Sticky bone to pick: Band withdraws from Bluesfest over another act’s inclusion
Melbourne band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is withdrawing from Bluesfest in the wake of controversy about Sticky Fingers’ inclusion in the line-up.
The six-piece rock band on Monday announced on social media it was cancelling its appearance, saying it stood against misogyny, racism, transphobia and violence.
“Surprised and saddened to see Bluesfest commit to presenting content that is in complete opposition to these values,” the band wrote.
“We are deeply disappointed to be in this position but sometimes you need to be willing to make sacrifices to stand up for your values.
“This is, unfortunately, one of those moments.”
The Byron Bay music festival has come under scrutiny for including Sydney-formed rock band Sticky Fingers as a headline act.
The band’s frontman Dylan Frost has been involved in controversy in recent years, including when Indigenous Australian singer and songwriter Thelma Plum in 2016 accused him of being threatening towards her.
The band later announced a hiatus from 2017, with Frost saying he was diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia and would be attending rehabilitation and therapy.
Bluesfest declined to comment.
Festival director Peter Noble recently defended Sticky Fingers’ inclusion to Nine newspapers, saying Frost has had years of no incidents while managing his condition.
