Screeching Weasel banned from Disney's Houses of Blues

Contributed by TraumaSponge. Posted by aubin on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 12:00 PM (EST)

According to Ben Weasel's Twitter feed, his band Screeching Weasel has been banned from the House of Blues venues owned by Disney in Anaheim and Orlando. Over the course of a few tweets, he explained:

House of Blues Orlando is on Disney property, so Disney has to approve all bands. [Screeching Weasel] = rejected. Reason: "content." Sorry, Floridians. Promoter's working on another venue. It's weird. Necromatix & Bad Religion? No problem! SW? Apparently offensive! I'm dangerous! Finally! Also, this means no HOB Anaheim. Honestly I'm kind of tickled. I'm a square, churchgoing father of 2 from the suburbs who golfs & fishes. I assume when I take my kids to Disney World in a few years they won't ban me from giving them $ for tickets, accommodations & merchandise. I don't think it has anything to do with politics. Then again I have no idea what it DOES have to do with.

Screeching Weasel has some confirmed shows in Toronto in May.

Bands in this story

Ben Weasel

Screeching Weasel

News (139 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

xfallenx (March 3, 2010)

something about having a cartoon animal as a logo

bastard_squad (March 3, 2010)

I didn't know Jughead was on the Disney Board of Directors (actually that may explain the old Disney Dragon hat he used to wear all the time)

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

I have that hat. I may wear it at the SW show.

bastard_squad (March 3, 2010)

Do you remember about 10 years back when Jughead lost his and put out a search party asking people to find another for him?

kevgren (March 3, 2010)

Sean stole the hat. The cat's (hat's?) out of the bag now.

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

My buddy Mark had the hat and never got a return email from Jughead about it. I'd like to think I got it from him at Jughead's expense.

kevgren (March 3, 2010)

I'd like to believe this story.

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

I guess Walt Disney still gets to hate Catholics from beyond the grave.

returnofdebs (March 3, 2010)

he's not really dead.

cpp_ (March 3, 2010)

what are you talking about?

xfallenx (March 3, 2010)

btw

Minnie's got a problem with her uterus

bastard_squad (March 3, 2010)

That was Grade-A. Thanks.

pricey123 (March 3, 2010)

First Wasteland breaking up and now this!?

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

I weep for the hundreds of merch designs

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Ben Weasel goes to church?

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

According to Maddy Tightpants (aka the future Mrs. Ramone), he's a Catholic.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

You'd think he would have more sense than that, only the weak and conditioned subscribe to organised religious rhetoric, not that give two shits what he does though.

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

What do you expect from the guy who wrote "The Science of Myth"?

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

I thought that song was about him realising that fairies, wizards, unicorns, santa and general dogma were the beliefs of children, not adults....BUT its ok if it makes the believer happy.

kidgotham (March 3, 2010)

That was my understanding of it as well.

ZachLeg (March 3, 2010)

yeah me too

Slacker (March 4, 2010)

Yeah, the word myth says all

the_other_scott (March 3, 2010)

i'm not a religious guy in the slightest bit, but i find that generalization to be a bit insulting.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

As ive already stated, i don't give two shits what BW or anyone elses religious affiliation is, i was just a little surprised he was a church goer.

the_other_scott (March 3, 2010)

no but to say that anybody who is religious is either weak or conditioned is a bit overly generalized to me.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Ok, so little generalised BUT, that does seem to be the pattern.The vast majority of people of faith are born into it.

Im not saying theres anything wrong either way, just my opinion and observations over the years.Nothing more.

SATAN_THE_KOREAN_DINOSAUR (March 3, 2010)

First,I don't find this argument very strong . I know quite a few people born in Boston who's parents and grand parents were lifer Red Sox fans. That doesn't mean that the Red Sox don't exist as an institution. People being born into a faith doesn't undermine the truth claims of their respective faith.

Secondly, Atheism is a self defeating proposition. Put down Dawkins' cheerleader macro/micro evolution garbage and go read Herman Bavink.

