Controversial bands play at Clifton's Dingbatz despite cancellation announcement

Joshua Jongsma | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Dingbatz owner explains decision to allow bands at show in Clifton NJ Fred Barnes, at right, discusses the decision to allow some controversial bands to perform at Dingbatz in Clifton.

Three bands scheduled to perform in Clifton on Saturday linked to white supremacy and anti-Semitism still played at Dingbatz despite a previous announcement that they would not be at the show.

Nyogthaeblisz, Intolitarian and Northern were all part of "Vengeance FEST III" at the Van Houten Avenue club. A Thursday night post on Dingbatz's Facebook page apologized for the controversy surrounding the bands and said they would not play. The post has since been deleted.

The promoter of the show ultimately decided to have the show go on as originally planned.

"You get put in a no-win situation in whatever you do here," said Fred Barnes, owner of Dingbatz. "Being an owner of the club you look at it as freedom of speech. When does the censorship issue come in and where does it escalate from here?"

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Kyle Powell, the promoter, emphasized that it was his decision.

"It was a decision I made because the guys had flown in to play and there were many people here to see them," Powell said. "I made that decision. It should not fall on the club."

One of Dingbatz's employees called Powell to remove the bands because of complaints before the decision to keep them in the lineup, the promoter said.

The controversy

Nyogthaeblisz appeared on an album titled "Satanic Skinhead: Declaration Of Anti-Semetic Terror." Lyrics on the album from one band are: "Noxious death-gases and enraptured hellfire/Viciously devastating the menial Israelite rats/Lion of Judah envenomed, withers and ceases to be," according to Washington City Paper.

One of the band's record labels was called Satanic Skinhead Propaganda.

"It’s a black metal show, so black metal deals with evil and doom and various things of that nature," Powell said.

Shocking lyrics or names can be used to invoke curiosity and lead to album sales, he said.

Antichrist Kramer, part of the band Intolitarian, is credited for a track called "Bioterroristic Holocaust 666" with Nyogthaeblisz.

In a 2017 photo on the band's Facebook page, Northern appears to be performing in front of a black sun symbol that has connections to the Nazi party.

Dingbatz was not the first venue to cancel Nyogthaeblisz. Last year, a Philadelphia bar canceled a show scheduled by Nyogthaeblisz due to concerns over the band's subject matter. The band performed anyway, under a fake name, Philadelphia Magazine reported.

In the since-deleted Facebook apology, some people left comments saying they were upset when the bands were canceled. Others did not want them in Clifton, though.

Moe Watson, who said he performed at Dingbatz several times, including most recently with his band Vagus Nerve, said he was disappointed the staff allowed the bands to play.

"Music is expression, and we are allowed free speech in this country," Watson said. "However, I feel hate has no place in music or public forum in general. It will be a while before I feel comfortable ever going in there again."

Dan Graziano, a private drum instructor, said he did not want to support such a message.

"I think it’s completely abhorrent and shows that the operators of Dingbatz exhibit either complete ineptitude or lack the slightest modicum of moral fiber," Graziano said.

The show on Saturday

About 210 people attended Saturday's show, Powell said. Barnes described it as a "very good" crowd. The club owner and show promoter both said there were no issues and the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

A Clifton Police Department spokesman did not respond to a message left Sunday.

Powell said he did not believe it was disingenuous or misleading to reverse the cancellation announcement. He reiterated his desire not to disappoint the bands or the fans who came to see them.

"That’s on me; that’s who I am," he said. "I always try to keep my word. If I go around canceling my shows or taking my bands off the bill, not only does it make me look bad in front of my clients, but it makes me look bad for the people coming to the shows."

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com

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