Na hardcore koncertu skupine Cross Of Disbelief, ki je 8. januarja potekal v prostorih Granskis Records v Augusti (ZDA), je prišlo do incidenta, ki je močno razburil glasbeno in fotografsko skupnost. Med nastopom je pevec skupine fizično posegel v delo koncertne fotografinje Kayle Boshard, ji iz rok iztrgal fotoaparat in ga zalučal ob tla, pri čemer je bila oprema resno poškodovana.
Fotografinja je bila na dogodku uradno najeta, kar pomeni, da ni šlo za naključnega obiskovalca s kamero, temveč za osebo, ki je opravljala svoje delo. Po njenih besedah se ji je pevec med fotografiranjem približal, nato pa brez kakršnegakoli opozorila ali verbalnega konflikta posegel po njenem fotoaparatu in ga uničil. Kljub šoku in materialni škodi je ostala profesionalna ter nadaljevala z delom, kolikor ji je oprema to še dopuščala.
Incident pa se s tem ni končal. Skupina Cross Of Disbelief je kmalu zatem na svojih družbenih omrežjih objavila izjavo, ki je prilila olje na ogenj. V zapisu so med drugim zapisali, da »fotografi niso umetniki«, ter dodali provokativen komentar »Cry harder«. Tak odnos je sprožil val ogorčenja, saj so koncertni fotografi nepogrešljiv del glasbene scene – ne le kot dokumentaristi dogodkov, temveč kot ustvarjalci vizualne identitete bendov, turnej in festivalov.
Številni glasbeniki, organizatorji koncertov in fotografi so se javno postavili v bran Kayli Boshard ter poudarili, da so prav fotografi pogosto tisti, ki za minimalno plačilo ali celo prostovoljno ustvarjajo arhiv scene, ki ostane še dolgo po tem, ko je koncert končan. V hardcore in punk skupnosti, ki se pogosto ponaša z vrednotami spoštovanja, enakosti in skupnosti, je bil ta incident zato sprejet kot še posebej problematičen.
Na družbenih omrežjih so se že pojavili pozivi, da se skupine Cross Of Disbelief v prihodnje ne uvršča na festivale in turneje, dokler se za dejanje ne opravičijo in ne prevzamejo odgovornosti za povzročeno škodo. Primer je ponovno odprl širšo razpravo o spoštovanju ustvarjalnega dela v glasbeni industriji – ne le na odru, temveč tudi ob njem.
Dodatno težo celotni situaciji daje tudi dejstvo, da Cross Of Disbelief trenutno niso nosilci turneje, temveč nastopajo zgolj kot (pred)predskupina (opening act) na manjših koncertih. Kljub temu, da imajo na družbenih omrežjih le nekaj tisoč sledilcev in še vedno gradijo svojo prepoznavnost, se je odziv skupine zdel, kot da gre za uveljavljen bend z nedotakljivim statusom. Takšna drža – skoraj mesijanska v tonu – je še toliko bolj nerazumljiva v underground sceni, kjer se kredibilnost ne gradi z aroganco, temveč z delom, spoštovanjem in odnosom do skupnosti.
Uredniški komentar: Ko ego stopi pred spoštovanje
Če kdo v letu 2026 še vedno trdi, da koncertni fotografi niso umetniki, potem ni problem v fotografiji – problem je v razumevanju umetnosti. Trditev, da oseba, ki z vizualnim jezikom ujame energijo, čustva in identiteto glasbe, ni ustvarjalec, je ne le ignorantska, temveč tudi nevarno ponižujoča.
Še huje pa je, da se takšno razmišljanje izrazi skozi fizično uničevanje tuje opreme. Fotoaparat ni rekvizit, ni igrača in ni simbol za frustracije nastopajočega – je orodje za delo, pogosto vredno več tisoč evrov, ki ga fotografi financirajo sami. V večini primerov gre za ljudi, ki sceni dajejo več, kot od nje prejemajo.
