Kirin J Callinan demands fans stop harassing the artist whose protest got him booted from Laneway line-up

KIRIN J Callinan has called for fans to treat rising rapper Miss Blanks with respect, after her protests over his behaviour saw him removed from the Laneway Festival line-up.

INDIE pop provocateur Kirin J. Callinan has demanded fans stop harassing the artist whose protest about his controversial behaviour, including exposing himself on the ARIA Awards red carpet, had him booted off the upcoming Laneway Festival.

Rising rapper Miss Blanks, who is the ambassador of Laneway’s safe spaces initiative, complained to the festival organisers about Callinan’s “long and recent history of reckless and insensitive actions”.

Callinan has demanded fans not harass Miss Blanks online or at the festival. Picture: Supplied

His name quietly disappeared from the festival posters and while Miss Blanks has spoken why she felt uncomfortable about the Sydney musician being on the bill, organisers have yet to make any official statement.

Callinan has come out in Miss Blanks’ defence with a lengthy Instagram post, calling the Brisbane rapper the “exact sort of artist we should all support”.

He acknowledged the decision to strike him from the Laneway line-up had provoked “debate and discourse”.

“Regardless o (sic) the noise, however, it does not sit well with me one puny pitiful bit that a fellow artist & clearly strong, trans woman of colour could now be shamed or take the blame, be defamed or suffer the same re my recent omission from a certain summertime festivus, regardless o the role she may have played,” he wrote.

Callinan is known for his provocative indie pop. Picture: Supplied

“She is the exact sort of artist we should all support ~ bold, original, flamboyant, progressive & with somethin to say.

“Furthermore, it mortifies me to think that she could now be made to feel unwelcome in any way, shape or fabulous form ~ onstage, backstage or on her ig page, at any stage.

“So I’m saying so, demanding it now, there will be no harassment, there will be no D’s out 4 Miss B in 20 A~teen. There will be tolerance & there will be respect. I’m serious. Deadly.”

Callinan also admitted he was disappointed not to be performing at Laneway, which kicks off in Adelaide on Friday, before heading to Melbourne on Saturday and Sydney on Sunday.

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And he remained positive about the event, despite being kicked off the bill.

“But more important than some rocking concert, more relevant than resentment or regrets, is respect ~ for each & every one o us,” he wrote.

The festival organisers have established the 1800 LANEWAY initiative, a hotline patrons can call or text to report and escalate any inappropriate or disrespectful behaviour.

Callinan became a global viral sensation last year when American tonight show host Jimmy Fallon sledged his single Big Enough, which features the distinctive rock scream of Jimmy Barnes, on his Do Not Play segment.

Originally published as Kirin J Callinan demands fans stop harassing the artist whose protest got him booted from Laneway line-up