February 2, 2007 10:13

The Automatic cause havoc on Shockwaves NME Awards indie tour

Keyboard player Pennie grapples with fans and stage invaders

The Automatic keyboard player Pennie has caused havoc on Irish leg of the Shockwaves NME Awards Indie Rock Tour.

The star had kicked off the week by accidentally breaking fan's glasses in Belfast. Then the following night he was involved in a bust-up with a stage invader in Dublin.

On Tuesday night (January 30), during the band’s headline slot at The Ambassador in Dublin, Pennie became embroiled in a fight with a stage invader during 'Raoul', the band’s second song of the night.

Automatic fan Sheena McGinley told NME.COM: “Some guy from the audience managed to climb up on one of the speaker stacks and lit a cigarette, thus flouting the smoking ban. Pennie just went mental and went up after him where the pair of them engaged in some wrestling before it all spilled over onto the stage.

“Pennie looked to have hit your man a slap before Rob Hawkins (The Automatic frontman) intervened and turfed him out. It was weird, there was no bouncers to be seen, and the ‘fan’ was brought backstage, leading many to believe he might have been Peter (Reilly, guitarist) from The View, but I don’t think he was.

Pennie then bizarrely apologised for the incident. It was strange. Just before that Rob had fallen on his arse after leaping in the air during ‘By My Side’.”

The Dublin stage row followed an incident in Belfast the previous night (January 29), where Pennie had leapt into the front row and allegedly destroyed a fan's pair of glasses, however the band gave the band some free t-shirts to make up for it after the gig.

The tour continues tonight with the second of two sold-out nights at the Glasgow Carling Academy (February 2), while the Shockwaves NME Awards Indie Rave Tour, featuring Klaxons, CSS, New Young Pony Club and The Sunshine Underground, kicks off on Saturday (February 3) at the Ambassador in Dublin.