Metal band gig called off

Greek black metal band Rotting Christ has had a concert canceled in an apparent response to protests over the obscenity of its name.

Sakis Tolis, the lead singer and founder of the group, said in a Facebook post that yesterday’s gig at the Aigli venue in Patra in the Peloponnese had been called off.

“The real dark powers of this country did everything they could to postpone a cultural event which was, in their eyes, extreme,” he said.

“Freedom of speech is a right that we have fought for and actively supported for more than 30 years,” he said. “A battle was lost but not the war.”

Organizers GG Events said that Patra Municipality, which owns Aigli, said the venue would not be available, although it had received payment in advance, citing technical reasons.

They added that municipal officials had received protests from the Metropolis of Patra.

Speaking to Kathimerini, municipal officials insisted that the concert was canceled due to technical issues and that it could be rescheduled after the issue has been resolved.

“The venue is available to everyone except for Golden Dawn,” the mayor said.

In recent days, nationalist and religious groups had been protesting on social media, demanding the cancellation of the concert by the “anti-Christ” band.