Noughties rock band hint they’re SPLITTING after 30 years together as they cancel tour after shock on-stage incident
COMEDY rock legends Tenacious D’s future hangs in the balance after the band cancelled their tour.
Hollywood star Jack Black, who makes up one half of the duo with longtime friend Kyle Gass, brought their Australian tour to a sudden end after Gass made a controversial joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
The former president narrowly escaped death on Friday when a bullet grazed his ear during a rally in Pennsylvania.
During Tenacious D’s gig in Sydney on Sunday, Black presented his bandmate with a birthday cake to celebrate him turning 64 and led the crowd in a rendition of happy birthday.
“Make a wish,” Black urged before Gass blew out the candles.
“Don’t miss Trump next time,” Gass joked as members of the audience laughed and clapped.
The gag might have been a hit in the arena but it went down like a lead balloon elsewhere.
Fans branded the joke “disgusting” and some vowed to never listen to the duo again.
While Australian senator Ralph Babet demanded the pair were deported.
He said: “I call on the prime minister Anthony Albanese to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the immigration minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately.
“Anything less than a deportation is an endorsement of the shooting and the attempted assassination of Donald J Trump.”
Yesterday Black issued a statement insisting he was “blindsided” by Gass’s joke and did not condone “hate speech”.
He wrote: “I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday.
“I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.
“After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”
Tenacious D have spoken out against Trump publicly in the past, branding him “evil” in one interview.
Speaking to US chat show host Conan O’Brien in 2017, Black said his onstage persona was inspired by Trump.
“Yes. In fact I feel Donald Trump saw a Tenacious D concert because that’s our whole thing, just like we are the greatest band in the world, no one can touch us, we are the best,” Black said.
“And he just saw us and said, ‘I’m going to use that technique. I’m the greatest president. I got all the greatest people…’ and then he used it and became president.
“And now, when we go out and perform Tenacious D, I always have like, a little twinge of guilt, because it’s like this evil (expletive) warlock stole our magic, but just took out all the irony. And it worked and now he’s destroying the universe.”
The band released its self-titled debut album in 2001. Despite it peaking at 31 on the Billboard chart, it was something of a sleeper hit eventually selling more than a million copies to be certified platinum.
Five years later the duo hit the big screen with rock caper The Pick of Destiny which featured Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl as the Devil.
While its original soundtrack reached the top 10 in the States, the film itself was a box office flop, recouping just over half of its $20million production budget.
The band remain a popular live draw and have also released albums Rize of the Fenix and Post-Apocalypto.
