King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard drop out of Bluesfest 2023 over Sticky Fingers booking

Last week Sticky Fingers joined the 2023 line-up for Byron Bay Bluesfest alongside Sampa The Great, Fools and more. The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 after lead singer Dylan Frost was accused of physically threatening indigenous singer Thelma Plum at a Sydney pub. He had also been accused of racially taunting the metal band Dispossessed the same year, which he denied. Bluesfest defended the booking of Sticky Fingers in an Instagram comment, writing that it's "time to forgive and let [Frost] get on with his life."

Earlier today on Instagram (20 February), King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard shared a statement announcing they will no longer play the festival. The band wrote: "As a band and as human beings, we stand against misogyny, racism, transphobia and violence. [We are] surprised and saddened to see Bluesfest commit to presenting content that is in complete opposition to these values.

"Given this decision by the festival, we have decided to cancel our appearance at Bluesfest. We are deeply disappointed to be in this position but sometimes you need to be willing to make sacrifices to stand up for your values. This is, unfortunately, one of those moments."

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Sticky Fingers' keys player Freddy Crabs commented, "I don’t stand against those values either."