The Cruel World Festival, like many other music events across the globe, has met a cruel fate at the hand of COVID-19, which has caused the event’s cancellation. This 1980s extravaganza was set to feature some of the most iconic names of that decade including Devo, Blondie, Morrissey and Bauhaus back in May, however that date was postponed to fall before this latest cancellation. The festival revealed this cancellation in an email statement to ticketholders, while another statement referenced classic song titles by the bands performing at the fest.
This event was set to be the inaugural Cruel World Festival, and was organized by the prominent Los Angeles-based festival organizers Goldenvoice, who also host the world-famous Coachella. While many of the artists featured on the lineup were from the 1980s, a few more modern names such as She Wants Revenge, Cold Cave and Blaqk audio were also set to perform.
Former Smiths frontman Morrissey has attracted a lot of attention for his various controversial statements and actions over the past few years, which includes his recent decision to perform at a concert in London during the COVID-19 outbreak in March. A few of his other noteworthy comments over the past few years include calling Halal certifiers “ISIS supporters,” expressing support for the far-right For Britain political party, and his defense of accused sexual harasser Kevin Spacey, and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein. (At the time of publishing it should be noted that Spacey has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct, while Weinstein was not yet convicted of rape at the time of Morrissey’s comments.)
Devo made an appearance at Desert Daze last fall, and have denied any rumors of farewell tour despite various festival dates. Bauhaus held a reunion at the Hollywood Palladium last December, although they have been forced to postpone their upcoming shows in Dallas and Chicago.
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