End It vocalist Akil Godsey has finally spoken publicly about the controversy surrounding the band’s now-infamous “banana man” incident, making it clear he has little interest in apologizing for the band’s conduct or the backlash that followed.
The Baltimore hardcore outfit largely remained silent after a June 5 show in Toronto with Terror went viral. During the performance, Godsey called attention to a fan dressed in a banana costume and encouraged the crowd to “strip the banana,” leading audience members to tear apart the costume and throw pieces of it through the crowd.
The incident quickly became a flashpoint online, with debate raging over whether the fan was unfairly targeted. It later emerged that the concertgoer had attended numerous shows dressed as a banana and had primarily come to the Toronto date to see Terror, telling the Beardo & Weirdo Podcast that he wasn’t especially familiar with End It.
Following the controversy, the band disappeared from social media and were absent from their planned European tour dates alongside Hatebreed and Life Of Agony.
On June 24, Godsey addressed the situation directly in an Instagram video, dismissing criticism from those who claimed to be disappointed by his behavior.
“The funniest thing to come out of all this is people telling me they were disappointed in me, when the first song I ever wrote for this band is called ‘Give Up,’ which is where I instruct people to walk into the woods to commit suicide. You’ve obviously not been listening to the band, and I don’t know what the f* you thought was going on over here. We’re a hardcore band. We do hardcore things.”**
Godsey continued by stressing that he does not seek approval from strangers and insisted that he would be fine regardless of what happened to the band.
“Everyone in my life loves me very much. I’m very well taken care of. I do not need your attention or validation. I’ll be just fine. Hey, if the band got to quit, so be it. I guess I’ll go to work. I’m a fully functioning adult male.”
In the caption accompanying the video, Godsey suggested that the fallout had escalated beyond criticism, writing:
“Thanks for the racism and death threats and dissertations. It’s all been very taxing. I’m gonna go raise my child now. Peace.”
Several musicians voiced support in the comments. Jesus Piece frontman Aaron Heard posted, “Tabernacle.” Members of Nails, Thursday, and Nothing also weighed in with messages of support.
The controversy remains one of the most discussed incidents in hardcore this year, though Godsey’s comments suggest neither he nor End It intend to change course.
If you’re rocking with The Mosh Network, hit the link and add us as a Preferred Source on Google. That’s the easiest way to keep our latest metal, hardcore, and alternative news, tours, and releases showing up directly in your feed.
