Estonia Cancels Future Limp Bizkit Show Over Fred Durst’s Past Pro-Russia Stance
A past of pro-Russian commentary has caught up with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, causing a future show to get the axe by Estonian officials. And now fans expecting to catch the legendary nu metal act on May 31 will have to find something else to do, all because Durst couldn’t help but shill for Putin and his
A past of pro-Russian commentary has caught up with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, causing a future show to get the axe by Estonian officials. And now fans expecting to catch the legendary nu metal act on May 31 will have to find something else to do, all because Durst couldn’t help but shill for Putin and his now ex-wife.
According to the concert’s promoter, the show was canceled “due to circumstances beyond the organizer’s control.” What could that be, you ask? Apparently, it came straight from Estonia’s Foreign Ministry and its MInister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna, who said the following:
“My position is clear, and I will repeat it: Russia is the aggressor, and Crimea is occupied by Russia. Those who justify Russia’s aggression and the occupation of a neighboring country are not welcome in Estonia. They have no place on Estonian stages and should not be earning income here.
“Concert and cultural event organizers must also understand this. This has been Estonia’s clear stance, and this principle has been followed for several years already. I hope that concert organizers will act accordingly now as well.”
This all stems from a string of efforts by Durst afte he married Crimean-born Russian makeup artist Kseniya Beryazina back in 2012. Shortly after, he came out in favor of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Over the next couple years, he made pro-Russia content with his then-wife, at one point stating publicly that Russian president Vladimir Putin was “a great guy with clear moral principles and a nice person.”
The two have since split and Durst’s stance on Russia is no longer front and center. Still, the damage is seemingly done and it’s looking like there’s no changing Estonia’s mind.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a country ban an act from playing within their borders. Earlier this year, Disturbed was barred from playing a show in Brussels, Belguim over David Draiman’s support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Organizers feared his pro-Israel stance would have incited violence.
