With less than a week notice Disney officials told metal band "Machine Head" they were no longer welcome to perform at the House of Blues Anaheim located in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment district.
Citing violent imagery, undesirable fans and inflammatory lyrics as the reason, the diversity-impaired corporation began pressuring the promoter on Saturday to cancel all upcoming heavy metal concerts, placing MACHINE HEAD under an internal ‘review process’ that took 5 days before bothering to convey their alarming decision to the band late yesterday — less than 48 hours before their Black Tyranny Tour was to kick off at House of Blues Anaheim on Friday night.
This policy appears to extend to all acts by so called "metal bands" at the HOB venues on both coasts as both Cannibal Corpse and Sonata Arctica were moved in Orlando. The Machine Head tour will go on as the band’s promoter found a new venue.
Disney is entering some dangerous waters here. Will other forms of music that cite violent imagery attract rowdy fans be banned? Back when four football prospects were trespassed from Downtown Disney there were questions raised about some of the Gangsta Rap artists who were playing at the HOB and what sort of element those bands attracted. Are they banned too? If so, where does it stop? Is a Country-Western Song about a man who fires his gun, burns his truck, and starts a bar fight going to be banned too?
For more read this Boston Herald article or the original statement on Machine Head‘s site (you may have to scroll to Sept 6th since they don’t provide direct links).
The first thing I thought when I saw this headline was that it was just a stunt to justify the now inevitable banning of rap shows.
On the one hand, this is a bad move for the “nightlife” vibe that Downtown Disney is supposed to have. On the other, it is kinda weird to see Disney Quest opposite a metal show.
Maybe this will open opportunities for another concert hall to open in Orlando – one in a better locale and that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for well drinks.
Maybe they can ban artists who have sung the classic country style “murder ballad”. After all, those artists only include legends like…Johnny Cash.
I agree, Disney’s censorship is VERY disturbing.
This is B.S. That was one of my favorite venues. I’ve seen at least 6 metal and hardcore shows there and nothing ilicit has ever happened.
Like it or not, it isn’t censorship when a company sets limits on what can happen on its property. That’s discernment.
Censorship is when the government comes in and tells you what you can and can’t perform.
There are many, many other places where you can catch a heavy metal performance.
I’m not saying I’m in fovor of this decision I’m just saying it isn’t censorship.
Free speech doesn’t mean someone else has to pay to get your messages out.
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