Frank Carter: Gigs Should Be A Safe Space For Everyone

Whether it’s different genders, races, sexualities or ages, Frank Carter wants all audiences to feel welcome at The Rattlesnakes’ gigs…

"It took me a long time to give the problems of the patriarchy in society any mind, because I used to be extremely ignorant to the situations that women have to go through. I didn’t realise how much I benefitted from being a white, middle-class male, and I didn’t take into consideration the problems faced by minorities – be it gender or race.

"When I started realising and talking to our fans [about how] there was this big divide and there were problems that I could fucking change, it became incredibly important to me to do that, because I refuse to live in a world where people don’t feel safe at my shows. That is the first place I can start, and then who knows where I can take it from there? For the minute, though, what I do want to happen is for everyone who does come to our shows to feel safe and secure – even though they’re among thousands of strangers."

“I want everyone to come to our shows and be a family: no fights, no bad blood, just pure enjoyment. It doesn’t matter what you look like, what race, sexuality, how old you are… it just doesn’t fucking matter. If you come to a Rattlesnakes gig then you are welcome. You are included, and it’s for you. You should feel safe there, whether you’re crowd-surfing, stage-diving, dancing or sitting at the back. I want you to feel safe at our gigs, and I go out of my way to make sure we do that.

“I’ve got a young daughter, and I want to lead a good life for her and be a good example of what it means to be strong. When I realised some of the problems she is facing – the inherent systematic patriarchal divide that is prevalent in her life without her even realising – I took that as an opportunity for me to take the next decade and try and make a change, because I can measure it over so many years. By the time she is 14, hopefully the situation – at least at our gigs – will be very different. And from our gigs that will lead and bleed into the rest of the scene, and then hopefully much wider aspects beyond that.”

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes' new album End Of Suffering is out now.

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