Keith Morris, the frontman of punk pioneers Circle Jerks, stirred debate during the final day of Coachella’s opening weekend with his unfiltered commentary during the band’s performance. Consequence Heavy reported that while playing on the stage, Morris took time between songs to address the audience directly and his candid remarks were broadcast on Coachella’s official livestream, without any censorship.
After finishing the politically charged track “Coup d’état,” Morris took a moment to comment on the song’s closing lyric “kill all.” He told the crowd, “That last line ‘kill all’ it’s a really harsh and messed-up phrase. Especially in these dark times. We are absolutely not promoting that message.”
He added a provocative follow-up, “What would be totally badass is an army of Luigis.” The reference was to Luigi Mangione, a figure at the center of a major legal and media storm after being charged with the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in late 2023. Mangione has become a controversial symbol, with online mentions of his name frequently suppressed due to fears of imitation.
Despite the serious charges, he has gained a degree of support from the media. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty in Mangione’s case.
Morris’ commentary didn’t stop there. Later in the set, he criticized his sister for her support of “that guy,” a likely reference to Donald Trump. He explained he no longer visits her, calling her a “white Christian nationalist.”
Interestingly, while Morris’ raw statements remained intact in the official broadcast, other acts including Irish hip-hop collective Kneecap, claimed that their political comments were removed from the Coachella live stream. The disparity has raised questions about selective censorship.
Circle Jerks intend on performing at numerous music festivals in Europe during early August. As of September 2024, the band finished their co-headlining with punk band, Descendents, across the United States.
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