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Rock

Jack Black Says Tenacious D Will Return After Tour Cancellation Over Trump Shooting Joke: ‘We’ll Be Back’

The long running comedy rock duo pulled the plug on their Australian tour after member Kyle Gass made an untoward quip about the assassination attempt on the ex-president.

Jack Black attends the "Kung Fu Panda 4" Australian Premiere on March 16, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

Jack Black attends the "Kung Fu Panda 4" Australian Premiere on March 16, 2024 in Sydney, Australia.

Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Just like the phoenix, Jack Black says Tenacious D will rise again. The singer/actor hinted that the comedy rock duo he fronts with longtime partner Kyle Gass will return at some point after announcing an open-ended break and cancelling dates on an Australian tour following Gass’ controversial on-stage joke about last month’s assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.

“We need to take a break. Everybody needs a break sometime,” Black told Variety at the red carpet premiere of the film Borderlands on Tuesday night (August 6). “And we’ll be back.”


Black apologized and announced that the group would be taking a break after the pair were lambasted by Australia’s right-wing following the ill-timed joke from Gass. During the band’s show in Sydney on July 14, Black rolled out a birthday cake on stage for Gass and when asked to make a wish, Gass quipped, “Don’t miss Trump next time.” The comment was in reference to the assassination attempt on Trump the day before in Butler, PA, where a 20-year-old gunman opened fire on a Trump rally, grazing the one-term former president’s ear and killing a rally attendee.

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Gass initially apologized in an Instagram post, saying, “I don’t condone violence of any kind” and adding that he was “incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement”; the post has since been deleted. Gass was dropped by his agent and the remainder of the group’s Australian tour — as well as a planned fall run of shows in U.S. swing states in the lead-up to November’s presidential election — was cancelled. Black also posted an apology on Instagram, writing, “I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.”

At the time of the tour cancellation, Black’s statement said that “all future creative plans are on hold.”

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On Tuesday night, Black said he has spoken to Gass since the tour was called off. “Yeah, we’re friends. That hasn’t changed. These things take time sometimes… And we’ll be back when it feels right,” he said with no indication of when the group might return to stage. Black also happened to have a bit of Tenacious D hardware with him on the carpet for the premiere of the action/sci-fi movie in which he plays a wisecracking robot named Claptrap alongside stars Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis and Cate Blanchett.

Pulling out the magic guitar pick from the D’s 2006 big screen comedy, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, Black said, “Look what I wore today: I wore the Pick of Destiny. I love Tenacious D. It’s probably my favorite job, if you can call it that. It’s a work of art, it’s my baby.” Black and Gass have been rocking fans’ socks off since 1994, releasing four albums to date.

This article was originally published by Billboard U.S.

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Quebec to Impose Quotas For French-Language Content On Streaming Platforms
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
Streaming

Quebec to Impose Quotas For French-Language Content On Streaming Platforms

Bill 109 could impose big changes for streaming services to improve the discoverability of French-language content in Quebec.

Quebec may soon be getting stricter language regulations on streaming services.

Quebec Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe tabled a new bill on Wednesday (May 21) that aims to add more French-language content to major streaming platforms, as well as increasing its discoverability and accessibility by establishing quotas. The bill will directly impact platforms that offer media content such as music, TV, video and audiobooks, including giants like Netflix and Spotify.

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