Death metal veterans Incantation are currently on the road for the “Praise The Beast” North American Tour alongside Belphegor, Hate, and Nar*otic Wasteland. While the trek recently hit a rough patch regarding backstage hospitality, the band has officially flipped the negative situation into a charitable campaign for local communities.
Moving forward, the group is asking fans attending the remaining dates to bring non-perishable food items to the venue doors, which will then be donated to local food banks.
In an interview with Decibel, frontman and guitarist John McEntee explained the motivation behind the new initiative, reflecting on his own financial struggles and the overwhelming generosity of their fanbase.
“As a musician, I have had times when things have been tight, including the last few years, so I know how difficult it is to sometimes choose between medical bills and paying for food or housing. I understand this is the life I chose and, in fact, I’m proud of it.”
“The are others less fortunate who don’t even have the chance to afford food or shelter. So, I decided to have a food drive at the remaining shows on this tour and donate to the local food banks in the venues’ communities.’”
McEntee acknowledged the current economic climate but urged those who have the means to contribute. He also put out a call for logistical assistance from locals in the upcoming tour markets.
“I know times are rough, and if you can’t bring anything, I totally understand. But if you can give, let’s do our part to help out our local communities. We need local people in the cities where we are playing to provide us with contacts for local food banks, or even better, people willing to help us drop off the collected food after the show.”
He added:
“I know what it’s like, and I don’t want anybody on the face of the Earth to go through this. We have had so many people reach out with help after I made my last post about our hospitality issues, and all of us in the band appreciate all the kind gestures. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there are people in much more dire situations. We will get through our own stuff, but we need to help others. We need to give back. If you are local to these cities and can help us transport the donations, please reach out!”
The charitable effort was born out of necessity earlier this week. On February 24, McEntee posted a video to social media explaining that the band was struggling to stay fed due to inadequate club hospitality and a tight touring budget. He initially asked fans to bring food directly to the merch table to help sustain the band.
“Yeah, I just want to let people know that our hospitality kinda sucks on this tour. I don’t know what the deal is, but we haven’t been getting much from the clubs. I don’t know, to tighten up the belts, or whatever’s going on,” he said (as transcribed by theprp).
“So, this is a little announcement saying that at our merch table, we will be accepting your non-perishable food items so we could stock our bandwagon with some food for us. Yeah, it’s kind of a joke, but it also is really kinda strange that it’s been so tight on this tour, but it is.”
“So if anybody feels like bringing some food on over, go for it. We’re all about it, because you basically just get a buyout, which is about enough to pay for most of a meal each day. I figured maybe someone out there, I don’t know, might have some bada** food that they want to bring to the show. We’re accepting. So thank you very much.”
“And yeah, hopefully, we see you guys at the show. And yeah, just drop it off for Kyler at our merch table. And yeah, we’ll gladly accept it. We’re also accepting bottled water. And I don’t know, I mean, they probably can’t bring beer into the club or anything. And if you can’t get in the club, I don’t know, just hit us up or something and we’ll pick it up outside.”
“I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s the way it goes sometimes. It’s all good. This isn’t a slag on any bands or promoters or anybody, but the fact is, it’s like we’re not getting s**t. So, why the hell not ask people who might have a little more to hook us up? Because we are on a shoestring budget on this tour, so f**k it.”
“Well, thank you guys and see you soon. Take care. Bye bye.”
Fortunately, the band’s personal struggles were swiftly resolved. Just one day later, McEntee posted a follow-up video confirming that management and booking agents had stepped in to correct the situation, noting that “our stuff was sorted out with the hospitality, all miscommunication and other BS.”
With their own pantry sorted, the band immediately shifted focus to helping others.
Remaining “Praise The Beast” North American Tour Dates:
- 02/28 – Haltom City, TX @ Haltom Theater
- 03/01 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
- 03/02 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
- 03/03 – Mesa, AZ @ The Rosetta Room
- 03/06 – San Diego, CA @ Brick by Brick
- 03/07 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
- 03/08 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
- 03/09 – Los Angeles, CA @ 1720
- 03/10 – Anaheim/Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
