UPDATE 28/11/19: OneFour Have Now Been Forced To Cancel Their Sydney Show Next Month
Western Sydney drill group OneFour have told triple j Hack that their national tour is at risk of being cancelled from police pressure.
The group were due to play at 170 Russell in Melbourne on Sunday night, but were forced to cancel the show last minute. They posted on Instagram, saying they were devastated to cancel the show and the reason was due to issues out of their control.
OneFour’s promoter, Live Nation also made a statement through triple j. They apologised and said refunds would be issued but also put the cancellation down to issues beyond their control.
According to a statement sent to Hack yesterday, the show was cancelled at the request of NSW Police. “OneFour management were informed shortly before the band’s Melbourne show that despite there being no previous incident at a band concert, it would not proceed,” said the statement.
“Management believe this was at the request of NSW Police.”
OneFour say they’ve requested a meeting with NSW Police so they can outline what’s going on, but they have yet to receive a response.
“The band though is determined to seek a resolution of this issue through continuing to seek to engage with NSW Police constructively,” the statement said.
The group has had trouble with the NSW Police in the past too. Back in August, OneFour was scheduled to perform with London rapper, Octavian. They shared that the show had been cancelled via Instagram, saying, “This is the third time the NSW Police have pressured the venue we were due to perform at and it’s getting fkn frustrating.”
“They want us to get us off the street, yet they won’t give us a chance to. We’ve played three shows with no problems, yet they’re still trying to shut us down,” they said.
Hack contacted the NSW Police for comment. A spokesman said it was the police’s duty to ensure everyone involved is safe.
“With any major event, NSW police works closely with venues and event organisers to ensure the safety and security of attendees, the wider community, and police,” the spokesman said.
“As the decision to cancel the event lies with the venue, we would suggest you direct any further inquiries to them.”
Victoria Police shared a statement saying that they met with the venue last week.
“Although we understand these performers have had their events cancelled in other states, any decision to postpone, cancel or proceed with individual events are made by the event organiser and/or venue operator,” the statement said.
If you’re unfamiliar with the drill rap genre, it’s a prominent genre in the UK. It usually features dark lyrics and violent themes and artists in the genre often come from a background of crime or gang violence.
Hack reports that many members of OneFour have been in and out of jail, but the group credits Street University, a youth development project with kick starting their careers in music.
OneFour have been rising in popularity since posting their music online.
Drill artists are often accused of promoting violence and crime and as a result, UK artists similar to OneFour have also faced censorship.
OneFour believe the police crackdown is stifling a positive thing. They say their music helps people stay out of trouble.
