UPDATE (2/28): This morning, Taake posted a statement to their Facebook page announcing the cancellation of their entire US tour, citing “the illegal activities of Antifa and its supporters who applied pressure on venues and promoters to cancel shows.” In the statement, the band reiterates that they aren’t Nazis, expresses concern for American free speech, likening the backlash to McCarthyism, and singles out Talib Kweli and the press. You can read the whole thing here.
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ORIGINAL POST (2/26):
Accusations of neo-Nazism and anti-Muslim lyrics resurfaced against Norwegian black metal band Taake after they announced a North American tour earlier this month. It’s resulted in the cancelation of multiple American shows, including one at Portland’s Hawthorne Theatre on April 9. Taake was originally scheduled to tour the US in early 2017, prior to the release of their album Kong Vinter, but their plans were derailed by visa issues.
The controversy goes back to March 2007, when Taake’s lead singer—who goes by Hoest—performed at a concert in Germany with a swastika painted on his bare chest. The following year, Hoest told Terrorizer, “Don’t get me wrong, we are definitely NOT Nazis. We only used that symbol as another symbol for evil. The usual symbols, the pentagram and inverted cross, don’t invoke reactions anymore.”
But the present-day backlash began when New York City Antifa called for the cancelation of Taake’s show at Le Poisson Rouge. Hoest responded to this first cancelation via the group’s Facebook: “Once and for all, Taake is not a racist band. Never has been, never will be.”
Soon after, Seattle-based opening act King Dude dropped off the tour “for reasons out of my control, and frankly out of my realm of understanding… The banner under which people enter a King Dude concert must be welcoming to all people of all walks of life, race, religion, gender etc. This should go without saying as this has always been the way I have conducted my concerts and I’m not sure why it should change for this tour.”
Talib Kweli also announced that he’d be canceling his tour stop at Kansas City’s Riot Room due to the venue’s booking of Taake: “My position is that the venue should not want to host that band whether the band cancelled or not, and should issue an apology for even booking the band. The response I received was that the venue did not want to choose sides between a band that sympathizes with racism and bigotry and me. I think it’s time to choose a side. I find it appalling that The Riot Room refuses to apologize for booking this band. I wouldn’t feel safe bringing my team, family, and fans into a venue that is sympathetic to white nationalism, so I’ve cancelled the show.”
Over the past two weeks, Taake’s shows in Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Portland have also been canceled. The Portland show’s promoter, Mike Thrasher Presents—who, full disclosure, I used to work for—did not comment on the cancelation.
On Saturday, Taake told fans that they are preparing to post a statement about the US tour to Facebook, but have not yet revealed the fate of their remaining un-canceled American shows.
This is ridiculous. The Hawthorne Theater shouldn’t cave to the demands of these Antifa terrorists. And that’s all they arr, left-leaning terrorists. They cause just as much, if not more, destruction than the groups they claim to oppose. And getting bands concerts cancelled because they are offended over something thry don’t understand makes them the same as the facists.
In top of that, Taake isn’t a racist band. They get Abbas rap over the one incident but, as they say, it was done for shock value. They have admitted that it was a huge mistake. Should we not forgive people’s mistakes…especially for mistakes over a decade old? Does freedom of speech also mean nothing? We are at a point where now where people protest the slightest thing they are offended by and they do so without taking the time to research anything about what they are protesting. It’s just un-educated ignorance from people who have absolutely no lives. They need to get a job and contribute to society instead of terrorizing it.
Getting the show cancelled will only hurt Antifa’s cause. People like me who aren’t very political now vehemently oppose Antifa. I don’t support the Nazi side either, they are both morons, but I will not support anything these terrorists stand for. And I’m not alone. They have not only turned away potential supporters but have now made enemies across the country as a result of their complete ignorance of a band and musical genre.
DOWN WITH ANTIFA FOREVER.
Freedom of speech comes under the same aegis as freedom of association.
No governmental entity required that they not play; people simple don;t think wearing swastikas and demeaning people is as fun as others.
The antifascist cause was to not provide people using fascism to entertain a platform, so, by definition, they already served their purpose.
Obviously saying “hey, these guys are pretty Nazi adjacent, what with the swastika waving” isn’t terrorism. You’re free to go see them in whatever venue will accommodate them.
Antifascist groups have been around for a long time, and it will fight fascism as long as it exists. When people band together to say “no” to people that want to demean our neighbors, it’ll exist. When people band together to say “if you want to support people that wave Nazi symbols, we’re not going to be quiet about it” will always exist.
If you oppose antifascists in general due to the tactics of certain antifascists because you didn’t get to see your favorite band that waves swastikas and hates on Muslims, my guess is you don’t have a very stringent line on not supporting Nazis.
Portland is riddled with communists.
You people (you really aren’t people) used the threat of violence to censor a band and ruined the show for literally everyone wanting to see it.
You ARE everything you accused this band of.
So lets get sometging straight, you can do whatever you want because “you’re resisting racism, and that automatically makes us the good guys.”
Okay, well what if someone srarted to smash your skulls in and said, “its okay, we are fighting communist anarchism.”?
You shouldn’t hadvocate for violence, because its what you get.
Screw antifa, you are a hateful evil people justifying your evil acts through your own garbage morality and literally vilifying anyone who criticizes you.