Mac DeMarco detained during Santa Barbara gig

At a show last night in Santa Barbara’s UCSB, Mac DeMarco was detained by campus police. His on-stage trademarks - climbing venue poles, crowd-surfing, acting like a bit of an idiot, with limits - was enough to prompt security into halting the gig at The Hub, 15th November.

A report from local paper The Santa Barbara Independent says the show was interrupted twice, with two crowd members arrested after moshing and resisting police contact. The second time round, police intervened to detain DeMarco himself.

“About ten minutes into the show, security officers reportedly got on the stage and shined light on the audience, some of whom were moshing. Attendees speculated they were looking for people smoking marijuana. Not long after, a 22-year-old male — not a student and from out of the area — was arrested for challenging concert-goers as well as security officers to fight,” the report describes.

It continues: “The show went on, but was interrupted again after UCSB police officers detained DeMarco for sitting up in the railings. DeMarco was propped up to the beams by attendees after he surfed the crowd. He climbed to the second floor of the venue and walked down the stairs back to the stage where police officers detained him. According to Signa, it wasn’t until the police officers spoke to DeMarco outside that they realized he was the lead singer.”

Haley Snyder, amongst the 100 in attendance, told reporters: “I can’t believe the police are acting this way… There was no danger in the crowd.”

DeMarco posted an image from the incident below - see footage too.