A rapper called Pa Salieu – no, me neither – has been grumbling on social media recently that a forthcoming gig, due to take place in Coventry on November 27th, has been cancelled. He bleats that “the authorities have decided” he’s not allowed to do it, apparently – whilst failing to specify who the said “authorities” were.

And when people fail to specify details like this, it makes me suspicious. So I started digging a little further – and it didn’t take long for me to find a statement from West Midlands Police. The statement is titled “Ten men charged in connection with the investigation into Fidel Glasgow’s death”. It concerns the death of a 21-year old man who was stabbed near Club M in Coventry. He died in hospital a few hours later.

And reading on, it lists none other than Salieu himself in the list of those charged. It reads “Pa Gaye, aged 23 of Harnalls Lane East, Stoke – wounding with intent, violent disorder x2, possession of an offensive weapon”.

He denies the allegations and his next court appearance is due on January 31st next year. Now, this blog is not going to make any comment on the case. His innocence or guilt is for a court to decide.

But frankly, with all this going on, his appearance at any event – especially in his home city – is going to prove something of a distraction. Is this fair? Seeing that the law presumes he’s innocent until proven guilty, not really.

Should he be allowed to make a living? Yes – which is why West Midlands Police and Coventry City Council are adamant they had nothing to do with it. The Kasbah nightclub, which is where Salieu’s cancelled appearance was, have been approached for comment.

Salieu still has six dates lined up from November 22nd to the 30th – in Bristol, Manchester, London, Leeds, Birmingham and Nottingham. It remains to be seen whether they will follow suit…