Whisky a Go Go Cancels Performance by Band Accused of Racist and Pro-Nazi Sympathies

West Hollywood’s Whisky a Go Go has cancelled a scheduled performance by “Desire the Fire,” a Las Vegas-based band whose desire for fire apparently is being met by the posting of racist and Nazi comments on Facebook by the bands promotions manager.

Kayla Elliott, the promotions manager and wife of Cody Elliott, the band’s front man, last week got into an argument on Facebook about avocados. The debate about the health effects of avocadoes quickly degenerated into attacks by Elliott on overweight people and black people. “Because I don’t like fattys or blacks. Sorry,” Elliott wrote after a black man complained that she called him out for being overweight.

Casondra Dawn, whose Facebook page was the site of the argument, blocked Elliott. Her post of a screenshot of the Facebook argument generated 146 shares and 107 comments. It also prompted Pace Vegas, a Las Vegas blog, and KTNV, a local radio station, to look into allegations that Elliott has proclaimed herself a Nazi. Pace published a screen shot of a Facebook post by Elliott that said #naziandproud.

The band initially defended Elliott’s statements. “We feel, as Americans, it is our GOD given right to have ANY opinion we so choose. We are tolerant of other views as we expect other to be tolerant of ours,” it said in a post on its Facebook page, which now has been taken down. “Therefore this dialogue between Kayla and Josh is none of our business. Just like it is none of yours. Thank you.”

It then did an about face, saying Elliott’s Facebook account had been hacked. That was contradicted by two band members, Paul Draven and Michael James, who announced that they were leaving the band because of Elliott’s statements.

A woman answering the phone at Whisky a Go Go this morning said the club had no comment as to why it cancelled the Design the Fire performance. Desire the Fire’s scheduled performances also have cancelled at other venues.