Kyle Gass, guitarist and co-founder of Tenacious D, says he has been “feeling terrible ever since” a controversial on-stage joke at a 2024 Sydney concert ignited a global backlash and derailed the band’s Australian tour.
In a candid new interview with Rolling Stone, Gass reflected on the moment that changed everything for the group and left him in a prolonged period of remorse.
The incident occurred on July 14th, 2024, during the duo’s Australian tour stop at the ICC Sydney Theatre – also Gass’s 64th birthday. When Jack Black presented him with a birthday cake and asked for a wish, Gass quipped, “Don’t miss Trump next time”, a reference to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump that had taken place hours earlier.
“It was terrible judgment, obviously,” Gass said. “I’ve felt terrible ever since, because it’s such a responsibility to not screw up like that.”
What was intended as a spontaneous joke quickly spiralled into a political firestorm after videos of the moment went viral. The backlash was severe, with the remainder of Tenacious D’s Australian tour and an upcoming US run cancelled, and condemnation from right-wing commentators and an Australian politician, who called for the band’s deportation. Gass was also dropped by his agent in the wake of it.
Black also publicly distanced himself, saying he was “blindsided” and that he would “never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form”, ultimately pausing all future creative plans for the band.
Gass later issued a public apology, calling the remark “highly inappropriate” and “a terrible mistake”, though he later deleted the post.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
He and Black have since reconciled and insist Tenacious D will return. “At the end of the day, we’re friends. I’ve known Jack since he was 18, and it’s been such a long marriage, really,” he said. “You go up and down, and we’ve always taken long breaks. He’s had a lot of stuff to do, and I’ve got my other projects. So it doesn’t even feel that different now.”
