BBC removes Billy Nomates Glastonbury clip after online abuse
The BBC has removed a social media clip of Billy Nomates performing at Glastonbury after the singer experienced online abuse.
Billy Nomates – real name Tor Maries – performed on Glastonbury Festival’s Park Stage on Friday (June 23), but asked BBC6 Music to take down footage of her online because she was receiving an “insane” amount of “personal abuse”.
A post that appears to have now been deleted from Maries read: “The level of personal abuse on @bbc6music socials for going to work today is insane. I’ve asked for all footage to be removed.
“I know it’s not for everyone what I do. I know lots of people don’t rate me. But the level of personal abuse on that public page is too much. There will be no more shows after this summer. You wouldn’t stay in a workplace that did this to you. Why should I.”
The BBC has since removed the social media post in question, but the full set is still available to watch on iPlayer.
A BBC spokesperson told PA: “We want 6 Music to be a place where brilliant artists such as Billy Nomates are celebrated and supported, and we have respected Tor’s request to have the clip posted on our social channels removed.”
They added that the full set is still available “for audiences to enjoy” online.
After Maries’ initial post, the musician was met with support from numerous musicians including Billy Bragg.
“Solidarity from everyone at Left Field with Billy No Mates who was so badly abused online after her @Glastonbury set was posted on @BBC6Music that she asked them to take [the] clip down,” he wrote in a tweet.
“She played a set for us last year and was brilliant. You’ll always have [a] place here Tor.”
The Anchoress, aka Catherine Anne Davies, tweeted: “Glastonbury should have been a career highlight for the fabulous Billy Nomates but instead toxic and misogynistic online culture ruins everything and she’s asked them to remove footage of her incredible set. And we wonder why we have no female headliners?”
Others tweeting in support included Sleaford Mods, Lauren Laverne, Portished’s Geoff Barrow and Edith Bowman.
Speaking to NME earlier this year, Maries opened up about the abuse she has received online previously ahead of the release of her album, ‘CACTI’ in January.
“I’m still up against people that fucking hate what I’m doing, and they want to let me know,” she said.
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Hollie Geraghty
NME
