Punk Band NOFX Say They’re Banned Across America After Las Vegas Comments
When punk band NOFX — a group long famous for their irreverent and often offensive sense of humor — made the decision to crack a tasteless joke about the Route 91 shooting during a May show in Las Vegas, reactions were swift and severe from the music community. The band say the repercussions from the incident are proving far more serious and far-reaching than simply losing some fans.
Frontman Michael "Fat Mike" Burkett posted a lengthy statement on Instagram Wednesday (June 20), saying that that all of the band's upcoming U.S. shows have been canceled, and that he feels NOFX have been effectively "banned" in America.
"We were told that NOFX is not welcome to play ANY big venue in the United States," he writes. "No joke! NOFX has effectively been banned in our own country. This is not our choice, but it is our reality."
He adds that the band is still playing dates in Europe, Mexico, and Canada, but that the situation "sucks."
"We made a mistake, we apologized, and we gotta suffer the consequences," he says. "Maybe it ain’t fair, but whoever said life was. We are just very thankful that our fans are being so supportive." Burkett signed off with several hashtags, including a pointed barb: #whendidpunkrockbecomesosafe.
Fans on his page were largely supportive, with many saying they were initially upset over the comments, but realized later that the band wasn't being serious. However, others weren't so encouraging. "Well, I guess this is growing up," one fan writes sarcastically, referencing a well-known lyric from another punk band, Blink-182.
The Los Angeles-based group performed at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Vegas May 27, and in a video obtained by TMZ, after they finished a song Burkett remarked: "We played a song about Muslims and we didn't get shot. Hooray."
Another band member added, "I guess you only get shot in Vegas if you are in a country band," to which Burkett replied, "That [the massacre] sucked, but at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans."
Burkett issued a formal apology at the beginning of this month, which was also met with mixed reactions from fans.
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