The owners of Harpos Concert Theatre have released an extensive statement addressing the events surrounding a concert on January 25 that was abruptly halted due to police intervention following online threats. The concert featured bands known for their troubling connections to neo-Nazi ideologies, antisemitism, and racism, raising significant concerns within the community.

Additionally, a fire marshall issued a report outlining numerous safety violations discovered at the venue during the event. The list included serious infractions such as padlocked doors and blocked exits, highlighting a lack of adherence to safety regulations that could endanger attendees.

In this article, we will provide further insights into the concert, the bands involved, the fire marshall’s findings, and the statements made by the venue owners, including co-owner Krystle Dzajkovska, who is a Black woman committed to promoting inclusivity.

Understanding the Controversial Black Metal Concert

The concert was organized by a promoter who labeled it as a black metal festival named A Night of Black Metal and Carnage, without initially disclosing the full details to the venue. The lineup included bands such as Grand Belial’s Key, Crucifier, Blue Hummingbird on the Left, Nexul, Perversion, Genocidal Rites, and Lurid. The promoter specifically instructed the venue not to promote the event, which the venue owners later admitted was a significant oversight on their part, as they failed to investigate further into the nature of the event.

The promotional materials stated that the “venue would be announced to ticket holders only,” creating an atmosphere of secrecy that stemmed from the sensitive nature of the bands involved. Ticket holders reportedly received the location details just one hour before the concert was set to begin, contributing to the overall tension surrounding the event.

According to the Detroit Free Press, police arrived at the venue in response to reports of threats directed towards the location. However, it was co-owner Ruzvelt Stevanovski who made the decision to terminate the concert during the second band’s performance. He recalled, ?As soon as I found out, I walked onstage and said: ?We?re shutting down. Kill the sound,?? emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

Examining the Bands’ Connections to Racism and Extremism

This section explores the disturbing affiliations of various bands scheduled to perform at the canceled concert, particularly their ties to racism, Nazi ideologies, white supremacy, and antisemitism. Understanding these connections is crucial in recognizing the broader implications of the event.

Grand Belial’s Key, established in 1992 in Virginia, is notorious for promoting antisemitic and anti-Christian sentiments through their lyrics, album titles, and visual presentations. The band includes members from Arghoslent, a group known for its openly racist themes, as evident in albums like Incorrigibly Bigotry and Hornets of the Pogrom, which are rife with problematic rhetoric.

The term “pogrom,” defined by Merriam-Webster as an organized massacre of vulnerable groups, specifically references the historical violence against Jewish communities. This context underscores the severity of the themes present in the band’s music.

One guitarist from both bands, as well as Crucifier, is Alexander Halac, who uses various aliases such as Gelal and Pogrom. Halac is also associated with Absurd, a German band with National Socialist affiliations, although it has since changed its lineup. His extensive history with bands that espouse hate and bigotry paints a troubling picture of the concert’s lineup.

Halac’s remarks from a 2004 interview further reveal the band’s extreme views, which shifted from mystical themes to overtly hostile rhetoric against Judeo-Christian beliefs, showcasing a deep-seated prejudice that fuels their music. His statements reflect a radical disdain for opposing ideologies, contributing to the alarming nature of the band’s message.

An image from the interview shows the band members alongside a banner declaring, “White racist and proud!”, further solidifying their extremist ideology.

Halac’s affiliations extend to numerous record labels and bands that share National Socialist, antisemitic, and racist views, amplifying the troubling associations surrounding the concert.

Nexul, formed in 2011 in El Paso, Texas, also has members connected to Nyogthaeblisz, a band that has produced overtly antisemitic material, including a song titled, “A Bewitched Outbreak of Chemical Pestilence Quells the Subhuman Race.” This song appears on a compilation called Satanic Skinhead: A Declaration of Anti-Semitic Terror, released in 2006, further entrenching the problematic themes prevalent in this music scene.

READ MORE: 10 One-Woman Black Metal Bands You Need to Know

Life Safety Violations Reported by Fire Marshall

Detroit Fire Department Fire Marshall Don Thomas provided a detailed account of the serious violations observed at the venue during the concert, as reported by Lambgoat. His statement highlighted a range of alarming safety issues that jeopardized the wellbeing of attendees.