Hardcore in punk scena sta desetletja gradili identiteto na DIY etiki, solidarnosti in medsebojnem spoštovanju. Fotograf, ki stoji ob odru, ni sovražnik benda, temveč njegov arhivar, kronist in zaveznik. Brez teh ljudi bi večina bendov ostala vizualno nevidna, njihova zgodovina pa razdrobljena in pozabljena.
Izjava »Cry harder« ni upor, ni provokacija in ni punk. Je le aroganten odmik od odgovornosti. Pravi upor je prevzeti posledice svojih dejanj, se opravičiti in pokazati spoštovanje do vseh, ki soustvarjajo sceno – tudi tistih brez mikrofona.
Če glasbena skupina ne razume vrednosti drugih oblik ustvarjalnosti, potem morda ni scena tista, ki jo potrebuje – ampak osnovna lekcija o spoštovanju.
ENGLISH: Cross Of Disbelief Vocalist Breaks Photographer’s Camera, Claims “Photographers Are Not Artists”
A hardcore show by Cross Of Disbelief on January 8th at Granskis Records in Augusta, Georgia has sparked widespread outrage across the music community. During the band’s performance, the vocalist forcibly grabbed the camera of concert photographer Kayla Boshard, who had been officially hired to document the event, and threw it to the ground, causing significant damage to the equipment.
According to Boshard, the incident happened without warning. While she was doing her job near the stage, the singer approached her and suddenly ripped the camera from her hands. Despite being visibly shaken and facing costly damage, she remained professional and continued working with the gear she had left.
The situation escalated further when the band addressed the incident on social media. In a now widely criticized post, Cross Of Disbelief claimed that “photographers are not artists” and added the dismissive phrase “Cry harder.” The statement was met with immediate backlash from photographers, musicians, promoters, and fans alike.
Concert photographers play a crucial role in underground and heavy music scenes, often working long hours for little pay to visually preserve moments that define bands, tours, and entire subcultures. Many within the hardcore community pointed out the irony of a genre built on DIY ethics and mutual respect openly attacking another form of creative labor.
Since the incident, numerous voices within the scene have called for accountability, urging promoters and festivals to reconsider booking the band unless a public apology and compensation for the damaged equipment are made. The controversy has reignited an important discussion about respect, professionalism, and the value of all creative contributors within the live music ecosystem — not just those standing on stage.
What further amplifies the controversy is the fact that Cross Of Disbelief are currently touring as an opening act, not as headliners. Despite having only a few thousand followers across social media platforms and still being in an early growth phase, the band’s reaction suggested a level of entitlement more commonly associated with untouchable legacy acts. This almost messianic attitude feels especially out of place within an underground scene where credibility is earned through hard work, humility, and respect — not ego-driven posturing.
Editorial Comment: When Ego Replaces Respect
If someone in 2026 still claims that concert photographers are not artists, the problem isn’t photography — it’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what art actually is. To dismiss a person who captures energy, emotion, and the identity of music through a visual language as “not creative” is not only ignorant, but deeply disrespectful.
What makes this even worse is that such thinking was expressed through the physical destruction of someone else’s equipment. A camera is not a prop, not a toy, and not a tool for venting an artist’s frustration. It is professional work equipment, often worth thousands of euros, paid for out of photographers’ own pockets. In most cases, these are people who give far more to the scene than they ever get back.
Hardcore and punk scenes have long been built on DIY ethics, solidarity, and mutual respect. A photographer at the edge of the stage is not the band’s enemy — they are its archivist, its chronicler, and its ally. Without them, many bands would remain visually invisible, and entire chapters of scene history would simply disappear.
The statement “Cry harder” is neither rebellion nor provocation. It is simply an arrogant refusal to take responsibility. Real defiance means owning your actions, apologizing when you cross a line, and showing respect to everyone who helps build the scene — including those who don’t hold a microphone.
If a band fails to recognize the value of other forms of creative work, then perhaps it isn’t the scene that needs them — but the band that needs a basic lesson in respect.
Video (Originalno objavljen na Reddit /Hardcore via QSLY):