Lastly, being rude doesn't give you credibility anywhere outside of a high school gym pickup game.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

You're analogy is flawed, comparing the 'red sox' to a god is mute, you really need me to explain why?...ok i will, i can see the red sox, they have been observed, that's how science works, observation, religion doesn't.If you religious theists cannot make your ideologies more appealing by providing evidence to support your claims, perhaps you can argue that not believing your claims is somehow self-contradictory and self-defeating?

Lastly, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit dear boy and who's being rude?, if you interpret my opinions as rudeness then i suggest you go fuck yourself....see what i did there?

ZachLeg (March 3, 2010)

Trick question.

Red Sox are god

SATAN_THE_KOREAN_DINOSAUR (March 3, 2010)

the "red sox" might be represented by what you see (players/the stadium/paraphernalia), but you've never actually handled the ideological "thing" that is the boston red sox. You cant actually touch the reason a community of people gather together to cheer them. You call can call it a team, but that team is merely a representation of a larger ideology that is "red sox nation [how trite].

I could make the same argument about Church. I see pastors and big building, people gathering together for a common fanatical purpose, but for some reason that's a little different to you.

Furthermore, you now want to elevate science as your deity? You're just trading an older tradition for a rationalistic one. Science and Faith aren't hyperbolic.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Oh dear firstly, i haven't claimed 'science' to be my anything...you are projecting, using the straw man argument. It's invalid to create a caricature of your opponent's position (or just make up their position on your own and then attribute it to them) in order to have something easier to argue against.

You don't seem to understand the concept of "abstraction." Example..... I have an my head the idea of "2." Have I ever experienced "2"? I've experienced 2 apples and 2 people, but never "2" is isolation of anything else. There is no "2" in nature, just "2" of something. So how did I get the idea in my head?

Its called abstraction buddy. We are capable of taking things we do experience and abstracting them in our minds into more general or extreme categories. Experiencing 2 of this and 2 of that allows me to create the concept of "2" that is independent of any objects. Language is itself a series of abstractions from real-world objects. The fact that we are capable of abstracting from our experience of people to disembodied people and then to perfect disembodied beings, renders your argument invalid. You have created an entire argument out of a known logical fallacy.

SATAN_THE_KOREAN_DINOSAUR (March 3, 2010)

you elevated empirical evidence/rationalistic worldviews as the only way one might make some type of valid truth claim with a post a few points back with:

"ok i will, i can see the red sox, they have been observed, that's how science works, observation"

and now you're talking about abstraction? You can't play it both ways sir [perhaps you should wikipedia Kant...he figured that out a whlie back]

and you still have yet to address the issue of atheism as a self defeating proposition. By denying God's existance, you elevate yourself to the level of deity (through whatever you want to call it, naturalism, atheism, whatever].Your five sense are your ONLY laws? cmon? i guess only things you can perceive with your five senses exist right?

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Pretentious psychobabble 'Mr strawman argument'....that's all you've got.

When you understand why YOU dismiss all the other 'possible' gods, YOU will understand why i dismiss yours.

joeydevil (March 4, 2010)

"You cant actually touch the reason a community of people gather together to cheer them."

Sure you can. Red Sox fans exist because there are people who live in or near Boston that like watching fucking baseball.

SATAN_THE_KOREAN_DINOSAUR (March 3, 2010)

You'd think he would have more sense than that, only the weak and conditioned subscribe to organised religious rhetoric,
+
go fuck yourself
=
rude

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Offensive to someyes(you), rude....NO, you merely disagree.

"Go fuck yourself"....ok, thats being rude....i really don't care pal, you're boring.....im ending this debacle of 'debate' right here, i have better things to do than argue with someone who believes in Noah's Ark.

Enjoy your afternoon sir.

ZachLeg (March 3, 2010)

you win because of your name

publichousing (March 4, 2010)

I understand what you be saying and every now and then, depending on the day's circumstances, I would probably agree but I ain't in a bad/pissed off mood so I'll have to throw my counter-argument in.

