NOFX have been criticised for joking about muslims and the 2017 Las Vegas concert shooting, which claimed the lives of 58 people at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival.
Performing at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sunday night, NOFX joked that it was lucky the people killed in the massacre were country music fans, and not punk fans.
Footage of the band’s controversial remarks (below) sees frontman Fat Mike tell the crowd, “We played a song about Muslims and we didn’t get shot.”
“I guess you only get shot in Vegas if you are in a country band,” replies guitarist Eric Melvin, to which Fat Mike responds, “That sucked, but at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans.”
The band’s comments have been criticised by fans and non-fans alike, with some calling for the group to be banned from future Las Vegas concerts.
Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival founders Mark and Shawn Stern also issued an apology, saying, “We do not condone the statements made from our stage on Sunday night.
“We take the safety of our festival-goers seriously and want to relay that, there is nothing funny about people being shot and murdered, ever.”
Other music fans have reacted on Twitter, including Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael:
Fuck @NOFXband. SO punk rock of them. They have the right to say whatever they want; but, #Vegas has the right to make sure #NOFX is never welcome there again. #KickRocks #Route91 https://t.co/uhocbfIsKz
— Chris Kael (@5FDPChrisKael) May 30, 2018
Dear #NOFX you’re not funny and until you’ve had to run for your life while being shot at for ten minutes, you have no right to utter a single word about that night! Please don’t return to Vegas.
— Andrea (@drea1439) May 30, 2018
So Roseanne made a racist comment (gets her show cancelled) …GOOD! NOFX band member makes a horrible comment about Las Vegas Route 91.
— Jillian (@WolfeInAZ) May 29, 2018
The Route 91 Harvest shooting, which left almost 500 people injured, was the deadliest mass shooting in US history.
Watch footage of NOFX’s comments and read Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival’s statement in full, below.
NOFX toured Australia in March as part of the first-ever Download Festival Melbourne, and also played sideshows in Sydney and Brisbane.
NOFX thought it would be “hilarious” to joke about the October 1 shootings while on stage in Las Vegas. They said “at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans”. This is disgusting and callous. We will never support anything involving this band ever again. pic.twitter.com/am3R8QJIE6
— Dave and Mahoney (@DaveAndMahoney) May 30, 2018
— Punk Rock Bowling (@PunkRockBowling) May 30, 2018
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