Sticky Fingers have been removed from Bluesfest 2023 following weeks of furore over their inclusion on the lineup.
After they were revealed as one of the final artists to join this year’s lineup, wide condemnation on social media followed, with many pointing to the list of previous allegations surrounding the band’s members. Soon after, notable names like Sampa the Great and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard dropped out of the festival.
While Bluesfest director Peter Noble initially backed Sticky Fingers in statements and interviews, the festival has now changed direction.
“We are sad to announce that Bluesfest has decided that Sticky Fingers is to step off the Bluesfest 2023 line-up,” an official statement said today.
“Bluesfest cannot, sadly, continue to support Sticky Fingers by having them play our 2023 edition, and we apologise to those artists, sponsors and any others we involved in this matter through our mistaken belief that forgiveness and redemption are the rock on which our society is built.
“The narrative that they continue to deserve to be cancelled, as well as anyone who publicly supports them, is difficult to accept, wherein a portion of society and media passes eternal judgment toward those, in this case, a diagnosed mentally ill person whom we feel doesn’t deserve the continued public scrutiny he’s being given.
“We thank everyone who has contacted us and advised their support in this matter, especially those suffering from a mental illness who feel they cannot have their illness supported in a manner whereby they feel included in society.
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“Sticky Fingers has done so many good deeds that have never been reported, including building and funding recording studios and music education programs in disadvantaged regional communities.
“We will now move on, put this behind us and continue to plan and present our best-ever edition of Bluesfest… proudly,” the statement concluded.
This is a developing story. More to come.
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