Death From Above 1979 Reunion Gig Sparks Riot at SXSW

Published Mar 20, 2011

Fans of beloved Canadian pop rockers Death From Above 1979 started losing their minds earlier this year when it was announced that crunchy duo were getting back together , but chances are no one imagined their reunion would have caused a full-blown riot, as it did at their first performance in five years at Austin, TX's South by Southwest festival.According to Spinner , the band reportedly took to the stage sometime after 1:00 a.m. local time last night (March 19), with tons of bodies packing out the crowd at the Beauty Bar Backyard venue, and even more waiting outside to get into the tiny space. Unfortunately, 20 minutes into the group's set, chaos ensued as the hundreds that waited outside jostled for a better look at the band through a security fence.Eventually the pushing and shoving led to the fence being knocked down, which led police in the area to clash with the crowd. According to reports, some audience members were maced and threatened with Tasers. You can see one officer brandishing a Taser in the video below moments before horse-mounted police arrived on the scene."I didn't know the police were beating people," singer/drummer Sebastien Grainger toldshortly after the set. "Damn, now I feel bad."Bassist Jesse F. Keeler and Grainger initially stopped the set and tried to calm the crowd down with some stories and jokes as the fence was being rebuilt. They soon started up "Romantic Rights" but police stormed the stage, halting the tune. The group chilled out for a few more minutes but were eventually allowed to finish their set.Despite the madness of their first gig back, Death From Above 1979 are still on point. Check out the rest of the clips down below for proof.