Kat Katz releases expanded statement about leaving Agoraphobic Nosebleed

Kat Katz has released a new, expanded statement on Facebook about her decision to quit Agoraphobic Nosebleed, the grindcore band she joined as vocalist in 2007. “My decision to leave Agoraphobic Nosebleed after our appearance at Quebec Deathfest in Montreal symbolized the end of a series of uncomfortable events I have experienced over the last several weeks with the band,” she writes. “These experiences included situations in which I felt my presence as an equal member was no longer respected, and my gender served as a reason to belittle my presence and my opinion on the personal dynamics and inner workings of the band.”

Kat continues:

As someone who has performed within the extreme music scene for many years and remained (to my own detriment) quiet about experiences prior to my work with AnB of harassment and sexualized bullying, I decided that for my own well-being, the cycle of misogyny, overt and unwanted sexual behavior directed towards me had to stop.

While I considered quitting immediately after our show in Montreal, I first consulted with several of my close friends to see if I could cope with what happened because I loved playing in this band and despite our differences, respected my musical colleagues. However, after considering the disrespect demonstrated towards me as a musician, a woman, and as a prominent member of AnB, I decided to leave.

The response by my former bandmates to my decision has been extremely disappointing, but not entirely surprising. Unfortunately, it is common for people to assume that women’s accounts of harassment come from a place of hysteria and hypersensitivity, versus the responses by their male colleagues that for the most part, are perceived as “the truth” – especially within a male-dominated musical genre and culture.

I am saddened that my decision to leave has caused additional strife, but despite that, I wish my former musical colleagues the best in their future endeavors.

Kat’s initial statement leaving Agoraphobic Nosebleed said she was “tired of being bullied by dudes.” Other members of the band responded with a lengthy statement describing the events that led to Kat’s departure, which involved a situation on tour when the rest of the band couldn’t find Kat while she was helping someone with a mental emergency. Kat replied, saying, “I was screamed at when I returned outside the hotel, in the hotel room, and in the airport. I was in tears for most of the trip. Dude was screaming at me while I was balling my eyes out. I’m a 34-year-old women. I’m not going to be treated like that.”