HELLFEST OPEN AIR 2016 – Refuse To Remove DOWN From Bill

The final lineup is in for the 2016 installment of ‘Hellfest‘, which is slated to happen in Clisson, France from June 17th-19th. Jane’s Addiction, Killswitch Engage, Atreyu and others are among the latest additions The lineup for this years festival has also stirred up some controversy though, as its governmental funding has been pulled as a result of the festival’s organizer’s refusal to remove Down from their 2016 lineup. Down frontman Phil Anselmo’s usage of racist gestures/remarks at the 2016 ‘Dimebash‘ event are to blame for the standoff, actions which Anselmo continues to apologize for.

French senator/President of the General Council of the Vendée, Bruno Retailleau is behind the movement to have Down ejected from the bill in light of Anselmo‘s actions, with a €20,000 grant being revoked after the festival’s organizers refused to comply. Festival promoter Ben Barbaud feels that Retailleau was looking for a reason to pull the funding and that he accepts Anselmo’s apology.

Last year, Anselmo told Randy “Rocket” Cody of THE METAL DEN in an exclusive interview that he’s not into “race hatred”:

“Any type of propagating hate toward any race or any group of people is not my bag at all.” – Philip H. Anselmo

Source: The PRP/Metal Injection

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