportunities for all kinds of humans.’’

Watch Speedy Ortiz’s “Raising the Skate’’

For Dupuis, the need for safe and inclusive spaces extends to performers as well as concertgoers.

“It’s been important to us to increase the visibility of performers who are women, people of color, queer (partially since some of us fall under those categories, partially since we think music should be more accessible to a wider array of backgrounds),’’ she wrote.

Dupuis also hopes the hotline will inspire a conversation about the nature of harassment that will reach the source of the problem: generally, the deeply-ingrained attitudes of cisgender men.

“Sometimes these acts of discrimination are so insidious that the person acting oppressively has no idea their behavior is harmful, or that they’re engaging in aversive racism or sexism,’’ she said. “So we’re hoping at the very least to spark a dialogue, to help showgoers become more aware of how to support others in their community.’’

Now, as the band achieves greater prominence, Dupuis feels she has greater power to insist on safe space policies at bigger venues. She hopes other bands will follow suit.

“The idea came from times in which I’ve felt uncomfortable with someone’s sexual harassment, couldn’t get them to lay off, and didn’t know how to find venue security. So if some larger bands implement this idea, I know I’ll feel safer attending their shows, knowing there’s a protocol in place to help those who need it,’’ she said.

True to its DIY roots, the group announced the new policy directly to its Facebook page, without a press release. Dupuis has been pleasantly surprised by the sudden wave of positive responses from fans.

“I think this idea is really resonating with people and just proves that there is a real need for services of this kind,’’ Dupuis said.