Set It Off Part Ways with Bassist Following Sexual Assault Allegations

UPDATE:

After several hours of quiet since he was publicly removed from Set It Off, Austin Kerr has finally responded with a statement of his own about the allegations against him.

“As of two days ago I became aware of some serious allegations against me. There are two sides of every story and then there’s the truth. Fact is, I’m a guy who hasn’t always considered the way people may perceive my actions and while never forceful, there’s situations where I’ve been too pushy in several matters. I am taking full responsibility for my actions and behavior. I am so sorry for the effects of my actions and I apologize to anyone who has ever been made to feel uncomfortable by me in any capacity. I promise you it was NEVER my intention and I never thought I was entitled to anything.

I will carry myself differently in every matter I’m a part of from this day on. Upon first hearing of these matters, I immediately stopped drinking anywhere near shows, and stopped doing anything that might make someone uncomfortable (i.e. hugging them, picking them up, etc.). I will continue for the rest of my life being fully observant of other people’s feelings. After talking with the band, we have all agreed that I should part ways as nothing in this this should be attached to them in any way. I got to live my dream for years. For all the times, lessons and memories, I am so grateful.

Unfortunately attached to these allegations are half stories, exaggerations and untruthful statements. Since the tumblr post was released I have been approached by multiple people by their own accord who were there and can varify that some statements made are fictional or have proof of their falsehoods.

The truth is I’ve made people feel uncomfortable and I’m sorry. I encourage everyone to read into things before they believe them or make judgements. In often cases a lack of proof means something.

Moving forward, I am actively working on improving and making better decisions so that I will never make anyone feel like this again.”

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It seems like with each passing day, more and more musicians are being accused of disorderly conduct when it comes to their underage fans.

We’re not sure if it’s because they like to use their “celebrity” label more, or if it has to do with presence of social media, or maybe the bands that we grew up with were a little more respectful when it came to their fans, but the truth is, things are getting out of control.

Today another band has found themselves in hot water due to a band member and their alleged misconduct with an underage fan, this time, in the United Kingdom.

According to the alleged victim/writer of a Tumblr blog post, there were several instances in which she encountered (now former) Set It Off bassist Austin Kerr which resulted in awkward interacts that made her uncomfortable. Instances, according to her, included Kerr making sexual innuendos, inappropriately touching not only her but her friends, and sending her (screen shots are included in the post) weird messages online.

Instead of letting these allegations hurt the Florida-based band, who are slated to begin the Vans Warped Tour in July, they quickly and swiftly took to their Facebook to release an official statement on the matter.

In the post, which can be seen below, they do not cite the blog as the reason behind Kerr’s removal, but they do make reference to it by saying that rumors were brought to their attention and that their number one priority is the safety of their fans.

While we’re not going to post the specifics from the blog here, we will give the link to it (seen here) for those interested in reading what reportedly happened to the writer.

Like out disclaimer every time a story like this comes out, we’re not going to take any sides, but we will keep this updated when new information about it becomes known.

As to what Set It Off are going to do now that they are down a member, we’re not sure. They have an upcoming tour stop this Friday (May 22) at the Bullingdon Club in Oxford, UK and have confirmed any and all upcoming shows will remain in full effect; no cancellations.

It’s also a good time to point out that Kerr has not made a statement about the accusations against him either. His last post on Twitter was from yesterday.

The Gossip’s Beth Ditto, Arrested

The Gossip’s lead singer, Beth Ditto was arrested early Tuesday morning in Portland after she allegedly got super wasted, walked into the middle of the street, blocked traffic and started to yell.

Portland PD were called to the scene and found Ditto, real name Mary Beth Patterson, “standing in the middle of the street with her arms extended from her sides like an airplane” according to Portland PD spokesman, Sgt. Pete Simpson.

A source told the Willamette Week, a bartender at the Bungalo Bar cut the singer off because she was completely drunk. Not feeling the fact that she was cut off, Ditto went outside, threw her shoes and purse and started to shout, “Obama! Obama!”

She was taken into custody after ignoring requests by officers who were trying to bring the singer off the street where she was blocking four cars. That’s where all the nuttiness ends because she was taken into custody without any incident and was booked on one count of disorderly conduct at nearby Multnomah County jail.

But all is good, she was released a short time later. Now she can continue her one man (woman?) cheer party for the president.