Silverchair and Offspring lyrics causes problems with church for Atlanta RockFest

May 25, 1999: Church groups and community leaders in Georgia are demanding the cancellation of Atlanta Hard Rock RockFest on June 5th, that features Offspring, Silverchair and other rock bands, claiming the bands' music could inspire young concert-goers to commit acts of violence.

"I'd like nothing better than for them to cancel this concert." Mike Ruffin, manager of Spalding County, said. "We're shocked by the lyrics some of these groups are using. These lyrics that they're feeding into the minds and hearts of young people need to be stopped."

Approximately 200 people showed up a a rally in Griffin, GA on May 24 to protest the RockFest, according to organizers of the demonstration. The festival is set to take place at Atlanta in nearby Hampton. In addition to Southern California punk-rockers The Offspring and Australian rockers Silverchair, the show is schedule to include such popular and diverse acts like Everclear, Collective Soul, Sugar Ray and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

The president and general manager of the Atlanta Speedway, Ed Clark, said the show will go on, but he added that he will ask The Offspring and Silverchair not to play certain songs. In addition, Clark said church groups will be allowed into the venue to speak with concert goers.

Tim Bach, a 26 year-old youth pastor is one of the leaders of the anti-concert effort, cited Offspring's "Beheaded" off 1995's The Offspring album and "Cool To Hate," off 1997's Ixnay On The Hombre, and Silverchair's "Suicidal Dream" as examples of songs with messages that could cause fans to commit the kind of violence seen in recent school shootings.

Publicists for The Offspring and Silverchair did not respond by press time to requests for comments.