Sticky Fingers frontman Dylan Frost has denied allegations of racial and physical abuse, over a year after those claims first arose in the Australian music industry.
In a video uploaded to the Sydney band’s Facebook page this morning, Frost addressed the scrutiny placed on the band amid their return to the scene after a year on hiatus.
“I’ve never even thought to abuse or attack someone based on their culture or what they look like, and growing up as a proud Maori, it does not make any sense to me,” Frost said.
“I am wholeheartedly against racism, and so is the band, so that needs to be clear.”
Frost admitted to past altercations “with other lads” in the past, saying “I accept that my past behaviour has contributed to people believing these false things about me, and that this behaviour is not acceptable.”
He claimed to have privately contacted the people he has wronged, and said he recognises the impact of his actions.
“It really upsets me to know that through a series of misinterpreted accounts of events I’ve now been seen as a symbol of something I detest: a racist woman basher,” he said.
“I can be an arsehole sometimes but I’m not that much of an arsehole, but I have to accept the fact I’ve angered groups of people who’ve suffered from abuse themselves, and that really burdens me the most.”
Frost addressed his decision not to publicly contest the allegations made against him, saying the bad’s decision to “shut up and cop it” to prevent the potential bullying of his accusers was “not the best idea, either.”
The singer also spoke about his sobriety and continuing efforts to address his alcohol abuse and mental health issues, which were the factors Sticky Fingers identified as a cause for their hiatus in late 2016.
“I hope that by fronting up to my failures and addressing my behaviour, Stickies can now move forward positively and healthily, and can focus on our music, our fans, and our community,” he said.
After a year largely spent under the radar, Sticky Fingers’ appearance as the secret headlining act of the BAD Friday music festival reignited discussions about allegations made against Frost, and the Australian music industry’s acceptance of popular musicians facing damning claims.
Despite Frost’s statement, the larger conversation regarding the Australian music industry’s culture of protecting certain acts is unlikely to fade away any time soon.
