Brian Jonestown Massacre Frontman Says He Won’t Return To Australia After Rape Joke Backlash

Content warning: this article discusses sexual assault. 

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Amid backlash for making a rape “joke” on-stage at a Sydney concert, The Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe has announced on Twitter the he is unlikely to return to Australia.

Last week, Newcombe heckled the audience at the band’s show at Sydney’s Metro Theatre, calling them ‘baboons’ and saying that they were conceived through rape. In footage of the concert, both Newcombe’s bandmates and the audience appear bewildered, with sections of the crowd booing the comments.

Last night at the Metro, Anton Newcombe made a rape “joke” to a fan, went on a tirade against A Place To Bury Strangers and BRMC, insulted several of his band members, and called the audience “baboons”, blaming Sydney’s lock-out laws on that. pic.twitter.com/Jzb6QQnNGp

— Elena Wewer (@ElenaWewer) June 9, 2018

The band’s scheduled gigs continued despite criticism from fans, including an online petition calling for their tour to be cancelled.

Will never pay money to see Brian Jonestown Massacre again after Anton Newcombe made a rape joke on stage

— Ruby Wawn (@ruby_wawn) June 9, 2018

Before leaving the country for New Zealand on Friday, Newcombe expressed in a series of tweets that he is unlikely to return to Australia.

“I don’t think I will return to Australia,” he wrote in reply to a fan. “I’m fine with it. I meet loads of great Australians all over the planet. I loved the great shows… it was great fun, I came to play music like I was asked…”

Newcombe also expressed frustration over the attention, writing that “bottom line, I am a 50-year[-old] guy singling love songs… haha — what is the threat?”

In a seperate Twitter thread, Newcombe criticised “fascist PC [c]rap and trial by internet”, stressing that he “never made light of rape culture”. He also said that he had been provoked into the comments by attendees throwing drinks at the band.