The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe: “I Never Made Light Of Rape Culture”

By Tom Williams

UPDATE: Anton Newcombe says he may not return to Australia

The Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe has publicly addressed the controversy surrounding a rape joke he made at a show in Sydney this week, where he suggested that an audience member’s mother had been raped.

After wrapping up the band’s 2018 Australian tour with a show in Melbourne on Thursday night, Newcombe took to Twitter on Friday morning to say he “never made light of rape culture”, while criticising “fascist PC [c]rap and trial by internet”.

“Next concert I will have better plans in place to deal with fascism in effect because i don’t plan on giving in,” he said.

“Sorry we can sell out 4,600 person venues w/ no advertising while your favourite corporate indie sweethearts cant afford to tour Australia.”

Newcombe also claimed he’d been contacted by The Australian‘s Associate Editor Chris Kenny, and was invited to discuss the controversy on television. He also criticised “the Australian and Murdoch owned media”.

“By all means ignore 30 years of interviews of me sticking it to the man. And believe Fox TV – but seriously – fuck fascism,” he said.

“All of this says more about where we are as a culture and in this new fascist hybrid than where I am as an individual among changing culture.

“For random illiterate hostile faces to use Murdoch media and the internet to shout down my perceived obscenities when they are shooting kids.

“In Gaza for less – we’ll whatever.”

Newcombe also suggested he’d been asked by a number of other media outlets if he’d like to comment on the Sydney incident, which he described as “two men attacking me and my comment (not a joke, an observation)”.

Read his series of tweets, below.

Newcombe’s comments come after a petition was launched calling for the remaining shows on The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Australian tour to be cancelled, following Newcombe’s controversial comment in Sydney. The shows went ahead as planned.

If you need assistance, 1800 RESPECT – the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service — can be reached on 1800 737 732.

For help or information regarding mental health, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Tom Williams
Tom Williams

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