Tenacious D intend to return at a future point, according to vocalist/guitarist Jack Black. It was Black who announced last month that the band had been put on hold, following an onstage joke his bandmate Kyle Gass made about the failed assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump.
During a July 14th set at the ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney, Australia, Gass was presented with a birthday cake for his 64th birthday. Amid making a wish to blow out the candles, he quipped that his wish was, “don’t miss Trump next time.” As you’d expect, his joke didn’t sit well with everyone, leading to considerable uproar online, particularly among conservatives.
As such, both Gass and Black issued apologies on July 16th, with Gass stating:
“The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I don’t condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologize to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.”
Gass would later go on to delete that apology from social media. Black‘s initial apology on the matter read as follows:
“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. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”
Speaking to Variety this week, Black is sure that the GRAMMY Award-winning comedic rock duo will eventually return. He stated, “We need to take a break. Everybody needs a break sometime. And we’ll be back.”
When asked if he had remained in contact with Gass, he replied:
“Yeah, we’re friends. That hasn’t changed. These things take time sometimes… And we’ll be back when it feels right.”
