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Odds & Ends: Dropkick Murphys, Local H, The Contortionist
Australian neo-Nazi warns Dropkick Murphys to stay away from land Down Under, Local H singer attacked in Russia and The Contortionist temporarily fills a vacancy as lead singer quits to spend time with his family.
It appears there’s at least one neo-Nazi camped out on his mother’s basement couch in Australia who doesn’t want the Dropkick Murphys to play his beloved continent.
Videos of the Murphs recent Terminal 5 gig in New York showed what the band does to wannabe Nazis who climb up on stage and give the Nazi salute.
On Friday the band tweeted a photo of an email its management company had received from someone claiming that there are “plenty of new Nazis” that would love to get into a dustup with the punk Celtic rockers, according to Boston Magazine.
Dropkick Murphys kick off their Australian tour Sept. 30 at the Byron Bay Bluesfest at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm Sept. 30.
In a post on the band’s Facebook page, Scott Lucas said he passed out from a chokehold and when he regained consciousness he discovered he had not only been robbed of his glasses, wallet, cellphone and passport but he had lost something else that was equally, if not more important.
“When I opened my mouth to ask that person to call me a taxi, nothing but a scratch croak would come out.”
Lucas wrote that he thought all he needed to regain his voice was to “shut the f**k up” and rest. However, fate had other plans.
“But it soon became apparent that this time my voice wasn’t going to just heal itself,” Lucas wrote on Facebook. “The folks at MusiCares hooked me up with a voice doctor who found that one of my vocal cords had been damaged. How badly damaged, we’re not sure yet – we need a second opinion. But the doctor said if they had to go in and POP(!) the cord back into place, then we have a limited window for that until the damage becomes permanent.”
Saying the band doesn’t “take this decision lightly,” three shows were canceled – March 21 in Grand Rapids, Mich.; March 22 in South Bend, Ind.; and March 23 in Akron, Ohio.
Local H’s next scheduled show is March 30 in Rosemont, Ill.
There will be a new face fronting The Contortionist. Lead singer Jonathan Carpenter is leaving the band to spend more time with his budding family. Carpenter and his girlfriend are expecting their first child.
Meanwhile, the position has been filled by Last Chance To Reason’s Mike Lessard until the band can find a permanent replacement.
“It’s going to be a jarring change of pace for my life, not being on the road most of the year,” Carpenter said. “Making songs with the band and then performing them in front of the best fans has been a once in a lifetime experience. I wouldn’t trade the perspective I’ve found in the past few years for anything. I got to meet so many amazing people and see a good chunk of the world. I absolutely intend to keep creating and playing music in the future, albeit in a more personal pursuit.”
The Contortionist’s next show is in Denver at Marquis Theater March 26.