A quote-unquote “punk” band has been hauled off stage mid-set in Brisbane after they allegedly unfurled multiple swastika flags midway through their set on Saturday night.
Big Bongin’ Baby, real name, were performing at inner-Brisbane venue The Bearded Lady in support of fellow Queenslanders The Dangermen when, according to reports, the group allegedly brought multiple swastika flags out on stage and displayed them in full view of the audience.
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The crowd reacted adversely to the display, to the point where the incident was brought to the attention of venue managers, who cut the band’s audio off and ended their set prematurely.
Immediately following, the group is said to have complained loudly about freedom of speech and, according to venue general manager Jamie Simmonds, they “were using Buddhism (as an excuse) for their actions.”
Speaking to the Brisbane Times, Simmonds detailed the incident, confirming both staff and gig punters worked to cut the band’s sound.
I was pissed off they did that but I was also angry that I didn’t react or pick it up sooner. We do not condone what they did and we definitely don’t accept racism, sexism or homophobia at our venue.
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.
It’s a bad feeling knowing there are a lot of young local punk bands wanting to get up on stage and perform and there are those type of people in the mix.
The group has been around Brisbane for some time, with recorded performances on YouTube dating back to at least the early 90s and possibly late 80s.
The incident also very coincidentally occurred on the same day a small group of feckless right-wing extremist morons crowded St Kilda Beach in Melbourne to make a point about something or other. This tournament of minds was lead by a convicted racist and home invader who has previously called for a portrait of Hitler to be hung in all Australian classrooms, featured attendees using overt Nazi symbology and salutes, was deliberately held on the anniversary of the German Socialist Workers’ Party’s formation, and attempted to incite violence from locals with confrontational Nazi slogans and homophobic slurs. It was also attended by a Federal Senator who swears black and blue it had nothing to do with Nazism, actually.
Big Bongin’ Baby has not issued public comment on the incident at this stage.
