OMGWTF Nazis in Brisbane! Hammered Muzak Festival 2012

LOL.

For reasons best known to itself, Queensland’s Sunday Mail has decided to assist Blood & Honour, the Southern Cross Hammmerskins and White Noise in their efforts to publicise an upcoming ‘Happy Birthday Mister Hitler’ gig aka Hammered Music Festival (April 21, 2012).

The newspaper story (see below) contains all the usual elements, including lulz (“The theme of this music festival goes against Australia’s multicultural values,” Dr Szoke said) but nevertheless a few comments, corrections and clarifications are in order.

First, this is the third, not second, year in a row that the Festival has been held in Queensland. Previous performers include Deaths Head and Ravenous (Melbourne) and Open Season (Brisbane).

Secondly, both B&H and the Hammerskins have experienced legal difficulties overseas. Thus, B&H is banned not only in Germany (where, as in Austria and a number of other European countries, the open promotion of neo-Nazism is illegal) but also Belgium and Portugal, while the Hammerskins are outlawed in Germany, Portugal and Spain. (The leader of the Portuguese Hammerskins, Mário Machado, is currently serving a seven-year sentence for coercion, robbery, kidnapping and illegal possession of weapons.) In September 2009 a half-hearted attempt to bring about a ban on B&H in the UK was fail.

Thirdly, while it’s technically possible for a ‘concerned citizen’ to lodge a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission regarding the gig, this depends upon them actually being in attendance (or having the misfortune of overhearing it). However, as the Hammered Festival — like all such events organised by the neo-Nazis concerned — is held at an undisclosed location this seems extraordinarily unlikely. (In order to attend the gig, a member of the public must first make contact with B&H and arrange to meet; and only if they meet with the approval of the organisers will they be provided with further details.)

In any event, the neo-Nazis involved have been successfully organising gigs for the last 20 years in Australia (indeed, Hammered 2012 is intended to celebrate the boneheads’ 20 years of stoopid), their gigs have never been the subject of a complaint, and in only a handful of instances (that I’m aware of) have the groups experienced any real difficulties as a result of these activities.

Might be an idea to avoid being too Jewish in Brisbane around Hitler’s birthday but…

See also : A Brief History Of Neo-Nazi Music In Australia (December 2, 2010).

Controversial Hammered Music Festival for neo-Nazis to be held in Brisbane in 2012
Sunday Mail
January 8, 2012

A CONTROVERSIAL neo-Nazi music festival will be held in Brisbane this year, drawing white supremacists from around the world.

The controversial Hammered Music Festival, already being advertised through white pride websites, will take place in a secret Brisbane location in April and feature race hate music from international and local bands.

The white pride gathering attracted protests and nationwide criticism last year when it was held on the Gold Coast, and a range of groups have already spoken out against the event.

Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Helen Szoke this week slammed the white pride festival as “abhorrent to our community”, and said offended parties could complain under the Racial Discrimination Act.

“The theme of this music festival goes against Australia’s multicultural values,” Dr Szoke said.

Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia chairman Pino Migliorino said the festival was the work of a “lunatic fringe” and he was concerned about the underlying message of the festival.

“It’s an appalling set of beliefs that they have,” he said.

“The reality is a great majority of Australians are not racist and are comfortable with cultural and linguistic diversity.”

The event is being organised by the Southern Cross Hammerskins, the Australian arm of a worldwide group.

Another organiser, Blood and Honour, was banned in Germany in 2000 after a number of foreigners were attacked by neo-nazis inspired by music at the group’s events.

But Queensland Police Service and the Brisbane City Council have said the groups can legally hold the event.

A QPS spokesman said as long as the groups and the festival-goers abided by the law, the police would not become involved.

“Police are aware of the festival in question. However, until such a time that a law is broken or a complaint is made, it is not a police issue,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the Gold Coast City Council reported no problems when the event was held there, and the group had the same rights as any other organisation.