Band Brawls Onstage in Australia, Remaining Tour Canceled

The combustible psych rock outfit The Brian Jonestown Massacre appear to have imploded onstage during a performance Tuesday night (Nov. 21) in Melbourne, Australia. Singer Anton Newcombe and guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt actually started brawling onstage after Newcombe started vocally calling out the guitarist mid-show, and asking him to leave the stage.

Per ABC News in Australia, one fan noted that Newcombe had been “unhappy and angry at everyone” in the crowd, but after the performance of the band’s sixth song of the night, “Forgotten Graves,” the singer turned his ire toward guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt.

As seen in fan-shot video below, Newcombe calls out the musician, stating, “My perception is an artistic child. He’s ready to play resentments, not guitars. That’s how I interpret it.”

Right after Van Kriedt responded, Newcombe ordered, “Cut off this guy’s mic, put down my guitar, party’s over captain. Please.”

He then added, “We actually don’t need you. Go. Put my guitar down on the stage and think about what’s happening.”

“You better think about this one, man. Because this is forever,” the guitarist responded.

It could have stopped there, as Van Kriedt started to leave the stage, but words were exchanged, both musicians flipped each other off, and then shoving started before Newcombe grabbed a guitar and bashed Van Kriedt with it. The guitarist then proceeded to chase Newcombe around the stage until he caught up with him near the front of the audience, tackled him and both men had to be pulled apart by security.

After the incident, Newcombe attempted to address the crowd, telling the audience, “I’m defeated. God bless this country.” He then tipped his hat to a cascade of boos, took a seat on a road case and dodged flying drinks at the curtain dropped on the show.

Per ABC News Australia, the remainder of their tour, which had three shows left, has been canceled. Notably, the Theatre Royale Castlemaine where the band had been set to play next issued a statement on their website explaining that the concert had been scrapped “on medical grounds.”

READ MORE: 10 Insane Bandmate Fights

The veteran band has been around since their 1995 debut, best known for their songs “Anenome” and “Straight Up and Down,” the latter of which was used at the theme for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.