Local conservatives have claimed victory in their battle against purported “evil”. Thanks to the massive petition that gathered over 17,000 signatures and constant bombarding of complaints to the authorities, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered the cancellation of a concert by Swedish black metal outfit Watain just hours before they were due to perform.
Interestingly enough, where were these people when Mayhem — the very pioneers of black metal — played at The Pavilion back in 2006?
Rachel Chan, the individual responsible for the petition, celebrated Watain’s canceled show with her supporters, thanking them for making their displeasure cacophonous enough for the government to not ignore. Her backers gave praise to her, MHA, and the divine for managing to stamp out something they severely misunderstood.
Worryingly enough, the win in getting the government on their side has apparently sparked a crusade for other upcoming heavy metal shows to be targeted. Namely, the gigs featuring American sludge metal outfit Eyehategod on Sunday, American grindcore quartet Cult Leader on Apr 19, and Swedish melodic death metal band Soilwork in October.
It sets a dangerous precedent. Will this group of radical conservatives be petitioning non-stop to prevent any heavy metal bands from playing here? Their fear and apprehension for Watain is fathomable — the band is known for its outspoken support for anarchy and Satanism. But to summon the wrath of governmental censorship for other bands without Satanic controversy is just plain ludicrous.
Street Noise SG, the organizers of Soilwork’s upcoming gig, have affirmed that the show will go on.
“Soilwork is here to stay. So are the other shows. And the future shows to come. For as long as we can hold up against those bullshit we will continue to stand tall and fight on,” Street Noise SG wrote on Facebook.
ACPHC, the gig promoter who’ll be bringing in Eyehategod and Cult Leader, has remained mum about the issue, and its Facebook page has been taken down as of writing.
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