Spiritbox singer Courtney LaPlante has defended her decision to halt a gig in Phoenix, Arizona, and have a fan ejected after he was seen punching other audience members, following online criticism suggesting she had thrown someone out simply for moshing. LaPlante said drummer Zev Rose spotted the man hitting people who were facing the stage in the VIP pit, and that security had already been alerted to him three times before the show was stopped, making it "the final straw". The episode highlights the tension bands face between allowing rough crowd behaviour typical of metal gigs and stepping in when it tips into genuine violence.

The incident happened on 15 July 2026 during Spiritbox's support slot for Evanescence, alongside Nova Twins, at the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre. LaPlante stopped the show before its closing song, ‘Soft Spine’, telling the crowd she wouldn't continue until security identified the man, whom she later described as an "old drunk man". After facing criticism on X from fans who felt the article's lack of detail made her look intolerant of hardcore dancing, LaPlante clarified the full context in a series of posts, insisting she had no regrets about intervening.