Tenacious DTenacious D fans can breathe a sigh of relief today, with Jack Black confirming the legendary comedy-rock duo are indeed still active, and will return to the stage in due time.
In case you missed it, Tenacious D stirred up some enormous trouble in Australia last month. During their Sydney (Gadigal) show on July 14, bandmate Kyle Gass made an edgy joke about Donald Trump (with the twice-impeached former US President / convicted felon being shot at a rally less than 24 hours prior). The joke led to an Australian senator calling for Gass and Black to be deported, and the latter eventually posted a statement cancelling the remainder of the tour – and all future plans for Tenacious D.
At the time, Black wrote on social media: “I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all further creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”
Gass would soon share a statement of his own, too, writing: “The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I don’t condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologize to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.”
It’s worth noting that Black did not say Tenacious D were officially breaking up – just that any projects they had lined up were being paused indefinitely – but it’s fair that many fans interpreted this saga to mean the end of the Pick Of Destiny hitmakers.
In a new interview with Variety, however, Black assured fans that wasn’t the case: “We need to take a break,” he said at the red carpet premiere for Borderlands (in which he stars). “Everybody needs a break sometime[s]. And we’ll be back.”
Black went on to confirm that he and Gass are still friends, and their personal relationship “hasn’t changed”. He reiterated the sentiment that Tenacious D would return to the spotlight “when it feels right”, and then whipped out an iconic piece of the band’s history: the actual pick from The Pick Of Destiny. Pointing to the pick, he affirmed, “I love Tenacious D. It’s probably my favorite job, if you can call it that. It’s a work of art, it’s my baby.”
Following last month’s controversy, Gass was dropped by his agent.
