Hard rock bands Unchipped and Weed Demon were told they could not perform if the festival wanted to keep its insurance coverage.

Two bands have been removed from the lineup at ComFest less than a month before its start date at the behest of an insurance provider, according to a statement released Sunday by festival organizers.

Hard rock bands Unchipped and Weed Demon, both of central Ohio, were told they could not perform if the three-day festival celebrating the collective good wanted to keep its assault and battery coverage, which the city of Columbus requires in order to receive the necessary permits, the statement said.



Meghan Ralston, a member of ComFest’s entertainment committee this year, said the provider, Tokio Marine HCC, did not offer an explanation as to why the company targeted the two bands with regards to its coverage under the "Assault & Battery" category, which covers physical altercations.

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“They didn’t give us a good reason,” she said. “They were like, ‘These were the two, and if you don’t take them off the schedule, you don’t get coverage.’ We honestly don't know why those two bands were singled out.”

A representative for Tokio Marine HCC in Houston said the company does not discuss private contracts. Calls to Michael Gruber, the Columbus-based insurance broker who handles ComFest’s policies, according to Ralston, were not immediately returned.

Multiple responses to a ComFest Facebook post sharing its official statement expressed extreme displeasure with the insurance company, while others singled out ComFest — which is known for its anti-corporate commitments — for giving in to the pressure.

Jordan Holland, bass player and vocalist in Weed Demon, said he believes the festival — which will take place from June 28-30 — was put in a delicate position, and feels no animosity, even if he wants answers.

“It absolutely bothers me, but I’m not so naive to think that something that’s been a staple in the Columbus community for 47 years should not have the fest over this particular scenario,” Holland, 33, said. “So I stand with ComFest and the good they do in this community, and I know they're not happy about the situation, but I think it runs counter to their whole reason to exist.”

ComFest signed the contract with the insurance company without including the two bands in the proceedings, but did meet with the musical groups for several hours on Sunday to discuss ways to soften the blow, Holland said.

To that end, the festival decided to keep their concert slots open — 4:50 p.m. Friday for Unchipped and 5:35 p.m. Friday for Weed Demon — and to allow the bands to sell their merchandise and speak onstage if they wish. Ralston said organizers also offered to help them find alternative spaces to host shows.

Holland said his band does not have a history of violent crowds or mosh pits, and he pointed out that several other hard rock bands were allowed to remain in the lineup.

“Hell, our music, to be honest, is too slow for most people to mosh to,” he said. “I’ve been playing in this band for four years, and we very, very rarely, if ever, have anyone moshing or doing anything during our set other than headbanging and drinking beer."

Joe Gerling, a partner at the Columbus law firm Lane Alton, who specializes in insurance, said the strict legal stipulations seemed unusual, but because ComFest signed the contract, there’s not much that can be done.

“You kind of recoil at any form of censorship, is my default. I look at something like this and say ‘come on,’” he said. “But because the companies are private organizations, it’s probably (the insurance provider’s) right to decide if they want the risk.”

If he was representing them, he said, he would urge ComFest to check another company and not give up just yet.

With just a few weeks until the festival, Ralston said, there’s nothing festival organizers can do. Next year, though, they plan to take a close look at the event’s policies.

“I think we’ve got a lot of research to do,” she said. “This is definitely not something we’re comfortable with and we definitely don’t want it to happen again.”

joller@dispatch.com

@juliaoller