Returning Texan groove metal outfit Pantera have found themselves removed from the lineups of this summer’s annual ‘Rock am Ring‘ and ‘Rock im Park‘ festivals, which will take place in early June in Nürburg and Nuremberg, Germany.
An announcement recently shared by the festival’s organizers reads as follows:
“Pantera will not be performing at Rock am Ring and Rock in the Park 2023, as announced.
In the last few weeks, we have had many intensive conversations with artists, our partners and you, the festival fans, we have continued to deal with the criticism together and decided to remove the band from the program.”
The band’s removal apparently stems from public outcry and pressure from local politicians in regards to the past actions of Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo. Back in 2016, Anselmo, was filmed onstage using racist gestures and remarks.
The backlash to his actions were immediate, from criticism from peers and fans to numerous shows being cancelled and more. Anselmo would go on to explain his actions transpired that night, while denying being a racist. Speaking further in 2019, Anselmo categorized his infamous actions that night as “an off-color joke.”
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