The Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe and guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt brawl on stage

Publish Date
Friday, 24 November 2023, 9:51AM

Holy SHIT!

The performance by The Brian Jonestown Massacre in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday took a chaotic turn when frontman Anton Newcombe and guitarist Ryan Van Kriedt engaged in an onstage brawl.

As seen in fan-recorded videos shared on social media, the altercation unfolded after Newcombe seemingly dismissed Van Kriedt in the midst of the concert. Addressing him, Newcombe declared, "Cut off this guy’s mic, put down my guitar, party’s over captain. We actually don’t need you. Go! Put my guitar down on the stage and think about what’s happening."

Van Kriedt responded defiantly, stating, "You better think about this one, man. Because this is forever!" He then removed his guitar and began to leave the stage. As he approached Newcombe, the two exchanged middle fingers and engaged in a shoving match. Subsequently, Newcombe appeared to swing a guitar at Van Kriedt, leading to a full-blown brawl that saw both musicians on the floor.

Following the altercation, the remainder of the concert was canceled, and the band's ongoing tour of Australia has been abruptly halted, according to ABC News.

Although The Brian Jonestown Massacre has not yet publicly addressed the incident, this isn't the first time the band has experienced onstage turmoil. The documentary DIG! chronicles a history of contentious interactions between Newcombe and his bandmates, including an instance in 1996 when he fired a bandmate onstage for playing a wrong note at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, resulting in a chaotic brawl.

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