Black metal band Graveland got a chilly welcome to Canada on Saturday night.
The Polish group was scheduled to make its North American debut at the Messe Des Morts (Mass of the Dead) festival at Montreal’s Théâtre Plaza but a demonstration over alleged ties to white supremacist groups forced organizers to pull the plug.
In a statement, festival organizers cited “safety reasons” for the decision to cancel the show.
“Know that the Théâtre Plaza's administration, as well as the Messe Des Morts' organisation have put every effort to find another conclusion,” it read. “Despite this announcement, we invite you to go back home calmly and to show the same respect you have shown since the festival's debut.”
Graveland, signed to Germany’s No Colours label, was described as a hate group in 1999 by the U.S.-based Southern Poverty Law Center.
In an alert last week, anti-facist militants said “a band with racist and anti-Semitic ideas has no place in Montreal” and vowed to disrupt the concert. There was a heavy police presence on Saturday night outside the venue and a nearby subway station.
Graveland frontman Rob Fudali has previously distanced the band from hate groups. He said photos of him with a now-defunct Polish skinhead band were taken in 2001 and do not reflect “my political view.”