King Khan & BBQ Show May Have Split Up In Australia

When Neil Young said that it's better to burn out than to fade away, I doubt he had a flying snake, four dancing Chinese girls, and a feast of stone crab and Peking duck in mind. Then again, when you're talking about a band as out there as The King Khan & BBQ Show, any breakup was bound to happen in spectacular fashion.

In a lengthy article posted on The Daily Swarm, Khan himself described the sad sequence of events that has led to the demise of the garage rock mainstays.

The duo were booked to play two nights at Australia's VIVID Live Festival, which was curated by Lou Reed and his wife Laurie Anderson. The festival is produced by and held at the famed Sydney Opera House, normally an establishment of high brow entertainment. They should have known if you're going to get Reed involved, something weird is gonna happen (such as a concert showcasing music composed for dogs).

The King Khan & BBQ Show are known for their wacky and spontaneous approach to live performance (especially after the private show Khan gave Lindsay Lohan in Cannes), so it should have come to nobody's surprise that the first concert began with a feast personally prepared by King Khan, who took it upon himself to deliver a plate of crab, white rice, fruit, veggies and duck up to the balcony where Reed was sitting.

Shenanigans then ensued, as a minor food fight broke out, a large rubber snake was tossed into the audience, and audience members ended up dancing on stage a-la-Iggy & The Stooges. That's your typical Khan and BBQ show, right? Khan would probably think so, as he repeatedly insists "NO ONE WAS HURT AND EVERYBODY DANCED."

Well, apparently the folks at the Sydney Opera House weren't amused because after the show, Khan was presented with a list of "do nots" for the next night, with the Opera House citing safety concerns. Namely, the rubber snake was not welcome, on-stage audience members would have to be limited to four, and there was to be no more feeding the audience.

Performance number two was relatively toned down, and only included some spilled wine and beer and a game of catch the guitar between Khan and several audience members.

But things got worse when the show ended.

"Returning to the backstage I opened the door to a scowling BBQ.... A HUGE SCREAMING MATCH ensued and so went the demise of the King Khan & BBQ show....," he wrote. "we agreed that this would be the last show ever. Wow.... what a way to die!!!! After nearly 7 years.... oh well… Lets get fucked up!!!!"

The next day, Khan says he returned to the Opera House to discover his backstage pass had been confiscated, he was not allowed to attend any more shows and would be arrested for trespassing if he ever showed up on the premises again.

"There you have it Australia.... SHAME ON YOUR OPERA HOUSE.... and the white power it is built on," he wrote. "If I could take legal action against the Opera House for humiliating me and taunting me in what was meant to be the highest point in my career as a musician/magician I certainly would....

"MAY YOU FEEL THE BLACK HAND OF JUSTICE SLAP YOU....

"Ask any Thai Masseuse.... this was no happy ending.... Please help me light a candle under the powers that be.... BOYCOTT THE OPERA HOUSE....."

Is this truly the end of The King Khan and BBQ Show? The duo still have a show scheduled for June 12 in Beijing, China, as well as a late September date in Seattle.

They're also set to perform at the Khan-curated Sled Island Music & Arts Festival, which kicks off June 30, as The King Khan & BBQ Show and with their The Almighty Defenders project, which features them both with The Black Lips. Will they still share the stage? The world waits for news with baited breath, plastic snakes, cobra staffs, capes, and bucket helmets.

If they are still a band, you can see The King Khan and BBQ Show at these show.

June 12 Beijing, China @ D-22
July 1 Calgary, AB @ The Legion (Sled Island Music & Arts Festival)
Sept 28 Seattle, WA @ Neumos