WOMADelaide May Dump Former John Butler Member For Supporting Son's Online Bullying

WOMADelaide Festival takes place over four days this Labour Day weekend, with over 50 local and international acts delivering musical delights at Adelaide’s Botanic Park, but organisers are considering dropping one of the acts from the bill following controversy surrounding his internet trolling son.

Michael Barker, one half of two-man blues and roots outfit Swamp Thing, could be dumped from the WOMADelaide lineup following comments to the media in support of the online harassment and bullying tactics of his 18-year-old son, reports Adelaide Now.

The New Zealand born Barker Snr is a former member of Split Enz and The John Butler Trio, and also the proud father of Tristan Barker, who is currently under investigation by Melbourne police over his controversial internet activity.

The 18-year-old Barker has used the likes of Facebook and Twitter to encourage his more than 300,000 ‘friends’ and 43,000 followers of his ‘Facebeef’ group to venture on nasty crusades involving sensitive topics including murder victims, such as Melbourne’s Jill Meagher and American school shootings, Muslims and Jews, celebrity baiting, and cases of teenage suicide.“I am disgusted… that he would question why a young girl killed herself… he shouldn’t be allowed to play at an event sponsored by government organisations.” – Ruben Cunningham, Angel’s Goal

“I would consider myself an entertainer,” Tristan Barker told News Ltd of his damaging harassment stunts, “I see kids follow me and I think ‘how far can I rope this kid in and make them be a mockery’.”

Australian authorities thoroughly disagree with the New Zealand teenager; Susan McLean, a former police officer now cyber safety specialist, says Barker “would have to be Australia’s most prolific troll. He has no concept of common decency and is a blight on society.”

Barker Jnr is currently the focus of a “current investigation,” according to Melbourne’s Detective Senior Constable Rodney Andrew, tied to an online campaign started by the youth last year focusing on Royal Hair Extensions owner Melissa Meitz, urging his 40,000 social media followers to bombard Ms Meitz with threatening messages over an online contest.

“The offence (being investigated) is stalking, under new legislation that came in a couple of years ago,” said Officer Andrew.

Father and son have performed as Swamp Thing on stage before, as recently as January at the New Zealand Okere Falls Festival, but despite his questionable activity and large online following, Tristan Barker’s actions would have little bearing on his father’s band playing a music festival.

That is, until the teenager’s father made comments to the press commenting on his son’s views, specifically those about Amanda Todd, the American teenager who took her own life as a result of cyberbullying in October 2012.

Barker Jnr posted comments following Todd’s suicide calling her “slutty”, “attention seeking” and a “histrionic attention whore.” When questioned about his son’s comments, the boy’s father told News Ltd, “Was she? Was she slutty and attention seeking?”

As a result, anti-bullying charity Angel’s Goal has pressured WOMADelaide organisers to remove Michael Barker from the festival’s lineup.

“I am disgusted,” said Ruben Cunningham of Angel’s Goal, “this is disgraceful that he would question why a young girl killed herself when he doesn’t even know her. He shouldn’t be allowed to play at an event sponsored by government organisations.”“I would say [Tristan] is a ratbag… the people that apparently read his crap… is more than most regional newspapers.” – Michael Barker, drummer

The South Australian Government and the Adelaide City Council both support WOMADelaide, which as part of the 10 major arts festival under umbrella organisation Festivals Adelaide, last year reportedly drew a combined $62.9 million to the state’s economy and attracted 2.82 million in total attendees.

In other words, along with the Adelaide Festival, Fringe, International Guitar Festival, OzAsia, Come Out, SALA, Cabaret, Film, and Fest Festivals – WOMADelaide is a major boon for the South Australian Capital.

In response to pressures to remove Mr Barker’s Swamp Thing from the lineup over his derogatory comments, festival spokesperson Leigh McGrane attempted to clarify the issue. “This is about Tristan, we don’t know all the facts, we are declining the opportunity to comment, we are not taking a position,” said Mr McGrane.

Meanwhile WOMADelaide sponsors, including Hills Cider, Coca Cola, Coles, and ABC tell media they had just learned of Barker Snr’s comments and were meeting to discuss them ahead of the event this weekend.

The drummer father, speaking to media about his son’s internet use, has said, “I would say [Tristan] is a ratbag.” Noting that he has not tried to guide him over his online behaviour, “I think for an 18-year-old those rules go out the window, it’s basic rules of co-habitation; we leave each other alone and don’t hurt one another and we give each other our space. Tristan is his own man now.”

“The people that apparently read his crap on (the internet) is more than most regional newspapers,” said Barker Snr of his son’s posts.