Rammstein banned in Belarus

The Eastern European country of Belarus' Council for Morality has declared concerts by German hard rockers Rammstein a threat to the state. The council is pulling an upcoming Rammstein concert in Minsk, citing the group's penchant for lyrics about "violence, masochism, homosexuality and other abnormalities," and saying that allowing it to go on would prove a "costly mistake" for the country According to Deutsche Welle:

The German group, which is known for the sexual and violent nature of its lyrics, was scheduled to perform at Minsk Arena on March 7.

Writer Nikolai Tcherginez, head of the government's Council for Morality said he regretted that tickets had already been sold for the concert, but that if the event were to take place, the program would need to be revised in order to prevent "extremism."

Belarus is a former Soviet republic and has been ruled since 1994 by President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been referred to as Europe's "last dictator." The country's Council for Morality, a state-sponsored censorship agency, was founded in 2009 and has been accused of suppressing freedom of opinion.
The group's most recent album was promoted in a special package with dildos, handcuffs and personal lubricant.
And in similar news, the WSJ reports that iconic rapper Snoop Dogg has not been allowed to return to Great Britain for over three years due to "insulting words" he used against police in Heathrow Airport in 2006. The schnizzle is currently on appeal.

-- Richard Metzger

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Tags:  Rammstein, banned, Belarus  

admin    February 24, 2010