Peace in our time: The Banana Man hardcore controversy has come to an end.
Earlier this month, the Toronto hardcore scene found itself embroiled in a controversy involving a Baltimore band called End It. At a show on June 5, the singer Akil Godsey spotted a man dressed as a banana moshing in the crowd. He took exception to that.
The exchange from the stage went as follows:
Godsey: “We’re just gonna address it. Do you want to do this now or later? Banana Man, what the f–k is you doing?”
Crowd: BIG CHEER
Godsey: “No, no, no, no, no, you don’t get rewarded for doing that sh-t. He wanted the attention, and now he has it.”
End It bass player: “And now, everyone here has to kill you.”
Godsey: “And now, if you strip the banana, you get this lovely set list,” as he brandished a big handwritten set list. “I’m just saying, he was asking for attention. Now you got it.”
The crowd set upon Banana Man (real name: Scott Geiger) like rabid wolverines. He escaped unhurt, but his banana suit was destroyed. (I wrote about the whole thing here.)
There were, of course, plenty of hard feelings after this. However, our national nightmare now appears to be over.
This past weekend, End It performed in The Netherlands at the Jera Open Air festival, when another banana man appeared in the audience. This time, Godsey was much more concilliatory.
Video footage capture Godsey saying this:
“Do whatever the fuck you want at this show, yo; I’m just fucking around. Who would’ve thought doing something stupid at a show would get me a month of attention?
“Goddamn. Banana man, it’s your stage, yo. Do not say the N-word. You can do whatever you want. Do not say the N-word. Vaya con Dios, señor. Anyway, we’re End It from Baltimore. What the fuck going on? Jesus, goddamn.”
And then this happened.
Scott Geiger, the OG Banana Man, commented, “Yea, nah.”
