Gass issued his own statement on social media: “The line I improvised Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I don’t condone violence in any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened [the shooting] was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgment.”
Tenacious D has combined comedy and classic rock for over 30 years, with the creative partnership of Black and Gass dating back even longer to the mid-1980s when they were both performers in the Actors’ Gang theatre troupe. They began writing music together, gave their debut performance in 1994, and became much-loved by the rock bands they somewhat lampooned, earning support slots with Tool, Foo Fighters, and others.
Their crossover into TV was short-lived, but as Black’s acting career took off, the band was signed to a major label and released their self-titled debut album in 2001, which gradually became a platinum-selling success in the US and two times platinum in the UK. Their second album, The Pick of Destiny, was paired with the feature film Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, and the band has released two further studio albums. 2012’s Rize of the Fenix was their biggest chart hit, reaching No 2 in the UK and No 4 in the US.
Before their Australian tour, Tenacious D played arenas across the UK earlier this year. The Guardian’s Dave Simpson gave their Manchester concert a four-star review, calling it “a parody of a rock show that’s a great rock show in itself.”