My grandmother is a devout christian, although she doesn't like the pope and she believes in gay rights and abortion rights. But she does have Jesus pictures and crosses all through her house and she regularly goes to church. And she's probably the most level-headed, intelligent, selfless, charitable person I know with a very strong self-will. She volunteers to tutor African refugees on how to read english & worked for 20 years in a non-profit organisation that looks after mentally disabled people respectfully.
She was also pretty much my gateway into politics and activism and she still educates me on many things.

When you say religious people are weak and conditioned you definitely have made a broad and wrong generalisation. I mean look at MLK, Gandhi, Malcolm X, Aung San Suu Kyi and many other great people in history, they were all very religious people.
I think most people have some sort of spiritual belief wether religious or just moral.

But, then again, some days I do say I hate religion and religious people. It all depends on my experiences that day, ha. Ah well.

Dante3000 (rich) (March 3, 2010)

The two groups I find who complain about each other the most and seem to have the easiest stances to take are those with an unwavering faith in god and atheists.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Just like those who sit in the middle, they have 'the best of both worlds' eh.

Dante3000 (rich) (March 3, 2010)

I find it's the moderates who have the must difficult time because people on both opposing sides feel they're wholly in the wrong. Again, I'm not arrogant enough to feel I have the best answer and can convince everyone else I'm right but having watched this circular debate for the better part of 20 years, I find the people on the polar ends tend to comfort themselves with a sort of religious/intellectual pride and both believe those in the middle are either weak, stupid or both.

kevgren (March 3, 2010)

Debate over the existence of a higher power is a circular narrative in many ways, where it kind of sums up religious discourse in a time capsule.

ZachLeg (March 3, 2010)

saw that coming a mile away

Tom_Delonge (March 3, 2010)

I laughed.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

I find its the moderates who take the easy route, sitting in the middle, thats the easiest thing anyone can possibly do!....im not arrogant to know the best answer either and i too am bored of this never ending trade off between Atheists and the religious.Ive never heard anyone say that those who 'sit in the middle' are weak, stupid though...just a little lazy.

I simply said i was surprised BW was a church goer and have already stated, more than once, that im really not bothered.

Remind me not to dare 'touch' the religious on a predominantly 'American' website, as they say to people visiting the US, don't start topics on politics and religion while there.....

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

Why is atheism a bad stance because it's easy? I don't believe in God, karma, Mohammed, or little half-dressed faries and defy anyone to show me how I'm wrong to do so.

And I wouldn't complain about religious people so much if they didn't make life in America as annoying as they do.

Dante3000 (rich) (March 3, 2010)

No one said it was a bad stance, I just said it was easy.

bradc930 (March 3, 2010)

I don't know if easy is the word, but I'd say it's pretty comfortable to believe in an afterlife.

ramblinboyofpleasure (March 3, 2010)

So how does having a little faith, thinking theres a big man in the sky make it that I have taken a 'harder' decision?

joeydevil (March 4, 2010)

Why should it be difficult? One would think that the "stance" that makes the most sense to you is the one that comes easiest. I think that not having a stance at all is much easier than the stigma of Atheism. I've always been more of an "I don't know and you don't either" type of guy myself...

88fingerstonytherevenge (March 3, 2010)

well, you believe in Motorhead, dont you?

victim (March 3, 2010)

You don't believe Mohammed existed?

skankbook (March 3, 2010)

I'm surprised, too, but I guess he was just going through a phase when he wrote that song against the church.

MrSteve (March 3, 2010)

really? It takes the weak to subscribe to organized religion?

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Sarcasm?....must be.

ramblinboyofpleasure (March 3, 2010)

He's had sex?? Not only once but TWICE?!

