Two weeks before dozens of bands and fans from around the world were set to take over The Echoplex in Echo Park for the inaugural Insta-Fest, the Los Angeles venue abruptly cancelled the major event, citing what they referred to as a “skinhead element” that they didn’t want in the club. Organized and co-sponsored by Long Beach-based Durty Mick Records and its Insta-Press clothing line, the festival was to feature a range of inernational punk, hardcore and oi bands–none of which ascribe to the negative connotations that many have with the word “skinhead.”
“You have to understand, there are Skinheads that are the original Skinheads–non-racist, anti-racist,” Joseph Gaughan, owner of Durty Mick and Insta-Press, told the Post. “This was a non-violent, non-racist unified event.”
Southern California bands such as Channel 3, Toughskins, Take Offense and Rat City Riot were to perform alongside non-local acts like Old Firm Casuals (featuring Lars Frederiksen of Rancid), Pressure Point, Plead the Fifth and Pressure Point. Insta-Fest was entirely backed and funded by Durty Mick Records in which Gaughan purchased plane tickets for bands to fly out, paid for promotional materials like posters and flyers, and sold tickets to the event through both his website and also at Durty Mick Records and Skate–the label’s storefront located in the East Village Arts District.
In addition to fans from all over the country who purchased tickets for Insta-Fest, there are also a number of people from the Philippines, Sweden, United Kingdom whose plans to attend have been quashed by this last-minute cancellation.
“It’s crazy because they’ve had bands of that nature playing there before,” says Gaughan of the all-ages venue that as recently as November hosted traditional skinhead-affiliated bands. “It seems like all of a sudden they decided to look at the flyer and freaked out without talking to us.”
In a statement posted to the event’s Facebook page announcing its calcellation, Gaughan said: “They now have decided to cancel this show two weeks before it was meant to happen. Their lack of communication and unprofessionalism is beyond words.”
It is far too late to relocate the Insta-Fest to another venue, an ordeal that promoters already went through once last year when Alpine Village in Torrance cancelled because they are no longer hosting punk shows. Luckily, the traveling bands have been able to postpone flights until later in the year, and many of those who bought tickets through Durty Mick are already using credit from their ticket for purchases in the store.
Gaughan says that he is definitely going to reschedule Insta-Fest for some point later this year and is looking for an all-ages venue in the greater L.A. area that can host the event.
“I won’t want to have to take it outside of Southern California. This is my backyard so I’d like to keep it as close to here as possible,” says Gaughan. “We’ll just have to wait and see what we can do. Eventually this will happen. Insta-Fest will happen.”
Durty Mick Records and Skate is located at 403 E. 3rd St.
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