Ever since Elvis made his name in rock’n’roll history with his swinging hips and pelvic thrusts, conservatives the world over have been crying out about the depraved nature of the art form. From accusations of Ozzy Osbourne inciting kids to commit suicide through the use of hidden messages that can only be heard when playing a record backwards, or Eminem promoting violence against women and homosexuals with his misogynistic, homophobic lyrics, parents seem to always be on the lookout for a scapegoat.
The latest chapter in this worldwide phenomenon occurred in the tiny town of Wolmaransstad in North West, where angry parents banned Pretoria rockabilly band the Slashdogs and their signature shoes made by Critik footwear. The Slashdogs and Critik were informed this week by Ronelle Boonzaaier, the manager of Zurina’s shoe store, that because of a customer boycott they would no longer be stocking its shoes and that the band was not welcome in Wolmaransstad. The controversy erupted over the artwork on the Slashdogs album, which features a skull and cross bones made out of animal bones and a chicken head.
This image was also used on the box of their Critik signature shoes. Zurina’s has already sent all of its Critik stock back to the footwear manufacturer but quite how the ban on the Slashdogs will be implemented is far from clear.
Acting municipal manager for Wolmaransstad Dion de Bruyn said he knew nothing about this ban and the parents must have taken matters into their own hands.
Slashdogs guitarist Andrew Wright says the band had never even thought of touring Wolmaransstad, but now that they were banned they were in the process of booking a gig in the town. Wright said the band had been informed that a customer at the shop had been outraged over the Slashdogs artwork when her son wanted to buy a pair of their shoes.
”Apparently she started yelling about Satan and the occult,” says Wright. ”They organised a town meeting at the school and told the shoe store owner not to stock Critik shoes anymore or they would chase them out of town, as small towns do.
”I am just really glad that someone has reacted that harshly to our artwork; as an artist that is great. We are proud of the artwork; it’s not just a shock image. If you listen to the album, the artwork connects with the music and the lyrics.”
The Slashdogs insist that the idea of muti is integral to the concept of the artwork, which reflects traditional African folklore surrounding muti and magic.
”Muti and magic is something that most white South African’s know nothing about. This is where the problem comes in with the lady from Wolmaransstad,” says Wright. ”She doesn’t know or understand this African tradition. Whether she’ll admit it or not, she is frightened. It is natural for someone to start shouting ‘Satan’ and ‘blasphemy’ when they come across something they don’t understand.”
Boonzaaier did not want to comment on the matter but says that she had not received any complaints about the shoes. But Michael Wyatt, who heads up Critik footwear, disputes this, claiming she has had the stock for more than a month and that she recently said that she could not afford to stock the shoes because of boycott threats.
Wyatt also stresses that the artwork was digitally manipulated and that no animals were harmed in the making of the image. ”The last thing I need is the SPCA on my case as well,” he says.