Tenacious D postpones Newcastle show after backlash over Trump assassination joke
Tenacious D, the comedy-hard rock duo fronted by Jack Black, has postponed its concert in Newcastle tonight as an Australian senator calls for the band to be deported over comments made about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
At the duo’s concert in Sydney on Sunday, Black’s bandmate Kyle Gass was asked to make a birthday wish, to which he replied: “Don’t miss Trump next time.”
That came hours after the attempt to kill the former US president at a rally on Sunday morning that left another person dead and Trump with a bloodied ear.
Footage of Gass’s comments has been shared on social media, attracting fierce criticism from Trump supporters, including X owner Elon Musk.
In a statement released this afternoon, Frontier Touring said Tenacious D’s concert tonight would not go ahead, although the promoter did not provide any reasons for the decision.
“Frontier Touring regret to advise that Tenacious D’s concert tonight at Newcastle Entertainment Centre has been postponed,” it said.
“Ticket holders are asked to hold onto their tickets until further information is available.”
There is currently no change to the rest of the band’s Australian tour.
Among those who have condemned Gass’s remarks is United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet.
The long-time Trump supporter, who won Victoria’s final Senate seat at the 2022 election with 4 per cent of the vote, called the comment “egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way”.
“I call on the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately,” Babet said.
Black has previously criticised Trump and supported current US President Joe Biden, including at a fundraiser last month.
He and Gass are due to perform in five concerts in October to support Rock the Vote, a non-partisan not-for-profit organisation that aims to increase young people’s political power and participation.
