A Brisbane band have been labelled "idiots" after being kicked off stage for displaying swastika flags during a weekend performance.
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Revellers were horrified enough to help kick punk group Big Bongin' Baby out of West End's The Bearded Lady on Saturday night, according to management.
The Bearded Lady general manager Jamie Simmonds said staffers acted quickly to cut the music from the stage with the help of punters.
He was furious the band had ruined the night and had distressed about 50 guests and staff members.
"I was pissed off they did that but I was also angry that I didn't react or pick it up sooner," he said.
"We do not condone what they did and we definitely don't accept racism, sexism or homophobia at our venue.
"We are known to be a safe space for not only staff but for punters who enjoy music and for this to happen is not good.
"I feel like we've let people down in letting these idiots up on stage."
Mr Simmonds said the crowd was visibly distressed at the sight and the business did not stand for the type of behaviour from bands at their venue.
"They [the band] kept yelling freedom of speech and were using Buddhism (as an excuse) for their actions," he said.
"It's a bad feeling knowing there are a lot of young local punk bands wanting to get up on stage and perform and there are those type of people in the mix."
The uproar came hours after hundreds of police were forced to patrol a far-right rally on Melbourne's St Kilda foreshore, where some attendees were seen giving Nazi salutes on Saturday.
Punks such as the Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious and Siouxsie Sioux from Siouxsie and the Banshees were condemned for displaying Nazi symbolism in the '70s in an attempt to shock people.
Brisbane author and journalist Andrew Stafford - who penned the well-respected Brisbane music scene book Pig City - said he was surprised by the incident.
"What happened at the Bearded Lady last night is totally unrepresentative of the Brisbane music scene that I know and love, and props should be given to the venue for immediately cutting the power to the band at the time the incident occurred," he said.
"Big Bongin' Baby have been a fixture on the local scene for a long time. As their name suggests, they are not and never were to be taken seriously - they are a joke.
"But no one thinks this joke, if that's indeed what it was, is funny, particularly not after the horrible events at St Kilda earlier in the day.
"The band has remained on the bottom of bills at club shows for more than 20 years and they might struggle to find gigs after this.
"Regardless of whose idea it was, they all have to own it."
Multiple attempts were made to contact the band through third parties for comment.
