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Disturbed frontman halts show after female fan gets caught up in violent mosh pit

'You, my dear, we owe you a debt'

Jacob Stolworthy
Friday 01 February 2019 10:25 GMT
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Disturbed singer steps in after female fan gets caught up in violent mosh pit

The frontman of heavy metal band Disturbed halted a live show after noticing a female concertgoer getting pushed around too roughly in a mosh pit.

After a performance of “Indestructible”, David Draiman told the crowd he’d seen what had happened in the standing-only section of the Toyota Centre in Houston, Texas.

Draiman then asked if the woman would like to join him onstage, telling her: “You, my dear, we owe you a debt.”

The woman, a 30-year-old named Sami, then made her way to the stage in the 18,300-capacity venue. Draiman quipped: “On behalf of the gentlemen in Disturbed, I want to apologise for you getting jumped into our gang.”

Sami met the remainder of the band and stayed on stage for the performance of “The Light”.

Draiman – who is a married father of one – continued: “Call me old-fashioned. There are some crazy idiots out there who’d call me sexist for insisting on protecting a woman… But you know what? Everyone needs protection… And anyone who isn’t as strong as you deserves your protection. Do you understand that?”

After the gig, Draiman told Variety: “It kind of started right next to her, and it looked like she was getting tossed around,” he recalled. “It’s really important to me and the band that Disturbed shows are a positive experience for all in attendance.

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“When I saw what was going on, I had to step in and make sure she was OK and, thankfully, she was.”

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