WATAIN – Singapore Show Cancelled

WATAIN’s planned show in Singapore this past Thursday, March 7th, wound up being cancelled by the Infocomm Media Development Authority seemingly after a petition objecting to the band playing in the country went on to amass over 10,000 signatures around the time of the show (it has since surpassed 18,000.)

Band Members

E – Vocals
H – Battery
P – Guitar
S – Guitar
A – Bass

A woman identified as Rachel Chan started the petition, stating in part of her cause for it:

“These heavy metal bands do not represent the culture which we want in our youths. Their subliminal messages in their songs include death and suicide. Sign this petition to get our lawmakers to ban these bands from performing in Singapore.”

The band’s show was ultimately cancelled a few hours before the band were due to take the stage with the aforementioned authority commenting:

“MHA [Ministry of Home Affairs] has expressed serious concerns about the concert, given the band’s history of denigrating religions and promoting violence, which has potential to cause enmity and disrupt Singapore’s social harmony.”

Watain have since released the following statement on the matter:

“In the light of yesterdays events in Singapore we would like to send a proud hail to our fans and followers from Singapore, Indonesia, Sarawak, Burma, Laos, Phillipines and Malaysia who had travelled to see yesterdays performance but were robbed of their experience in the last minute by Singapores tragic excuse for a government.

It was an honor to meet you all yesterday and to sense the fire in your eyes and in your spirits. We look forward to the day we can perform for you without the interference from lesser men.

To the honorless rats behind the ban, rest assured that you in your cowardly act have only stirred the cauldrons of your own misfortune. If these men and women didn’t already feel mistrust and contempt towards ”authorities”, they sure do now. The flames of discontent have once again been kindled, may they scorch your heavens…”