Silicon Booted From Laneway Festival Tour For Allegedly “Kissing A Cop’s Gun”

February 6, 2016

UPDATE 06/02/16 5:50pm: Silicon (Kody Nielson) has spoken out about the incident with police which led to him being kicked off the 2016 Laneway Festival tour.

UPDATE 07/02/16 5.30pm: Laneway Festival organisers have remained bizarrely silent over Silicon’s ousting.

Original Story: New Zealand musician Silicon (aka Kody Nielson, the brother of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson) says he has been kicked off the 2016 Laneway Festival tour after “kissing a cop’s gun” during his set at the Adelaide leg of the festival.

Posting to Twitter, Nielson says he has been “kicked out” and “fined” over the incident, which is said to have occured at Laneway Adelaide’s Future Classic Stage.

Nielson says he has been “treated like a criminal” because of his actions, and has apologised to fans for losing his spot on the festival tour. Here’s how he has explained the incident on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/S_I_L_I_C_O_N/status/695466812922703872
https://twitter.com/S_I_L_I_C_O_N/status/695478096523194368
https://twitter.com/S_I_L_I_C_O_N/status/695511448764592128

Reacting to the incident, Nielson says he has “nothing but love” for his friends and family, but that’s about it.

https://twitter.com/S_I_L_I_C_O_N/status/695524014446366720
https://twitter.com/S_I_L_I_C_O_N/status/695575846019436545

Laneway Festival has declined to comment on the situation. Music Feeds has also contacted South Australian Police, Silicon and his management team for comment.

Nielson released his debut album as Silicon in August last year, and was selected by Chet Faker to support his Built On Glass tour later in the year.

Laneway Festival hits Brisbane today and Sydney tomorrow, before heading to Melbourne and Fremantle.

UPDATE 06/02/16 2:20pm: Laneway Festival is yet to confirm Silicon’s booting from the festival, but Nielson has told Music Feeds he is currently on his way back to New Zealand.

UPDATE 06/02/16 2:55pm: Melbourne muso Ezekiel Ox of The Nerve, Full Scale Deflection, Smash Nova and Over-Reactor has defended Nielson, saying he “should be applauded” for his stance against weapons at music festivals.

UPDATE 06/02/16 5:50pm: Kody Nielson, aka Silicon, has spoken out about the incident with police which led to him being kicked off the 2016 Laneway Festival tour.

UPDATE 06/02/16 7:05pm In a statement to Music Feeds, South Australia Police say, “A 33-year-old man from New Zealand man was evicted from the Laneway Music Festival on Friday 5 February and issued with an expiation notice for disorderly behaviour.”

Watch: Silicon – God Emoji