Lamb of God Concert Banned in Malaysia

Lamb of God - Image from The Star Newspaper

Lamb of God, a US hard metal band, has been barred from performing in Malaysia after officials said the group could infringe the country's religious sensitivities.

Lamb of God was initially due to play in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, on 28 September 2013.

However, the Communications and Multimedia Ministry has refused to grant the band a permit. The concert organiser said that the band and the metal genre had been "greatly misunderstood".

Lamb of God Concert Banned in Malaysia

Last week, the Department of Islamic Development also objected to the group's performance. The Malaysian newspaper The Star reported that the group performed mixed metal songs with verses from the Quran.

In a statement, Lamb of God said: "It is very evident (and a bit frustrating) that the groups, parties and powers that have taken the most offence to our music and lyrics have themselves only made a passing glance at the content and meanings of those songs."

"We would invite anyone offended by our music to engage in a discussion regarding the true motivations behind our work, especially before publicly slandering us based on assumptions and shallow misinterpretation," it added.

In 2010, band front-man Randy Blythe was accused of manslaughter after allegedly pushing a fan off the stage during a concert in the Czech Republic.

The fan injured his head when he fell and died weeks later. Mr Blythe was acquitted by a Czech court in March.

Conclusion

You can also read my other article about other bands and artists banned in Malaysia over the years.

Malaysia has banned other shows by Western performers in the past. In 2012, US singer Erykah Badu's concert was prohibited after a photo showed her with "Allah" tattooed in Arabic on her upper body.

In 2006, the organisers of a Pussycats Dolls concert were fined for flouting decency laws. Source for Lamb of God concert banned in Malaysia.

Sadly, many Malaysian fans looking forward to this once in a lifetime concert for Lamb of God live in Malaysia will never get the chance.