Onstage Brawl Forces Brian Jonestown Massacre to Cancel Tour

Onstage Brawl Forces Brian Jonestown Massacre to Cancel Tour

In a shocking turn of events, the Australian leg of the Brian Jonestown Massacre‘s tour came to an abrupt end as two band members engaged in a wild onstage brawl during their performance at the Forum in Melbourne on Tuesday night.

The tumultuous evening began with tension in the air as band founder Anton Newcombe appeared visibly unhappy and angry with the audience, according to eyewitness Ginger Dymke. Newcombe’s frustration seemed to escalate as the band repeatedly left the stage to engage in heated arguments.

The breaking point occurred when Anton Newcombe unexpectedly seized guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt’s guitar and used it as a makeshift weapon, striking him over the head. The altercation quickly escalated into a full-blown physical confrontation, with both members exchanging punches on the stage floor.

Video footage from the concert captured the high tensions, with Newcombe addressing the audience and his fellow bandmates, accusing Van Kriedt of being unwilling to play music and suggesting that he was only interested in nurturing resentments. Amid the chaos, Newcombe directed the venue to cut off his microphone and instructed Van Kriedt to put down his guitar, declaring, “Party’s over, captain. There’s no music until you get to f***… We actually don’t need you. Go. Put my guitar down on the stage and think about what’s happening.”

The consequences of this onstage brawl were immediate and severe. The Brian Jonestown Massacre announced the cancellation of the remainder of their Australian concerts, leaving disappointed fans in the lurch.

The band’s tour had been generating significant excitement, with eight of the eleven scheduled shows sold out. However, the unexpected violence during their Melbourne performance and the subsequent cancellation of shows at Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, and Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, left fans shocked and disappointed.

A statement on the venue’s website attributed the cancellation to “medical grounds,” but the true cause was the shocking onstage altercation that had taken place just days before. Clips of the brawl quickly spread on social media, depicting the chaotic scene as band members and stage crew struggled to intervene and separate Newcombe and Van Kriedt.

As of now, the band has not publicly addressed the events of Tuesday night’s show, leaving fans and observers curious about the future of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the reasons behind this unprecedented and chaotic incident.

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