Upon arrival at the business in question, the fire marshal division noted multiple egregious life and fire safety violations, including padlocked doors, blocked exits, and no emergency lighting. This is unacceptable. A total of 24 violations were written by the Detroit Fire Department.

Harpos Concert Theatre?s Apology and Commitment to Change

In a statement made on January 28, co-owners Ruzvelt Stevanovski and Krystle Dzajkovska, who took over Harpos in 2017, expressed their deep regrets about the events surrounding the concert. They acknowledged their missteps in the booking process and conveyed their shock that a concert associated with such extremist ideologies was even considered.

The full statement provides a heartfelt apology to the community, emphasizing their commitment to fostering an environment of inclusivity, respect, and equality for all individuals. They reiterated that racism has no place within their venue or the community at large.

On Saturday January 25th, there was an event held at Harpos Concert Theatre that needs to be addressed publicly. The community has demanded answers, which is rightfully deserved, to which we intended on providing. Starting off, I would like to issue our deepest apologies to the community on behalf of myself (Krystle Dzajkovska), Ruzvelt Stevanovski, and Harpos Concert Theatre. While the events on January 25th do not reflect our values, or that of our community, we are truly sorry and are holding ourselves and others involved accountable. We at Harpos are deeply committed to fostering an environment of inclusivity, respect, and equality for all. We want to unequivocally state racism has no place in our business or community, and we stand against all forms of racism.

We were not given certain information during the process of booking this event that could have prevented this from happening. After reflection on our end, we realize that although we should have asked for more and done more research, we feel that by design, they deliberately failed to provide such information. We feel manipulated throughout the entire process and will continue to address where we need to improve.

For the event held on Saturday January 25th, we were not made aware ahead of time that some of the bands were in any association with Nazi/Neo Nazi, White Supremacy, and/or Nationalist Socialist black metal. If I were made aware of this ahead of time, this event would have never happened. This was the first time this event organizer has done an event at our venue. In the process of the event organizer booking this event with Harpos, this information was never given. It was communicated that it was just a Black Metal Festival, which Harpos has had many in the past.

As far as the event location being hidden. It was not Harpos’ that kept the location of the event from the public. This was per the request of the event organizer explaining that this is the way he does his metal shows; he sells tickets for the event and the location is only disclosed to the ticket holders the day of the event. I did not assume that the reason for this was due to the nature of the band(s). The event organizer also stated for us not to promote on our website, Facebook, or Instagram, and that he would handle his own promotion for the event so that the location wouldn’t be disclosed. This was not our decision. This is also the explanation as to why we were not aware of the circulating hate driven flyers with the red markings clearly indicating the nature, which was different from the original flyer. We were not tagged in those original posts.

On January 25th, the day of the event, before the event started, we were still not aware. Once the event started, that’s when we became aware of the nature of the bands from an internet post and calls. Once we were made aware of the situation, the event was shut down immediately. At this time the second band was performing and there were 5 remaining. The event did not continue. Also, Harpos did not call law enforcement to the venue, the police officers came to the venue on their own due to the threats made online, which we were unaware of.

Although this event was not booked by Harpos and was booked by an outside event organizer, I am still the owner of the venue and I take full responsibility and accountability for not doing my due diligence. I foolishly did not follow up as intensely as I should have. This is not who we are or what we represent. As a Black venue owner, I fully understand that hate and racism comes in all forms and skin tones. However, my race/ethnicity is no defense or excuse for my ignorance of not knowing. Since we took ownership in 2017, I have always been devoted to promoting inclusion of all nationalities at Harpos and would never intentionally jeopardize the trust that I’ve earned with the community. I intend on doing everything I can to gain back that trust. Harpos has a rich history and I now realize I need to do more to address concerns about vetting bands and doing more research. I have an immense amount of improvement to do and I need to do better for the sake of my business and my community.

The outrage and anger is completely understood and shows that there is still some humanity left in this world and that there are still individuals out there that will stand up against what is wrong and hateful.

Hate and racism is not something that I or Harpos stand for, encourage, or promote and I would never knowingly or intentionally hold this type of event at my venue with the risk of losing the support of my community and my venue. This is not who we are, this is not what we represent.
We truly thank all our loyal patrons over the years and all the memories we share. We look forward to making more for years to come.

Sincerely,

Ruzvelt Stevanovski and Krystle Dzajkovska
Owners Harpos Concert Theatre