A Turnstile concert in Richmond, Va., has resurfaced in the news following viral footage of an audacious stage dive and an earlier pepper spray incident that prompted backlash and an ongoing investigation into police conduct.
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The Baltimore hardcore band played Brown’s Island in September, and as is typical for their high-octane live shows, fans were encouraged to join the band onstage during their performance of “Birds.”
In video footage that recently gained traction online, one fan is seen sprinting across the stage and launching himself over the photo pit, attempting to clear a large gap between the stage and the barricade. The crowd erupts as he rotates midair, landing with the back of his legs clipping the top of the barricade before crashing into the audience.
The stunt is just one of several wild moments from the show. That same night, another fan was pepper sprayed by a local sheriff’s deputy — an act that drew widespread criticism after fan-filmed footage captured the officer brandishing a can of spray and firing it directly into a teen’s face. Bassist Franz Lyons, standing nearby onstage, is seen recoiling and shielding his eyes from the dispersing spray.
Speaking about the incident at the time with The Guardian, Turnstile frontman Brendan Yates called it “A cowardly action from an officer coming in and spraying a 15-year-old kid and then walking away – I don’t think that’s an isolated event. But at our shows, it was a new thing. It’s something that we strive to keep away.”
The incident was later confirmed to be under review. Richmond Sheriff Antoinette Irving announced that her office had launched an internal investigation and was reviewing bodycam footage to determine the circumstances around the use of force. Further details about the outcome of the investigation have not yet been released.
Turnstile has become one of the most critically acclaimed live acts in recent years, breaking out of the underground with their 2021 album Glow On. The record debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 and landed the band three Grammy nominations: best rock album (Glow On), best rock song (“Holiday”), and best rock performance (“Blackout”).
Their live shows — often defined by nonstop mosh pits, stage dives, and cathartic fan interaction — have helped them secure spots on major festival stages including Coachella, Glastonbury, and Lollapalooza. The Brown’s Island show was part of their fall U.S. tour ahead of a U.K. and European run that kicked off in Dublin on Oct. 31.
The European tour includes upcoming stops in Glasgow, Manchester, and London, before heading through Hamburg, Amsterdam, Milan, Paris and more. Turnstile will then head Down Under in January for a series of Australian shows.
