The old saying about how “the devil is in the details” couldn’t be truer than when government officials in Tunisia decided to cancel an appearance by Anathema.
The doom-and-gloom band was ready to perform at a sold-out show in a deconsecrated cathedral – the Acropolium – in the North African country when the gig was canceled, according to the band’s hometown newspaper, the Liverpool Echo.
Wrote the Anathema’s guitar tech, Darryl Anthony, on his Das Bunk blog:
“Our promoter informed us that somebody, in an attempt to scupper the project, has told the Tunisian interior ministry that Anathema are Satan worshippers who eat black cats and drink their blood.”
Anthony’s blog postings before the April 4 show indicated something was up, as the tech wrote about a missing bag and that one band member’s passport had apparently been confiscated.
Tunisia officials originally postponed the Saturday night gig until Monday, April 6, and then spent the remaining part of that weekend reviewing the band’s lyrics. When Monday finally came, officials canceled the rescheduled date as well.
The band lost more than just the show itself.
“We returned from Tunisia minus one rather expensive Les Paul guitar which in all likelihood went missing from the Acropolium sometime between Friday and Monday when we were denied access,” wrote Anthony.
“Also one piece of hold baggage was removed from the connecting flight to Manchester in Paris. This happened to be Jay's bass, so we're down two guitars on the deal. The bass is traceable fortunately. So if any of you good people in Tunisia come across a wine red flame top Gibson Les Paul in a black Gibson case, possibly with an Anathema sticker on it, I'd be awfully grateful if you'd let me know.”
Meanwhile, Anathema’s Danny Cavanagh defended the band against any suggestions it is in league with Mr. Scratch.
“If you read any of our lyrics, you’ll see nothing could be further from the truth than what’s been said,” Cavanagh said in the Liverpool Echo. “We don’t even swear in our songs, a lot of lyrics are about healing, and light and are very positive. We’re just normal lads – the last band you could accuse of Satanism."
Cavanagh also indicated the promoter in Tunisia could have been at fault for not having all the “papers in order,” adding, “This has been big news in Tunisia and a lot of people have been disappointed and we’re hoping to go back in June to repay everybody’s good faith.”
Click here for guitar tech Darryl Anthony’s Das Bunk blog.
Click here for the Liverpool Echo article.