“I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form,” he wrote.
“After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”
The band had been due to perform at several other Australian venues before moving on to New Zealand. It was also supposed to resume in October in the US, with dates set in Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
After a video of the Sydney event went viral on TikTok and X, Ralph Babet, an Australian senator from the United Australia Party, demanded the band be deported.
“I call on the prime minister Anthony Albanese to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black, and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately,” he said in a statement.
“Anything less than a deportation is an endorsement of the shooting and the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump.”
In a statement on Instagram, released at the same time as Black’s, Gass said that his “improvised” line on stage had been “highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake,” adding that he did not condone violence of any kind against anyone.
“What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologise to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.”