An advertisement for Vengeance Fest III, which took place at Dingbatz in Clifton, Oct. 21.
The heavy metal show Vengeance Fest III took placed as planned at Dingbatz in Clifton, Oct. 20 — with several bands that are known for their racist lyrics performing, even though the club had promised that they wouldn’t.
A NorthJersey.com article on Oct. 18 by Joshua Jongsma pointed out that several bands on the bill have lyrics that seem to be promoting the idea of white supremacy, or that are anti-Semitic. Representatives from the club and from the show’s outside promoter, KEP Productions, initially defended the bands, but subsequently changed position and took three of the group — Nyogthaeblisz, Intolitarian and Northern — were taken off the bill.
“We do not support anything that involves any sort of racism, in any form, and will not tolerate it at our establishment,” the club posted on its Facebook page.
However, according to numerous reports, the three controversial bands were indeed allowed to perform at Vengeance Fest III. And musicians and music fans took to Facebook in droves today, calling for the club to be boycotted.
The indie label Mint 400 Records, for instance, posted on its Facebook page: “This is a problem. Please all bands on the label do not take or support shows at Dingbatz. Nazi’s in NJ should be afraid to leave their houses and should certainly not be on shows promoting their bullshit.”
In another NorthJersey.com article by Jongsma, Dingbatz owner Fred Barnes and KEP Productions’ Kyle Powell defended the decision to let the bands play.
“You get put in a no-win situation in whatever you do here,” said Barnes. “Being an owner of the club you look at it as freedom of speech. When does the censorship issue come in and where does it escalate from here?”
“It was a decision I made because the guys had flown in to play and there were many people here to see them,” said Powell. “I made that decision. It should not fall on the club.”
NJArts.net considers the club’s handling of this incident, and its response, to be reprehensible, and will no longer include Dingbatz shows in its listings or write about the club in any way except, perhaps, in regard to this issue.
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10 comments
You support the arts, but not artistic freedom or freedom of speech? Let’s see how that works out for you. Incidentally, I do NOT support hatred of any kind.
No one is saying anyone should be arrested. There’s nothing inconsistent in criticizing those who practice or promote hate speech, and supporting freedom of speech
You can practice Free Speech all you want, have Nazi’s at your bar but don’t get mad that Free Speech has consequences. That’s not part of the first amendment is it? Does it say anywhere, you can have freedom from consequences and spew all the stupid bullshit you want? This is why we have Nazi’s feeling brave. Great, you’re a Nazi, you want to spew stupid shit, well don’t be surprised when the rest of us enact our freedom of speech rights to speak out louder and tell you YOU ARE WRONG and to the cowardly owners of Dingbatz, I hope their’s enough Nazi’s out there to keep you in business.
There’s no apostrophe in “Nazis.” Apostrophes are for possession and contraction only.
Freedom of speech is freedom of speech. You don’t like the music don’t go and don’t listen simple. Sjw and Antifa deem everyone a Nazi for not agreeing with them. The show happened everyone had a good and it looked like all the sjw stayed home that night anyways… So much for all the Internet talking haha.
exactly. freedom is speech is freedom of speech. people (or “sjws”) not paying for entry or showing up to this show is them clearly showing they don’t support these bands or their message.
and with freedom of speech there comes an equal reaction for any speech. just as someone shouting “fire” in a crowded theater will likely get in trouble for causing a scene – bands that use “lyrics that seem to be promoting the idea of white supremacy, or that are anti-Semitic” will also have to face an equal and just reaction. lol it’s that simple really.
whether you snowflakes like it or not, freedom of speech has its consequences. man up and take it. understand that promoting those types of messages can and will have real world reactions.
also, i doubt this is an issue of “sjws” or antifa calling everyone who disagrees with them a nazi. the bands in question have lyrics that promote ideas quite similar to nazi rhetoric. if you’re a true fan, you already know this. if not – then all it takes is a little research.
Intolitarian is fronted by Antichrist Kramer (https://www.metal-archives.com/artists/Antichrist_Kramer/380679) who also ran Satanic Skinhead Productions (https://www.metal-archives.com/labels/Satanic_Skinhead_Propaganda/162) who have had many NS bands on their roster.
it’s that simple really. you will get called a nazi if you’re a legit nazi lmfao.
Can anyone, anywhere actually define ‘hate speech’, other than something you do not like? Being told to keep silent, even about things I despise, is hate speech imho. If someone took a jew/arab/xtian and started beating them up, like some groups do who are against so-called hate speech, like antifa and groups associated with that ideology, then it would be very warranted to protest and go firmly against them perhaps including arrest and/or street justice. But none of that happened, not at this show or any others. Stop being wimps over the breeze blowing too hard. This is Metal and metal offends period!
Hate speech is, basically, speech that advocates violence against an individual or group on the basis of race, creed, color or sexual orientation.
You claim to no longer list this venue, yet you have continued to mention and continue to list them in your venue section. Journalistic integrity matters.
Ok, I will remove them there, too.