Leeds Festival Organizer Says Evian Christ Was “In A Not Very Good State”

Over the weekend, Evian Christ Tweeted that the security team at Leeds Festival had locked him in a cage and refused to let him out. The organizer of the festival, Melvin Benn, spoke with The Guardian about the incident in an article published this morning. "Evian was found in a not very good state in the woods, without being able or willing to disclose who he was," Benn explained. "He was effectively held till we knew who he was. He certainly wasn't prevented from performing under any circumstances. It was his decision not to perform, not the festival's."

The producer responded to Benn's accusations of excessive inebriation at length on Facebook. "Festival owner Melvin Benn found a moment in his busy schedule of being an a top-class dickhead to claim via the NME that i was 'intoxicated and refusing to identify myself,'" Christ wrote. "Even if that were true (it isn't), there's likely a better way to deal with that situation than to physically detain someone who isn't actually legally under arrest for anything. so im sorry melv, you weren't there mate, i was. i'd had a few drinks as i always do at a show (your festival provided them) but i was fine and your security staff removed the only form of identification given to me after i provided them with it. those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at a DJ they locked in a cage."

Christ finished his statement with a flourish: "When you see defamatory quotes flying around you kinda have to say something. anyway have a nice week fuck leeds fest xo evian."

Read the producer's full Facebook post below, and check out his FADER interview.