Notorious neo-Nazi White Power band heading to Falkirk for first ever UK gig
ANOTORIOUS neo-Nazi rock band are set to play their first-ever UK gig in Scotland next weekend amid calls from campaigners to ban them from entering the country. The Sunday Herald has learned that Bound for Glory, a US white power thrash metal outfit known for performing in front of giant swastikas and songs about “racial pride”, are booked to play a secret venue in Falkirk on October 22.
It will be the largest white power concert ever to take place in Scotland, attracting hundreds of skinheads and white supremacists from Scotland, England and Europe. More than 500 tickets have already been sold but the location for the event has been kept under wraps by organisers to prevent protesters from shutting it down.
Initial rumours suggested the gig would be staged in Edinburgh or Bathgate in West Lothian but campaigners Hope Not Hate say they have discovered Bound for Glory are booked to play in Falkirk.
Matthew Collins of Hope Not Hate said: “The gig was advertised for Edinburgh and people were told to make their way to Edinburgh, but we have discovered now that it is in Falkirk.
“The police have told us they don’t know anything about it but we’ve been told that actually the police have met with organisers to ensure it goes ahead safely. We’ve been told the police know it’s in Falkirk and that they’ve been given a 10pm curfew.
“It’s still the same date, October 22, and people are still being told to go to Edinburgh, but only a handful of people know it’s in Falkirk. They’ll be given a phone number to ring when they get to Edinburgh and then they’ll be told to get on a bus or train onwards to Falkirk.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland denied the claims and stressed that police were still gathering intelligence.
She said: “We are aware of the existence of this group and are taking all necessary steps to confirm the time, date and place of the concert.
“Police Scotland regularly works closely with local authority partners to investigate and, where possible, intervene in any event that promotes extremist or racist views.”
The concert has been organised by London-based Vicky Pearson, a veteran of Britain’s neo-Nazi scene, and her Scottish-based boyfriend Thomas “Steny” Stenhouse.
Minnesota-based Bound for Glory were first rumoured to be headed for Scotland in January and were reportedly booked to play La Belle Angele in Edinburgh before the venue’s owners withdrew.
The group, first formed in 1989, have penned songs entitled Behold the Iron Cross, C**n Shootin Boogie II, and glorified Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in the song Time Bomb.
The group has also voiced support previously for Combat 18, a British Nazi terror group which targeted ethnic minorities and “leftists” throughout the 1990s.
Bound for Glory have toured Europe several times, playing to a crowd of 1,300 in Germany in 1992, but have never performed in the UK.
Hope Not Hate has written to Home Secretary Amber Rudd urging her to refuse them entry this week on the grounds the event has “the potential for violence and disruption” and “stirring up tensions” against ethnic minorities.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: “An individual can be excluded on the grounds that their presence is ‘not conducive to the public good’ if it is reasonable, consistent and proportionate based on the evidence that is available.”