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Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Bomb threat forces cancellation of Marilyn Manson show in Moscow
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 2 July 2014
Marilyn Manson has returned home from a trip away to perform two shows in Russia and Ukraine, as part of the twin-sited Park Live festival, having played precisely no live shows. Which isn’t very good going.
A rally in Russia against “Western anti-culture” – and specifically Manson – kickstarted problems two weeks ahead of the first show.
The Christian protest group behind it say in a statement: “[Manson’s] lyrics are a mixture of obscenity, drug propaganda, sexual perversion and abuse of the Christian faith. The performance itself is associated with a clear challenge and an affront to the society, is a provocation and a threat to public order and security”.
The performance in Ukraine was actually cancelled a week ahead of its scheduled date on 29 Jun when that entire editione of the festival was scaled down, somewhat understandably, with organisers saying that “today’s political and economic conditions created insurmountable obstacles for large-scale outdoor events”.
However, the Moscow show on 27 Jun was still due to go ahead as planned, with Manson’s set only pulled shortly before stage time due to bomb threats.
“Bomb threats have cancelled our show in Moscow, just as we were about to perform” tweeted Manson, adding: “Why are the people that proclaim that music inspires violence, the ones that create such entropy?”
In a later Facebook post, he added: “We were all dressed up and sent home like it was still 1984. To the fans in Russia, we will return. The more that they fear it, the bigger it gets”.
There have been various controversies surrounding Western artists performing in Russia in recent years. Madonna and Lady Gaga both fell foul of the country’s laws banning ‘gay propaganda’, while Cher refused to perform at the Winter Olympics at all in protest against the same laws. Elton John last week said that he plans to use a trip to perform in Saint Petersburg in November as an opportunity to discuss the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, a new law banning swearing in the arts and media came into effect in Russia yesterday. Next on the list of things to outlaw are shouting, wearing bright colours and rhyming. Possibly.
