Aussie punk rockers Frenzal Rhomb have become the latest public figures to express their disapproval of Cardinal George Pell calling him a “horrible paedophile enabler” and releasing a hell-depicting t-shirt.
The t-shirt appropriates Slayer’s Hell Awaits album title to “Pell Awaits” and features Pell sitting on a throne in hell.
Speaking to themusic.com.au guitarist Lindsay McDougall explained that it was designed back in 2014 by friend of the band and artist Glenno Smith and given the Royal Commission, in which Pell refused to return to Australia to give evidence, the band saw it as a good time to reprint it.
“I guess the accidental link being that because that horrible paedophile enabler believes in it, he’ll probably actually go to hell when his sordid life finally ends,” McDougall said.
“We booked a gig in Ballarat and saw the disgusting way he weaselled out of answering any questions honestly, from behind his golden camera tripod in the safety of the Vatican (or child rape HQ as they like to call it), with the Ballarat victims ACTUALLY STANDING THERE, watching his thin little hellbound lips spitting out those obvious lies, well, it seemed timely to trot it out again.”
Pell gave evidence via video link from the Vatican last month to the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse after a doctor’s report said he was too ill to return home. Comedian Meshell Laurie started a successful gofundme to send the sexual abuse survivors to Rome to watch him give his evidence live, raising over $200,000.
Tim Minchin also recorded a song Come Home (Cardinal Pell) which garnered over one million views on YouTube with proceeds from the song directed to the gofundme.
While their opinions on Pell are similar, McDougall isn’t a huge fan of the song.
“I’m glad that with such a massive audience he’s still into making statements like that, to rattle the cages a bit,” he said.
“The song though, come on. That melody is a rip of of Green Day’s 21 Guns, which is a rip off of Bachelor Girl’s Permission To Shine, which is a rip off of Telephone Line by Electric Light Orchestra”.
“I’m much more impressed with the Ballarat survivors (and people like Meshel Laurie who raised the cash) who actually went over to the Vatican to front the prick.”
The t-shirt will be sold on their upcoming tour which is said to kick-off at the end of May. You can check out all the dates in their Facebook post below.
Local supports are confirmed for Frenzal Rhomb and Clowns' final shows on the "Friendless Summer" tour (details…
Posted by Frenzal Rhomb on Monday, 14 March 2016
Watch: Tim Minchin – Come Home (Cardinal Pell)
