Apparently at the Tulsa, OK stop of Niles current (MetalSucks co-sponsored) tour with Immolation, Krisiun, and Dreaming Dead, there was a last-minute line-up change, and Rose Funeral were announced as the new show openers. A group of concert goers, at least one of whom is said to be all of seventeen years old, decided to play a game of Uno near the stage in protest.
Now, lets stop right here for a second: yes, playing a card game while the band is performing, within the bands eye sight, is a dick move. Whether or not its any ruder than actual heckling is up for debate. Regardless, it doesnt justify what allegedly happened next.
I wasnt there (obviously), so now Im just going to re-print the first hand account of reader Michael Booher:
We played two and half games. At first Rose Funeral didnt seem to care, but then before their last song I heard the vocalist [Tim Russel] say What is this shit?! and they just continued on with their totally sweet breakdowns. After they were done I put the Uno deck up and the guitarist [Ryan Gardner] touched Ronnies shoulder and said, Hey are you the guy that was talking shit on YouTube? [We're also not clear what this is a reference to, but it's worth noting that Ronnie is apparently seventeen years old. - Ed.]
Ronnie: No, that would be him, and he pointed at me.
Me: Yeah it was me, whats up?
Rose Funeral drummer [Dusty Boles]: Lets go outside!
Me: No, I want to see these GOOD bands first.
Rose Funeral guitarist: No, lets go, NOW.
Me: No, I want to see these GOOD bands first.
At this point the guitarist apparently spit in Michaels face; Michael, in turn spit back. Then:
Dusty Boles: Lets go outside. [At which point Boles is said to have removed his shirt. - Ed.]
Rose Funeral bassist [Dale Hammond]: Hey, is that the guy?
At about this time a guy who works at the venue got in-between us. So it came as a surprise when I got hit in the back of the head. It made me take a step forward and then I ended up in some pussy headlock that I got out of way too easily. I didnt know this at the time, but Rose Funerals merch guy was the one who hit me in the head, and the guitarist is the one that got me in a headlock.
Right around this time venue security apparently got involved, separating Michael and his friends from the band and instructing the concert-goers to be careful about wandering the venue alone, lest they get jumped by the members of Rose Funeral. The evening continued without incident until:
I start walking back to the front, just in time to see Ronnie get hit by someone. [Dusty Boles] was choking him and BJ pulled him off. I dont know who hit him, but I only saw the guitarist so I started walking towards him again, only to have the guys working [at the venue] get in my way again. Ronnie said he didnt do anything, he just started getting hit and every time he turned around to see who hit him, he got hit in the back of the head again by someone else. A guy working [at the venue] took Ronnie outside and some other guys took the guitarist and drummer outside. I followed, thinking they were just going to let them kick Ronnies ass ,but it ended up being a few guys talking to Rose Funeral, a few talking to Ronnie, so I went back inside and laughed with my friends. After about fifteen minutes, Dreaming Dead had set up, and Ronnie wasnt back. I found the [venue employee] who grabbed my arm and dragged me away and asked him what was going on. He said This makes me fucking sick, I hate that it happened, but your friend got kicked out. The tour manager wants him gone, theres nothing I can do. WHAT THE FUCK! Ronnie gets hit for no fucking reason and HE GETS KICKED THE FUCK OUT?!
Now Michael is obviously coming from a biased place and never liked Rose Funeral in the first place, but, again, thats beside the point; the point is whether or not the band attacked a seventeen year old kid and his friends.