’90s punk rockers Big Bongin’ Baby have been labeled “dickheads” and “idiots” after shocking 50 punters and staff members at Brisbane’s The Bearded Lady on Saturday night.
The band’s show in West End saw management kick them off stage for displaying swastika flags and visibly distressing fans.
The venue cut the power to the stage, forcing the band off, despite their excuses of their right to “free speech”.
The Bearded Lady general manager Jamie Simmonds told Brisbane Times he was angry he didn’t react sooner.
“We do not condone what they did and we definitely don’t accept racism, sexism or homophobia at our venue,” he said. “We are known to be a safe space for not only staff but for punters who enjoy music and for this to happen is not good.
“I feel like we’ve let people down in letting these idiots up on stage.”
Simmonds said the band “kept yelling freedom of speech and were using Buddhism (as an excuse) for their actions.”
Author and journalist Andrew Stafford (Pig City) told Brisbane Times that while Big Bongin’ Baby were never meant to be taken seriously, their actions are no joke.
“The band has remained on the bottom of bills at club shows for more than 20 years and they might struggle to find gigs after this,” he said. “Regardless of whose idea it was, they all have to own it.”
It’s never a good time to be a racist in Australia, but the band’s actions were a blatant reminder of the work this country needs to do to curb what is a dominant historical and contemporary racist attitude.
The same day Big Bongin’ Baby featured swastika flags at their show, convicted criminals Blair Cottrell and Neil Erikson, led a group of around 150 down St Kilda Beach to promote racist views and violence.
