Massively popular Western Sydney rap group OneFour have canned the remaining dates of their Australian tour, just days after their management claimed pressure from NSW Police forced venues to cancel their upcoming gigs in Adelaide and Melbourne.
A spokesperson for Sydney’s Enmore Theatre confirmed the cancellation this morning, citing “unforeseen circumstances beyond our control”.
Live Nation, the tour company behind OneFour’s scheduled The Beginning tour, currently omits the group’s upcoming Perth and Sydney shows from its website. Similarly, Ticketek no longer allows the purchase of tickets to the much-hyped shows.
As it stands, only OneFour’s Auckland gig will proceed as planned.
The move comes after a long period of speculation and criticism aimed at NSW Police.
ABC reports that OneFour, who shot to prominence on the back of drill-inspired singles like Shanks And Shivs, has been accused of links to gang activities. A specialist police strike force, set up to dissipate the alleged gang conflict, reportedly has OneFour on its radar.
In August, OneFour’s scheduled Sydney gig with British rapper Octavian was canned, with the group alleging police worked to kill the show before it could kick off.
On Tuesday, the group’s management told the Sydney Morning Herald that “fear-based policing” was the cause of the more recent cancellations in Adelaide and Melbourne. The same day, OneFour said “Right now our management are trying to sit down with NSW Police to sort this out.”
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In a statement provided to PEDESTRIAN.TV, a police spokesperson said authorities reject “any assertion of a ‘censorship strategy’ or that officers have been placing improper pressure on venues or promoters to cancel shows.
“While police provide safety and security advice to venues, promoters, and other stakeholders ahead of major events, the decision as to whether or not an event will proceed lies with the relevant venue.”
The cancellation marks another setback for the group, who have racked up enormous numbers on Spotify and YouTube. It’s yet to be seen when the group will be able to fully translate that success in the live arena.
