The group’s “level of entertainment” on this tour has reportedly included paying an audience member to eat 20 Big Macs, drink half & half, and then vomit; encouraging and perhaps paying a fan to get naked during a show; and paying a concertgoer to wet his pants on stage.

Apparently, this kind of fun is against the law in Boise. The city’s chief of police told the concert’s promoters, Bravo Entertainment, that the Bloodhound Gang had better behave during their show.

The venue made it clear that it was up to the folks of Bravo to present a civically acceptable show, so the promoters sent the band an addendum to the performance contract specifying what types of behavior were considered illegal in Boise. The band refused to sign the document, opting to cancel the show instead.

“We don’t ever believe it is the promoter’s place to instruct a band on their live show; that is their artistic freedom,” Bravo’s Paul Thornton told Pollstar. “But as the promoter, if part of their live show will violate laws in the city, we have to instruct them as to those laws and protect ourselves from being liable for their actions.

“[In the addendum], we explained what other venues said happens as part of their live show, and what the laws are in Boise that would be violated by parts of that show; i.e. nudity, defecation, urination on stage, etc.

“We wish the band was willing to cooperate with the laws and play their show for the fans in the market, but they obviously were unwilling to do so.”

Bravo tried to move the December 11 concert to Spokane, Wash., to no avail. At press time, the company was still hoping to put on a Boise show with Goldfinger, who were scheduled to open for Bloodhound Gang.

The promoter’s ordeal began well before the band canceled on them. “We had originally booked the show for [Western] Idaho Fairgrounds Expo Building but one of our county commissioners decided we were not to use that building,” Thornton said.

Ada County Commission Chairman Roger Simmons said he didn’t want Bravo to use the facility because he had experienced problems with the company in the past.

Thornton said those “problems” arose a couple of years ago when Bravo presented a Santana show close to where Simmons lived. According to Thornton, the commissioner attempted to thwart the concert but failed.

“He’s had it out for us ever since,” the promoter said. “We’ve been in business for eight years and have been in Boise for five. We’ve presented 200 concerts in seven states this year. No one else seems to have a problem with us.”