A band who released a song about killing Conservatives has been pulled from the Glastonbury line-up.
Organisers of the Shangri-La stage withdrew Killdren’s booking following criticism over the lyrics of a track titled Kill Tory Scum (Before They Kill You).
The song, which describes “Tory genocide” as the “perfect outcome” was branded “completely abhorrent” by the Jo Cox Foundation.
The band said the song, which was released in 2017 with a video depicting Conservatives being killed with a chainsaw and mail bomb, was “satirical”.
Controversy over the booking of Killdren and another band, Fat White Family, who have been accused of inciting violence against Tories, emerged over the weekend.
— Shangri-La Glasto (@ShangrilaGlasto) June 2, 2019
On Sunday night the team behind the Shangri-La stage said Killdren would not be performing at the festival, which kicks off on June 26.
“We are incredibly saddened that the attention this booking has received has caused such upset and negativity towards such a peaceful festival we are so proud to be part of,” the team said on Twitter.
“We in no way condone violence and will not allow this matter to overshadow the incredibly inclusive spirit of Glastonbury, and as a result we have taken the decision to withdraw the booking of this band.”
Killdren’s Facebook page describes them as a “two-bit rave punk band with no members and a smelly attitude that hail from Tunbridge Wells”.
A post from the band said being booked and then axed from Glastonbury was “punk as f***”.
#5 – there is no way we can compete with #4
— Killdren (@KilldrenMusic) June 2, 2019
Prior to the move, they welcomed the “free PR” brought by the controversy, which was first reported by the Sunday Times.
“We’ve sold shitloads of merch, and loads of people that would never have heard of us have now….. I wonder what was actually happening in the world today, that they felt the need to focus on such a non-story,” a Facebook post said.
Catherine Anderson, chief executive of the Jo Cox Foundation, told the Times: “We as a foundation cannot but think of Jo when any public platform is given to an individual or a group who are inciting violence.
“That sort of language and the abuse of children and family members should not be tolerated.”
Labour MP Ms Cox was murdered in her Batley and Spen constituency by a far-right terrorist in June 2016.