Norwegian black metal warriors TAAKE have posted this statement as the band has cancelled their previously announced 2018 U.S. tour.
TAAKE unleashed "KONG VINTER" , 11/24/2017 via DARK ESSENCE RECORDS.
FROM TAAKE:
It
is with great regret that we have to inform you that Taake's US Tour
has been cancelled. Despite all those incredible people who stepped up
and tried to help us save the tour, and to whom we are more grateful
than we can express, time and logistics are just not on our side. It
was not our wish to cancel, but the decision was forced on us by the
illegal activities of Antifa and its supporters who applied pressure on
venues and promoters to cancel shows. Pressure, it has to be said, that
has frequently been accompanied with threats of violence both towards
those involved in the organisation and towards any fans attending (not
to mention the bands who would be playing). Why these threats are not
reported to the police, we don't know.
We have explained on many,
many occasions, the history behind what caused the problems, and there
are plenty of articles in the unbiased press and on social media where
you can read the truth of it, but just for the sake of clarity Taake is
not now, has never been, and never will be a Nazi band. What we want to
address here is the cancellation of the tour itself.
This
cancellation is unfortunate in many ways, not just for the bands who
were going to take part. Not just for the ordinary working Americans
with families to support and bills to pay who have lost much needed
income because of it. Not just for the fans who wanted to see the bands.
Not just for music fans in general. But, also, and more importantly,
for America as a whole.
Why? Because it is the ultimate
demonstration of how, through the dissemination of lies, misinformation
and unfounded accusations, along with credible threats of violence, a
small minority of left wing agitators are able to force their agenda on
the majority, and deprive music fans of their freedom to attend
concerts and go about their day to day activities without the fear of
reprisals and retaliation.
And these agitators won't stop once
they have destroyed the soft targets from Europe and other parts of the
world. Their next targets will be American music, American art,
American literature, American theatre, American cinema. Anything, in
fact, that does not adhere strictly to their views. And if this reminds
you of the McCarthy witch hunts, it is because that is EXACTLY what it
is like.
Whilst none of us blame venues for cancelling because
they are afraid of violence, we do deplore the excuses presented by some
of them. The desire to "protect" their audience and staff, to create
"safe spaces" is not a need brought about by the bands involved, nor
their fans. It is the masked thugs hiding behind the banner of Antifa
and other organisations like them, who are doing all the threatening.
And maybe we should also remind these venues that so many of the
musical genres today exist due to those other small venues back in the
day who dared stand up to threats and gave a voice to those musicians
who brought us Blues and Jazz - the basis of so much of today's music.
We would also like to speak out about celebrities like Talib Kweli, who
was unfortunate enough to have allowed himself to be played by the
lies spread by Antifa and who, as a result, issued statements that are
libellous and slanderous. His heart may have misguidedly been in the
right place, but his brain, and his legal advisors, were not. Had he
bothered to check the facts he would have realised that he had put
himself in a position of looking like someone who doesn't know, or
understand, or even care about, all the facts, and who is easily
manipulated by others to dance to their tune.
We should also
mention those members of the press who failed to fact check and did not
bother to contact us, or anyone else for that matter, for our side of
the story. They simply went right ahead and printed libellous
statements. This is irresponsible journalism at its worst, and we can't
just single out inexperienced editors of webzines. Complicit in this
are long-established and (once) respected publications. Their actions
show the utter contempt they have for facts and the disrespect they have
for their readers.
Ending on a positive note, we really do need
thank those who stood by us, and especially the venues who refused to
be cowed, and those that stepped in offering us alternatives for
cancelled shows. We have had messages from all over the world, and from
people of all political and religious persuasions, offering not just
their support, but also offering their help. And these are not just our
fans. We have been contacted by people who admit that they had never
heard of us, or that they hate black metal, or that they hate Taake, but
have nevertheless felt compelled to let us know of the disgust they
feel at the way Antifa, and their like, demand slavish adherence to
their agenda, and punish anyone who defies them, riding roughshod over
the freedoms of the American people to decide for themselves.
You, my friends, do not need to apologise for the lies and actions of a
fringe group. You are the majority, you are the ones who refuse to bow
your heads to those who would dictate how you live your lives, and who
attempt to restrict your freedoms - you are the ones who can do
something about it.
Taake
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-
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