The Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar Address Neo-Nazi Event Claims

Melbourne’s Last Chance Rock & Roll Bar have issued a statement following online claims that the venue hosted a neo-Nazi concert and gathering in 2018.

The initial claims were made on Reddit in a thread which warned Melbourne readers that The Central Club Hotel in Richmond was hosting the Antichrist Festival on February 15th, an event which had been referred to as a “neo-Nazi gig” online.

One user dug into some of the acts performing on the night, noting how many of them – including the Hobart outfit VRAG, who “had a nazi symbol on an album cover” – had performed at a similar event when it had been allegedly held at the Last Chance previously.

“Really disappointed at the Last Chance bar,” the user wrote. “I've been there on a few occasions and it presents itself as a safe place for people from all walks of life. Shame to hear it's not.

“The owners also own the Tote, which is one of my favourite venues. Really disappointed that I'll have to avoid that place on the rare nights out I have.”

In response to the claims that the Last Chance had hosted such an event, Jake Laderman – the booker of the Last Chance and the Tote – took to Reddit to issue a statement addressing the allegations.

A response from The Last Chance re: Neo Nazi event claims
by u/TheLastChanceRnR in melbourne

“In 2018, we had a show booked at the venue, which we cancelled after being made aware that the promoters were nazis,” Laderman wrote via the venue’s Reddit account. “Since then, we have not engaged with those promoters, any of the bands involved and have stayed vigilant in not allowing them to slip under our radar again. 

“We have since put anti-nazi signage on the front door and throughout the venue. The owners (namely Shane) has personally ejected people from the venue who he knows as nazis. From what I can see on our end, none of the bands mentioned in this thread have played at The Last Chance or The Tote, nor are they welcome to be.

“We have never hosted a nazi show, and we never would,” he added. “We are an anti-nazi venue and stand directly against any behaviour relating to them.”

Indeed, the 2018 event in question – dubbed Hellraiser IX – had originally been scheduled to take place at The Last Chance on Saturday, June 9th. However, as noted anti-fascist Andy Fleming (otherwise known by his online handle slackbastard) reported at the time, the event was cancelled one month beforehand. 

A revised version of the poster saw organisers add text to claim it had been “Banned by Antifa.”