New Jersey Venue Under Fire for Booking White Supremacist Bands

A rock venue in northern New Jersey is facing protests and calls for new ownership stemming from a controversial show this past weekend. 

Dingbatz of Clifton, NJ, allowed three white supremacist, Skinhead and anti-Semitic bands to take part in its Vengeance FEST III on Saturday night, despite calls for the show to be canceled.

Last Thursday, the venue announced that the three bands in question — Nyogthaeblisz, Intolitarian and Northern — had been dropped from the bill, but a social media post making that statement was later deleted and the show continued as previously scheduled, reports NorthJersey.com.

"You get put in a no-win situation in whatever you do here," said Dingbatz owner Fred Barnes the day after the show. "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?"

Locals and club patrons expressed outrage via social media and have planned a protest at the venue this coming Saturday. 

"After what happened at Dingbatz last weekend, it’s now up to every musician and band to answer and eradicate hate with love and unity," said Christoph Manuel of the Brooklyn-based band Sun & Flesh, which was booked at Dingbatz in November. "It made me really disappointed to see how Fred Barnes chose profit over standing up for what’s right last Saturday."

A Facebook event page titled "Combat Hate at Dingbatz" is organizing a demonstration at the venue this weekend.  

Kyle Powell, the promoter of Vengeance Fest, told NorthJersey.com that it was his decision to let the bands go on after all; he said people should not to blame Barnes or the venue.  

"It was a decision I made because the guys had flown in to play and there were many people here to see them," Powell said. "I made that decision. It should not fall on the club."

Many in the local punk and metal scenes aren't satisfied with that explanation, insisting the venue is ultimately responsible and had the opportunity to take a stand. 

"This is not about free speech," wrote local promoter and musician Zakk Mild. "It's about decency. No Nazis in 2018 anywhere, anytime, ever."

"I'll never step foot in that hell hole again," wrote another Facebook user. 


Photo: Getty Images


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