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Yes, with goofy....see above.

westcoastweasel (March 5, 2010)

He addresses this in the interview I recently did with him, here: http://www.westcoastweasel.com/2010/01/16/informant-inquisition-v ii-ben-weasel-vs-westcoast-weasel/

Church subject matter also addressed in the interview I did with Andrew of Against Me! earlier this week, here: http://www.westcoastweasel.com/2010/03/05/informant-inquisition-v iii-against-me/

killtaker (March 3, 2010)

I think they are offended that you call this band Screeching Weasel when it is not.

red_eye_inc (March 3, 2010)

A+

88fingerstonytherevenge (March 3, 2010)

most excellent

SATAN_THE_KOREAN_DINOSAUR (March 3, 2010)

so southern baptists and screeching weasel DO have something in common.

jawbreakersuckssucks (March 3, 2010)

Dear Ben,

We regret to inform you that, due to the exceedingly high number of "whiny little bitches" attending our Florida theme park, we can not accomodate anymore of you at this time at any of our Florida properties.

Disney Corp.

notfeelingcreative (March 3, 2010)

He should support the ban like a good republican! I do find it odd, as GWAR plays HOB Orlando every time they come through Flroida.

AJY (March 3, 2010)

hahaha

BW is such a douchebag

I won't ever pay $ to say SW. Riverdales in Toronto, yes. Only b/c the Creeps are opening up for them.

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

Glad the Philly show isn't a HOB.

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

Do you guys have one of those?

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

in dirty Jerz

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

Why is New Jersey a state?

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

Is this a set up for a joke?

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

No, just a general question.

kevgren (March 3, 2010)

It's not so much a state as a battleground for the war between Bon Jovi and Springsteen fans. Also, those guys with the face paint that aren't Kiss or ICP came from there.

88fingerstonytherevenge (March 3, 2010)

Twizted?

MonsterLobster (March 3, 2010)

Even being from New Jersey, I fail to see how this is a battle Bon Jovi could ever win.

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

No one wins in that battle.

morelikeguidont (March 3, 2010)

Speaking of Philly, I ordered tickets for the Alkaline Trio show at the Trocadero through Ticketmaster, but when my tickets came in the mail they were for Starland Ballroom. Ticketmaster is claiming there is no possible way they could have fucked up. I'm claiming there is no way I would order tickets for Starland because that place sucks. Is it possible I am the victim of a computer glitch or did I just click on the wrong venue?

BTW, The show at the Troc is now sold-out.

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

That sucks. Call The Troc and see if you can work something out?

the_other_scott (March 3, 2010)

Starland is the worst. Plus, fuck going to shows in Jersey with their weird drinking laws - are they the same in PA?

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

PA's are worse.

Dante3000 (rich) (March 3, 2010)

Do you have an e-mail receipt? That seems like it'd have an answer.

morelikeguidont (March 3, 2010)

Email receipt says I bought a ticket to Slayerville's Starland Ballroom.
...I still don't think I did.

Dante3000 (rich) (March 3, 2010)

Apparently, Disney misunderstood recent incidents regarding Ben Weasel and people's description of him as, "fucking goofy". Sorry Disney.

jaydischord (March 3, 2010)

Applause!

usversusthem (March 3, 2010)

Swish! Two points.

Tonto (March 3, 2010)

Maybe that's the problem. Disney looks down on bestiality.

ramblinboyofpleasure (March 3, 2010)

I'm a wanker and I didn't get past the gates either Ben.

crackpotdemagogue (March 3, 2010)

Quite ironic that Weasel's reactionary politics are probably more closely aligned with Disney than the politics of any other 'punk' band who have played there in recent years, yet he is the one who gets banned...

I remember this happened to Gallows not that long ago too, and Machine Head too.

Censorship prevails in the land of the free! Your forefathers would be proud!

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

It's only censorship if the government does it. Saying someone is censoring you implies that they are infringing on your rights. Screeching Weasel does not have an inherent right imbued by Ben's creator to play at House of Blues, and Disney has the right to decide what it does with its private property. If the government of California banned SW from playing in the state, then yes, an argument could be made for censorship.

