“Get With The Times, Fucking Hell”: Tash Sultana Takes On Margaret Court
"The music doesn't stop for Margaret Court, that's for sure."
Tash Sultana used her record-breaking show at Margaret Court Arena last night to slam the venue’s controversial namesake over homophobic remarks she made earlier this year.
The Melbourne artist was in the middle of her show — which broke LCD Soundsystem’s record for the highest attendance at the Arena ever — when she decided to address the former tennis star.
“This is really funny because I don’t really have too much of an opinion of someone until I think they’re a dickhead,” Sultana told the crowd, The Music report.
“But, mate, get up with the times, fucking hell. Because there’s 7,500 in here tonight and I don’t think she stopped any of this from happening.”
She then laid out some ground rules for her gigs:
“Number one — if you’re homophobic, get the fuck out of my gig,” she said. “Number two — if you’re racist, get the fuck out of my gig… and number three, if you’re transphobic — get the fuck out of my gig.”
“The music doesn’t stop for Margaret Court, that’s for sure.”
Sultana’s not the first artist to call out Margaret Court while on stage at the arena. LCD Soundsystem told Court to “go fuck herself” on stage at their headlining show back in July, while Sigur Ros and Grinspoon used their shows to promote marriage equality, even commissioning merch specifically for the event.
Margaret Court became the centre of controversy in May when she advocated boycotting Qantas due to the airline’s support of marriage equality. Since then she’s doubled down making extremely offensive remarks about the LGBT community; people have also dug into her past views which include support of apartheid.
Though Margaret Court Arena has repeatedly distanced itself from her statements, instead advocating equality, there are persisting calls to rename the venue that stands in her honour.