Spiritbox frontwoman Courtney LaPlante stopped a recent show to have a violent fan removed from the crowd – check out footage below.
The incident took place during the Canadian metal band’s set at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre in Phoenix, Arizona on July 15, where they were supporting Evanescence alongside Nova Twins.
Before closing the performance with ‘Soft Spine’, LaPlante brought the show to a halt after drummer Zev Rose spotted someone apparently hurting other audience members.
“Zev is taller than us and he’s up on the kit, and he sees some fucker right now,” she told the crowd. “We’re not gonna play another song and this show is not gonna continue until we make sure everybody out there is safe.”
She then encouraged those around the alleged aggressor to identify them, saying: “I need you guys to be tattletales – who’s the fucking freak that’s hurting everybody? Point them out.”
After numerous fans pointed towards the individual, LaPlante added: “Well guess what, fucker? We all saw you, we know where you are and your ass is gonna get kicked the fuck out.”
The singer then crouched at the edge of the stage to check on one of the people who had reportedly been caught up in the incident. “Hey, are you OK, bud?” she asked. “I know that you didn’t mean to draw attention – I’m sorry to draw attention to you, but that’s fucked up, OK?”
“This isn’t the damn gold medal karate match, OK? This is a rock ‘n’ roll show,” she continued, before confirming that security had located the alleged offender.
“Let that be a lesson to anybody out there who fucks around tonight,” LaPlante said. “Because our security, they’re very nice and they love you guys, but they have let me know that if they have to, they will baptise a motherfucker and they will tune you up.”
She then reminded fans to look after each other in the crowd, asking: “If anybody falls down, what are you going to do? You’re going to pick them up, OK?”
Some fans who claimed to have witnessed the incident later alleged on social media that the person had been punching and shoving people outside the designated mosh pit.
‘Soft Spine’ appeared on the band’s second studio album ‘Tsunami Sea’, which was released in March last year. In a four-star review, NME hailed the record as “awe-inspiring modern metal” and praised the group for “continuing to push the boundaries of what metalcore can be”.
Spiritbox also performed ‘Soft Spine’ at the 2026 Grammys, where they were nominated for Best Metal Performance for the third time.
The band are currently touring North America with Evanescence and Nova Twins, before embarking on their biggest UK headline tour to date in September.
That run will begin at Glasgow’s SEC on September 12 and also visit Nottingham, Manchester and Cardiff, before concluding at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on September 19. Find any remaining tickets here.
Spiritbox will later support Metallica at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena on November 21, as part of the metal veterans’ two-night “No Repeat Weekend” at the venue.
