Bradley Garner
Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe has been criticised by fans after making a flippant comment about rape onstage in Sydney. At a show on June 9th at the Metro Theatre, Newcombe delivered a "tirade" directed at A Place To Bury Strangers and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, before delivering a comment about rape directed at an audience member. Watch footage of the show, part of the band's Australian tour, below:
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Audience member Laura Wise has started a petition asking for the cancellation of the remainder of the tour, writing on her Change.org page:
The “joke” is horrific and this kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated and should not be by Principal Entertainment and The Forum.
The scheduled show at The Forum for 14 June should be cancelled and all tickets refunded.
Since posting the petition, Wise has been receiving threats of violence from Brian Jonestown Massacre fans, according to a statement she provided to theMusic. "I've had many comments from women and men supportive of my stance but sadly have spent the last almost 36 hours being harassed and abused online (mostly by men) for standing up against this behaviour," she told the publication. "This morning, I awoke to a threat of rape by a man online (through Facebook), I have never met who is from Sydney . . . I am reporting this to the police but this is why what Anton Newcombe said CAN NO LONGER be tolerated at gigs, at work, in the community."Brian Jonestown Massacre's Australian tour continues tomorrow in Melbourne.Show leadership and courage and take action on violence against women in all forms including those dismissed as “jokes”.