Artists who openly use hate speech seldom fare well in the modern electronic music landscape – but Funk D’Void has apparently come under fire for his associations alone. The Barcelona DJ and producer (whose real name is Lars Sandberg) was slated to headline Salon Zur Wilden Renate in Berlin, but the nightclub’s management removed him from the bill after learning of his friendship with Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes.
McInnes was one of the co-founders of Vice Magazine, and Proud Boys is his self-proclaimed “pro-Western fraternal organisation.” Since its 2016 launch, the organization has sparked controversy for promoting what some consider anti-feminist and anti-Islamic sentiments, and Sandberg had included Proud Boys-branded merchandise in his online store.
When Renate’s management caught wind of Sandberg’s ties, it issued the following statement:
“For tonight’s event, The House Of Red Doors, we had booked Funk D’Void to play. It has been brought to our attention that through his online channels, Funk D’Void has connections to the far-right activist Gavin McInnes and his organisation Proud Boys, who are promoting extreme right-wing values. These values are the opposite of what Renate stands for: inclusiveness, love, compassion, racial and gender equality. Any kind of racism or sexism will not be tolerated at Wilde Renate. We therefore decided to cancel the booking, of course the party will go on as planned. Love for all.
Sandberg fired off a volley of tweets about the incident. “I’m the first to admit than I’m an asshole,” he wrote, “but these witch hunts to shame people to appear good are more sinister.” He admitted that Proud Boys were indeed a right wing organization, “but not racist nutters.”
Artists like Konstantin and Ten Walls have been booted from events for expressing explicitly bigoted attitudes, but Bjarki has in common with Sandberg that he recently found himself penalized for the attitudes of an associate. Following a transphobic comment made online by one of his label signees, Johnny Chrome Thunder, the Icelandic DJ and producer’s performances at House of Yes in NYC and TV Lounge in Detroit were canceled.
It remains to be seen whether Funk D’Void will be scratched from the lineups of any additional events in the weeks to follow.
Source: Resident Advisor
