Fans of mainstream and famous artists like Taylor Swift, Drake, Kanye West, etc., are well aware of the controversies regarding their stars in the music industry. However, the drama surrounding niche genres like Black Metal rarely attracts many people’s attention.
Black Metal has diversified a lot over the years. Even though it still holds on to its Scandinavian roots, people from different backgrounds have started finding themselves in this genre. One such person is Sgah’gahsowáh (Mohawk for the witch hawk). He’s popularly known for his band Blackbraid.
Sgah’gahsowáh is part of a formerly one-man band called Blackbraid, and he recently even released his album called Blackbraid II, which harks back to his Native American roots. Lately, he was going to perform at Norway’s Midgardsblot Festival, but something went very wrong.
Black Metal band Blackbraid got kicked out of Norway’s Midgardsblot Festival because of excessive intoxication. However, lead Sgah’gahsowáh alleged that he and the band were racially discriminated against. But later on, he apologized, stating that he and the band should have behaved responsibly.
What’s The Blackbraid Controversy?
In an interview with the NY Times, the band Blackbraid’s creator, Sgah’gahsowáh (Mohawk for the witch hawk), talked about mixing his Native American heritage with the staple of Black Metal to create something new. He said:
“I didn’t want to do something ingenuine or be some Indigenous guy who’s writing about Thor and Odin, stuff I have no personal connection to — I want to make a traditional-sounding black metal album, but write something that I can actually identify with.”
Sgah’gahsowáh composed all the material for his songs and played all the instruments, except the drums for the latest Blackbraid II album. The drums got programmed in by Neil Schneider, his friend. Also, Schneider mixed, recorded, and mastered the newest album.
His entry into Black Metal’s world has given the genre a new dimension. However, things went severely wrong at a recent famous music festival. The band got in trouble with the organizers of Norway’s Midgardsblot Festival and, as a result, were asked to leave the festival without performing any further.
The organizers stated that members of Blackbraid were excessively intoxicated, so they were asked to leave. However, the performers don’t think that was the reason. Sgah’gahsowáh has accused the organizers of racism against him and the band.
In an Instagram story, he wrote:
“We have been asked to leave @midgardsblot because of the color of our skin. I am so sorry for the fans that came here to see us. I was really looking forward to playing a flute set at the bonfire tonight. I have been forced to cancel it, unfortunately. I hope our fans can understand. Thank you to everyone that came here to see us from the bottom of my heart. I wish the staff here shared the same values as the beautiful people that have attended the festival. I promise we will return to Norway one day to a festival that can appreciate blackbraid for our true worth, regardless of our nationality. We shall return.”
Later, Sgah’gahsowáh proceeded to post another Instagram story where he apologized for his and the band’s behavior at the festival. He said that he regretted not behaving responsibly. Fans are torn between the two narratives and are trying to figure out what to believe.
Some think he was excessively intoxicated and did something that made the organizers fire him from the festival on the spot. After all, if the organizers were racist, why would they invite him in the first place? One Twitter/ X user said that a Blackbraid member actually spat on the security personnel at the event:
“On the most recent Instagram post from Blackbraid, there is a huge back-and-forth going on between the band and people that saw them at a festival. Apparently, the singer got super drunk, security asked him to leave, and the singer spat on the security.”
However, other fans were unfazed by the drama and said they would continue listening to him. One user commented:
“Listening to Blackbraid in solidarity. Sometimes you do dumb shit. Get kicked out. How she goes.”
What do you think about the Midgardsblot Festival incident with Blackbraid?
Who do you think is responsible? Was Blackbraid really intoxicated and did something stupid that got him kicked out? Or were the organizers racist?
Let us know in the comments below.
Source: NY Times
2 Comments
They definitely didn’t look “excessively intoxicated” – appearantly the security guard reacted on one of them having
laid down on the little hill by the bonfire, and that’s not allowed..
I believe the manner of the security was interpreted as unfriendly, and it escalated. A storm in a glass of water!
First off, I don’t expect the mainstream to know but Indigenous Black Metal bands are nothing new.
He spit on someone. Also, many people have been kicked out of festivals for passing out drunk. He did not respect the culture he was engaged in (very American). He also instantly went for the racism card, which if you did not know when people do that it ruins it for those who have legitimate racist concerns.
Blackbraid is done for the underground. Oh wait, they were never part of the underground.