Kasms kicked out of Kendal Calling

The usually amiable and polite Kasms found themselves at the centre of a ruckus on Sunday night when security at Kendal Calling Festival took offence to their frenzied stage show.

London-based Kasms have fast built their reputation as one of the most lively bands with an unpredictable stage show. However, it seems that singer Rachel Callaghan's onstage antics, were a step too far for the folk of Kendal.

Having finished their set with the petite red-head leaping into the drum kit and accidentally scratching it, the band came offstage to be greeted by the security staff. Bewildered, Kasms were unable to stay to complete press they had arranged, had their wristbands removed and were escorted off site, despite agreeing to pay the £40 bill for repairs to the kit. Police were called but not required on this occasion.

Gemma Fleet the band's bassist spoke to eFestivals about the incident,

"Their staff blew the whole thing out of all proportion, Rachel just jumped into the drums at the end, that's how we always end our show. They booked us they must know how we usually end our shows. The sound guy went mad, he wouldn't look at me and said get away from me. He said we'd trashed the back line. Security came over ripped the passes off us, Rachel was distraught. Even after we paid for the damage, a small inconsequential scratch on the kit, they came over and insulted her. We can't believe it. It was nothing, it was just a normal gig for us. It was criminal."

In a recent interview, singer Rachel Mary Callaghan defended her energetic and sometimes confrontational performances "if you met me I'm pretty sure you would not find me threatening even if I wanted to come across like that." She explained, "It's just a bit of fun, mostly I try and get the audience to dance around a bit just because they can be pretty wooden."

You can read the band's account of the evening's events on their blog here.

The festival saw the likes of The Streets, The Zutons, The Rumble Strips, Beardyman, Chase & Status, Noah and The Whale, The King Blues, Fight Like Apes, Hereldeduke, Craig Charles, The Travelling Band, The Kabeedies, Cornershop, The Yards, Riot Jazz, appear at the Lake District bash, over the last weekend.

eFestivals will have a full review with pictures of the festival online once we've recovered from a good weekend.

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