Rock duo Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Gass) are in crisis following a wave of criticism over a joke about an attempted assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally over the weekend. “After much consideration, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour and all future creative plans are on hold,” Black wrote in a statement on Instagram.
The actor who stole the show as Bowser in last year’s hit Mario movieand played the role of the sarcastic robot Claptrap in this year’s film coming Borderlands adjustmentmade the statement after a July 14 performance in Sydney, Australia, as part of his ongoing Tenacious D rock comedy tour. Gass, his longtime musical partner, was presented with a birthday cake on stage while everyone sang. When asked to make a wish, Gass said, “Don’t miss Trump next time.” The crowd, including Black, burst into laughter.
The comment has just been added a day after a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one participant, seriously wounding two others and apparently grazing the Republican presidential candidate’s right ear. Australian Senator Ralph Babet, an international Trump supporter, called on the country’s prime minister deport Tenacious D as a result of Gass’s jokeThe band were set to play another half-dozen shows in Australia and New Zealand before Black announced today that the show had been canceled. The change surprised many fans, given the duo’s penchant for speaking their minds and not holding back in the past.
Formed in 1994, Tenacious D has been releasing albums and performing live on and off for decades. The band performed their song “Video Games” at the 10th anniversary of the Game Awards last year. The group has long been outspoken about its political views, criticizing President George W. Bush in the 2000s as “worst fucking president in the history of time,” and performing his song “The Government Totally Sucks” in 2017 as part of an anti-Trump protest. “Fuck that shit,” Black said of with respect to the newly sworn-in president“He screwed that up with his racist, fucking, sexist, misogynist, hate-filled campaign.”
“What was said at Sunday’s concert surprised me,” Black said. he wrote in his statement“I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.” Gass issued a similar apology on Instagram“The line I improvised on stage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake,” he wrote. “I do not condone violence in any form against anyone. What happened was a tragedy and I am deeply sorry for my grave lack of judgment.”
Black has been vocal about his support for President Joe Biden, and Tenacious D was set to host a series Rock the Vote concerts in key states in October, before the election. After the failed coup attempt, Biden gave a national address condemning political violence and violent rhetoric, and his campaign temporarily halted ads attacking Trump, whom he called a threat to democracy.
