An n musician has apologised to a mum and her five-month-old baby who were refused entry to a concert in an echo of what happened at a show by comedian Arj Barker in April.
Trish Faranda and her seven-month-old baby, Clara, were kicked out of Barker’s show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival because Clara was making too much noise and disturbing the American entertainer.
Now a similar thing has happened to Geelong mum Jasmine, her baby and partner, as they tried to attend singer/songwriter Angie McMahon’s show at The Forum in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
But the trio didn’t even make it into the venue – they were pulled aside at the door and refused entry.
Jasmine was furious about the incident when she later spoke to Jacqui Felgate on radio 3AW.
‘It didn’t even occur to me that it was something that I couldn’t do with my daughter, she’s exclusively breastfed,’ she said.
‘So there really wasn’t an option for me not to bring her, especially when I’m there with my partner.’
She had previously taken her children to football games, pubs, other concerts and music festivals, she said.
Jasmine has made a complaint to the Human Rights Equal Opportunity Commissioner and the Minister for Women about what happened.
She said the controversy at the Arj Barker show during the recent Melbourne Comedy Festival had crossed her mind when they were standing in line for McMahon’s show, but she didn’t expect what came next.
‘We were immediately pulled out of the line after one of our tickets had been scanned by someone in the door, and kind of pulled aside.’
She said it made her feel like she’d been ‘disorderly in the line … (though) of course I wasn’t.’
The venue manager came out and told the family that letting them in was a risk to its licence and there was no other option.
Jasmine said the experience was ‘frustrating’ and that ‘we have every right to be at live music, especially when the industry is already really struggling’.
In a subsequent interview with Angie McMahon on 3AW, the musician immediately apologised for what had happened to the family.
‘I’m so sad. I’m sorry that it’s happened. We’ve had newborns at some of the other shows on the tour and it’s been so special,’ McMahon said.
‘It’s like a really lovely moment to know that their parents have brought them to see us, and that’s one of their first gigs.
‘It’s so special for us to know that that’s happening so I wouldn’t have minded at all.’
McMahon said she knows that new mums in particular are ‘doing it tough and they should be able to have a night out and enjoy it with their bubba’.
However, she reiterated what the venue manager had said, saying ‘It sounds like they couldn’t let her in because of the licence, which is tricky’.
‘I know that venues are doing it so hard and it’s so hard to risk your licence in any way.’
The singer said she would make some enquiries and she hopes ‘more conversations can happen about that licensing … just to have some clarity for people, so that we know mums are being looked after’.
The station then brought the excluded mum back on air to speak with the musician.
‘Jasmine, I’m just so sorry that that was your experience,’ McMahon told her fan. ‘I would love to organise some tickets for you to another show and I would love to sort it out.
‘It’s really hard to go to something like that and I wish it hadn’t happened. And thank you so much for buying a ticket and supporting live music.’
Jasmine appreciated the personal apology, responding: ‘Thanks Angie. And I’ll keep (going to your shows). Love your music, love live music and I’ll keep bringing my bub because it’s important.’
McMahon praise Jasmine for being a ‘voice (for) other mums who are breastfeeding’.
‘I’m totally with you and think you should just have been able to enjoy the show and I’m sorry that you didn’t (get let in).’
Daily Mail has contacted the Mariner Group, which owns The Forum, for comment.