Ariel Pink has always taken his behavior to the fringes of what is considered acceptable – according to one Reddit user who saw his show in San Francisco on Saturday, October 14 (the first night of a four-night residency at The Chapel in the Mission District), the popular indie singer went over the line.
The user, who used a throwaway handle to protect her identity, described a drunk Pink taking the stage after John Maus’ set. He described noticeable tension between Pink and his girlfriend Charles, who performs in his band. The singer then attempted to push his girlfriend into the crowd, grabbed her by the ankle and would not let go, and literally pinned her down on the stage getting “on top of her in a very assault-y fashion.”
She got up dazed and rubbing her head, and said “that was inappropriate” after the song was over. She said that Charles left the stage after performing a few songs and sat in a stairwell looking upset for the rest of the show.
Today, Pink indirectly addressed the story with a series of tweets, indicating what he had done was gross and could not be defended. While he does not admit to doing exactly what was outlined in the story, he is clearly acknowledging it and not denying it.
Ariel Pink recently released a new album, titled Dedicated to Bobby James. The album is a predictably strong collection of his bizarro indie pop sounds, borrowing influence for several generations of rock and pop music.
UPDATE (10/18): Ariel Pink’s girlfriend has weighed in herself on Twitter with several posts.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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