Usually you hear the "i'm-a getting mah first amendment trampled on!" from whiny ass titty baby conservatives who think getting fired from a newspaper constitutes a violation of their rights.

crackpotdemagogue (March 3, 2010)

no it's not, don't be silly. censorship can be much more than govt sanctioned. censorship has much broader meaning than 'infringing on your rights' - the word is a noun before it is an adjective.

screeching weasel have been censored by disney in this instance because disney do not like the things they sing about etc. disney have thus exercised their power as property owners of this performance space to repress through censorship something they do not like.

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

Under what obligation is Disney to give Screeching Weasel a show at all?

crackpotdemagogue (March 3, 2010)

they are under no obligation at all to allow them a show, that's not what I'm saying. I'm merely stating that SW have here been censored by a powerful, repressive and reactionary multinational corporation that masquerades under the false guise of 'American values', which I think is ironic. That's all.

the_other_scott (March 3, 2010)

it's not really censored though - they aren't saying "you can't say what you want or believe what you want", they are saying "you can't say what you want or believe what you want on our property."

only you could get me to defend disney

crackpotdemagogue (March 3, 2010)

they are saying "you can't say what you want or believe what you want on our property."

Which is precisely why it is censorship, when you consider the context of what the property is: a performance space. Disney are censoring art that they do not like, and in doing so are preventing thousands of people (who would presumably have been at the show) from experiencing that art in a live setting. It's blatant censorship whether you choose to acknowledge it or not.

Defending Disney is like defending the devil. Shame on you.

bastard_squad (March 3, 2010)

I'm not defending Disney here either. Just devils advocate.

They are under no obligation to provide SW a venue to perform.

They provide for Gwar among many others. I think a detachable cock that spews pink cum is more likely to be an issue for Disney than old man Ben and the substitutes.

lookingforcorpses (March 3, 2010)

Other Scott, Bastard Squad and Matt Ramone are correct. You are wrong. I can't believe I'm agreeing with Matt. It's not censorship. It's private property. They don't have to allow anyone onto that property to do anything. It'd be more a case of censorship if they allowed them to play but said, "you can't do this song and that song." But a private company saying "you can't come on my property because I'm offended by you or disagree with you" is in no way censorship.

bastard_squad (March 3, 2010)

There is a sign at every amusement park and in many restaurants that says 'we reserve the right to refuse service to anybody'. It isn't censorship just because somebody doesn't let you show up to their venue.

crackpotdemagogue (March 3, 2010)

But it's much more than 'somebody not letting you show up to their venue' isn't it?

Check this out for a brief overview.

atrus138 (March 3, 2010)

this.

victim (March 3, 2010)

and out come the defenses of private property..

bastard_squad (March 3, 2010)

Hey shits, I own a house. If I want to put on basement shows and turn away dick-bags it's my right.

Would you disagree?

victim (March 4, 2010)

Its not the same thing, as I think you're aware. Or are you Joseph Proudhon?

bastard_squad (March 4, 2010)

If I were, would you be impressed that I'm alive or that I'm bothering to converse with you?

sirens (March 3, 2010)

"churchgoing father..."

what a douche. who cares if you go to church. youre even more a moron in my eyes now.

spoon_of_grimbo (March 3, 2010)

the dude needs to quit music, or at the very least stick to his solo shit. all the stuff he's doing with screeching weasel is taking away from precious time that dan vapid could be using to make more methadones/noise by numbers records!

that_band_changed_my_life (March 3, 2010)

I know all about your dipshit. Benjamin Charles Foster the Third. Suburbs?

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

Ben Weasel is angry at the concept of youth.

usversusthem (March 3, 2010)

He always wanted to be one of the cool kids.

Babrook (March 3, 2010)

Ben Weasel is a fucking douchebag and I smile when bad things happen to him.

bradc930 (March 3, 2010)

Maybe they couldn't play because Ben Weasel, he's an asshole, Ben Weasel, he's a jerk...

