After Kyle Gass made jokes about an attempted assassination, an actor and rock musician declared, “I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence.”
Jack Black has halted touring with his rock duet Tenacious D due to a remark made by bandmate Kyle Gass during a performance that appeared to endorse the murder of
Gass received a cake on stage as he celebrated his birthday on Sunday at a concert in Sydney. When Black asked Gass to make a wish as he blew out the candles, Gass replied, “Don’t miss Trump next time,” to amusement from the crowd. This was a reference to the day before’s botched assassination attempt at a Trump rally by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
After Gass’s remarks, Black carried on with the concert, however she has now released a statement:
What was mentioned at the show on Sunday caught me off guard. I would never support political violence of any kind or hate speech. After giving it some thought, I’ve decided that it is no longer suitable to carry out the Tenacious D tour, and I’ve put a stop to any further creative preparations. I am appreciative of the fans’ understanding and support.
It was scheduled that Tenacious D would play four more shows in Australia before heading to New Zealand.
“I call on the prime minister Anthony Albanese to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black, and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the immigration minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately,” Australian senator Ralph Babet said on Tuesday. Anything less than the deportation of Donald J. Trump would be an approval of the shooting and attempted assassination.
“The line I improvised Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous, and a terrible mistake,” said Gass in a social media post. I oppose violence against anyone, in any form or at any time. The shooting was a tragedy, and I really apologize for my profound lack of discernment.”
For more than 30 years, Tenacious D has blended comedy with classic rock; however, Black and Gass’ creative collaboration dates back much farther, to the mid-1980s, when they were both members of the Actors’ Gang theater group. After collaborating on songs, they made their stage debut in 1994 and gained popularity among the rock bands they mocked, landing support slots alongside Tool, Foo Fighters, and other acts.
The band’s brief foray into television was followed by a major label signing and the release of their self-titled debut album in 2001, which went on to become a platinum-selling hit in the US (and thrice platinum in the UK) while Black’s acting career took off. The band has produced two more studio albums. Their second album, The Pick of Destiny, was combined with the feature film Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. Their biggest chart hit, Rize of the Fenix (2012), peaked at No. 2 in the UK and No. 4 in the US.
Tenacious D performed earlier this year in stadia all around the UK before heading out on tour in Australia. Dave Simpson of The Guardian rated their Manchester show four stars, describing it as “a parody of a rock show that’s a great rock show in itself.”
We would like to request a tiny favor. Since the Guardian began publishing 200 years ago, tens of millions of people have trusted our fearless journalism, coming to us in times of crisis, uncertainty, hope, and unity. We are currently financially supported by over 1.5 million people from 180 countries, who enable us to remain fiercely independent and accessible to everybody. Will you help us and change things as well?
The Guardian is not owned by a billionaire or stockholders, in contrast to many others. Simply the will and enthusiasm to produce globally impactful news that is never influenced by politics or the business world. Such reporting is essential to democracy, justice, and holding the powerful accountable for their actions.
We offer this to everyone for free, so they can read it all. Because we support information equality, we take this action. A larger population is able to monitor the international events that are influencing it, comprehend how they affect individuals and groups, and be motivated to take significant action. Open access to high-quality, accurate news may help millions of people, regardless of their financial situation.
Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will support our reporting going forward. Would you kindly consider providing us with monthly support? Setting up takes less than a minute, and you can be confident that each month you’re contributing significantly to the cause of transparent, independent journalism. I’m grateful.
0 Comments