This story is disappointing, I go to a few punk shows around Los Angeles, and certainly a lot of them are at the Echo on Sunset boulevard. So I may have gone to this one, on March 30th, it sounded promising: According to the LA Weekly, Insta-Fest was ‘a punk rock festival, sponsored by Insta-Press Clothing, Durty Mick Records and others’ and ‘was slated to feature a who's who of international punk and oi bands, including Old Firm Casuals (featuring Lars Frederiksen of Rancid), Pressure Point from Sacramento and Toughskins, from L.A.’
However, the Echo management cancelled the event after hearing that the event would attract ‘the skinhead element’,… what is it about? At shows I see all kinds of people, Mohawks, shaved heads, long beards,… it had never bothered me, do they really think that a bunch of Nazis would suddenly invade the place and start some beating? The Skinhead community is very diverse and divided, a lot of them are against racial prejudice. As the LA Weekly is pointing out, the skinhead scene in LA is non-racist and very Latino, not the violent kind, even though the shows can be rowdy, but what else is new?
Durty Mick Records released this statement:
‘After 6 months of planning, unfortunately Insta Fest will be cancelled.
The Echo at the last minute realized that some of the bands playing Insta Fest had band members and fans they referred to as "the skinhead element" and they do not want those types in their establishment. 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.
I would like to thank all the bands and people who have stuck by my side and helped me relocate after our first venue cancellation. Their tireless efforts to promote this event and to make sure it was going to be a success is immeasurable. However, sometimes things are not meant to be. I will be contacting everyone who purchased tickets via Durty Mick Records individually.’
This is bad publicity for one of my favorite places! Can’t they reschedule somewhere else, there’s no penury of clubs in LA!