LinoleumMagazine (March 3, 2010)

Someone needs to send Disney some NOFX lyrics so I never have to see them in that rip off venue again.

Babrook (March 3, 2010)

You know it's a punk venue when it's right across the street from Cirque Du Soleil.

Which is excellent, if anyone happens to be in Orlando and has money/time to blow.

LinoleumMagazine (March 3, 2010)

I imagine it's similar to HOB Anaheim which is in the middle of downtown Disney and it's basically a really expensive mall with crap you'd never wanna buy. It's a very strange atmosphere to have to deal with when going to a punk show.

But I will give HOB credit for always having really good sound. Still doesn't make it worth it though.

victim (March 3, 2010)

Any Cirque show is great

ericlolligagger (March 3, 2010)

It seems like maybe SW just got denied, for whatever reason, and it's Ben who has spun it this way for more publicity. I should submit my shitty little band to play the HOB and then when we get denied I can say, The Lolligaggers banned from the HOB. I guess I'm too dangerous." This just seems silly.

bradc930 (March 3, 2010)

Yeah, that's kind of what I thought. I mean, Screeching Weasel have been around for a while and are pretty known as far as punk bands go, but certainly aren't the biggest act around.

Babrook (March 3, 2010)

I was pretty pissed when Babs and the Brooks was denied.

'Content' my ass. We don't have any content!

kevgren (March 3, 2010)

I would pay good money to see Babs and the Brooks live.

lookingforcorpses (March 3, 2010)

Bingo. I was thinking that. There's honestly no way SW could fill either of those venues.

joeydevil (March 4, 2010)

IM surprised it took so long for someone to mention this. Hasn't anyone else thought about the possibility that HoB just won't book them because they don't think they are a big enough draw? He is embarrassed and slighted so he says they are banned to save face?

mammoth (March 3, 2010)

awesome.

kevgren (March 3, 2010)

Disney mistakenly thought they'd booked The Queers and had buyer's remorse, hence the ban.

TheViz (March 3, 2010)

Spoonboy and Chris McCaughan actually own Disney now. Their time for revenge has come.

ExtraCheesePizza (March 3, 2010)

I would pay to see Max Levine Ensemble at that size venue.

ZachLeg (March 3, 2010)

fuck spoonboy

mattramone (March 3, 2010)

I would if he'd let me.

ozmanx (March 3, 2010)

Boo Fuckin' Hoo!

No seriously I'm crying.

Killtaker (March 3, 2010)

Maybe the House of Blues didn't want to deal with the inevitable accusations of questionable accounting processes and witholding royalties.

xfallenx (March 3, 2010)

right
they're always on the LOOKOUT for these

froggerwithmylife (March 3, 2010)

they let neckromantix in? lol

Irish_Punk_Is_Gimmickry (March 3, 2010)

haw haw, how ironic that the right-wing, pro-war republican can't play at disnleyland. that's what you get for being a crook that fucks over your bandmates.

Thegimper (March 3, 2010)

I didn't know Mike Park had connections with Disney...

someone-yeah (March 3, 2010)

Hopefully they let the vandals and no means no play there to rub it in even further

swinginutter (March 8, 2010)

i dont get this comment

ZachLeg (March 3, 2010)

...never much liked to play there anyway

kram1234 (March 3, 2010)

ben weasel < disneyland

bradc930 (March 4, 2010)

I would rather go to Disneyland than a Screeching Weasel show 100% of the time.

phillipick (March 4, 2010)

"Stuuukas over Disneyland..."

fox82 (March 4, 2010)

Ben Weasel: It has nothing to do with politics. HOB just don't like your band.

SurfingTurf (March 4, 2010)

A few years ago I got kicked out of HOB Orlando with about 50 other kids. The reason? Because we jumped up and down and this was considered too close to moshing. This was at a Less Than Jake show I drive two hours for. FUCK YOU DISNEY SHOVE PINOCCHIO'S NOSE UP YOUR ASS.