Brandon fans flock to Hedley show despite controversy

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This article was published 17/02/2018 (2827 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — Despite allegations of sexual misconduct against Canadian band Hedley, fans at last night’s show in Brandon say the group is innocent until proven guilty.

“You don’t know what’s true anymore,” concert-goer Shelley Ray said.

Since the accusations, including detailed encounters with young fans, against Hedley were circulated by anonymous social media users earlier this week, the band has lost its management team, been abandoned by their two opening acts and had their music blacklisted by the CBC and more than 100 Bell Media radio stations.

Hedley is currently on a cross-Canada tour in support of their new album Cageless and arrived in Brandon on Friday to perform at the Keystone Centre’s newly named arena Westoba Place, following shows in Medicine Hat, Alta., on Wednesday and Moose Jaw, Sask., on Thursday.

Despite the allegations, longtime fan Susanne Fayant said she is taking them with a grain of salt.

Fayant has been following the group for 13 years and has seen them six times already.

Fayant was “broken-hearted” after hearing the allegations, but said unless charges were laid, the band should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“It’s social media,” she said. “How much can you believe on social media?”

It isn’t known exactly how many seats were sold for the band’s performance in Brandon, but tickets were still available on the Keystone Centre website by the time the show started at 7 p.m.

Media were not allowed in and both a Brandon Sun reporter and photographer were ushered out of the concourse of Westoba Place prior to the start of the show.

The Keystone Centre’s Marketing & Sponsorship manager Krista Kowaluk also declined to comment.

But speaking to concert-goers, many remained largely supportive of the band and equally as skeptical about the accusations.

“It’s not going to hurt our enjoyment of the show,” said Kelly Madsen, who came to see Hedley for the first time with her family.

Madsen said, while she could see both sides of the issue, she didn’t know if the accusations were true or not.

Her daughter Mikayla also said the allegations wouldn’t ruin her time there. “If they did, they did,” she said, “if they didn’t, they didn’t.”

Hedley addressed the accusations against them in a statement Wednesday calling them “unsubstantiated,” but acknowledged they “engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock ’n’ roll cliches.”

On Friday, both of Hedley’s opening acts, Neon Dreams and Shawn Hook, announced they would be dropping off of the concert lineup.

— Brandon Sun, with files from The Canadian Press