\n\t\the 14-hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles is already brutal. Crossing the Pacific while the focal point of an international media shitstorm \u2014 as Tenacious D<\/a>\u2019s Kyle Gass<\/a> did in July 2024 after an ill-timed joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump\u00a0 \u2014 will only make it worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s an arduous flight, and then having to sit in your thoughts of, \u2018What have I done?\u2019\u201d Gass tells Rolling Stone from his home in Los Angeles. \u201cIt was a very low moment for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tOn July 14, 2024, Tenacious D, the comedy rock group Gass co-founded with his friend Jack Black<\/a>, performed at the ICC Sydney Theatre. It had already been, Gass recalls, a \u201cpretty magical\u201d day: It was the second show of the D\u2019s Australian tour and Gass\u2019 64th birthday. Earlier, he\u2019d flown over Sydney in his friend\u2019s helicopter. When he showed up at the venue, his dressing room was decorated. Gass was aware that, across the world, a lone gunman had shot at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring the then-candidate and several others, and killing one. (The shooter, Thomas Crooks, was also killed.) But being that far removed, he says, \u201cI didn\u2019t feel like I was in touch with it. If I was over there, I think I would have gotten more the gravity of an assassination attempt.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tDuring that night\u2019s concert, Black led the crowd<\/a> in a rendition of \u201cHappy Birthday,\u201d while their friend, Mike Bray, dressed in a metal robot costume (a bit for the D\u2019s song \u201cThe Metal\u201d), held out a cake filled with candles. When Black told Gass to make a wish, Gass quipped, \u201cDon\u2019t miss Trump next time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe line got laughs, and the show moved along. But later that night, as Gass was celebrating in his hotel room, he started to realize his improvised one-liner was stoking political outrage. An array of right-wing media figures lashed out; Elon Musk called Gass\u2019 comments \u201ccontemptible.\u201d Charlie Kirk tweeted, \u201cThese people are more twisted and vile than we realized,\u201d and an Australian politician even demanded Tenacious D be deported.<\/p>\n \t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n \n\tThe band canceled its remaining tour dates<\/a>, as well as a run of Rock the Vote shows in the U.S. Gass issued an apology, calling the joke \u201chighly inappropriate, dangerous, and a terrible mistake.\u201d While he deleted his apology<\/a> from Instagram days later, he says it wasn\u2019t because he no longer stood by it: \u201cIf I would have recanted, I would have said that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBlack also issued a statement distancing himself from Gass and raising major questions about the band\u2019s future: \u201cI was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,\u201d he said. \u201cI would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tGass in his backyard<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhilip Cheung for Rolling Stone<\/p>\n \n\tWhile some criticized Black for appearing to throw his longtime friend and collaborator under the bus, Gass, speaking about the controversy publicly for the first time, says that Black \u201cwas doing what he felt he had to do. We\u2019re separate people, always, and we\u2019re on different career paths. I totally understood what he needed to protect. I didn\u2019t begrudge him any of that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn the months after the controversy, Gass laid low, returning to social media a few days after Trump\u2019s reelection (pointedly, with a cover<\/a> of the Bee Gees\u2019 \u201cI Started a Joke\u201d). By December, he was onstage with his other group, the Kyle Gass Band, and last spring, the KGB\u2019s acoustic offshoot, Kyle Gass Company, toured Europe. After returning to the U.S., the Kyle Gass Band cut a live album at a brewery in Palmdale, California; it\u2019ll be released Friday via A Special Thing Records<\/a>. (Gass also self-released a solo tune, \u201cWhat Do I Know,\u201d<\/a> in late December.)<\/p>\n \t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n \n\tA year-and-a-half later, Gass is candid and contrite as he opens up about what happened in Sydney, his relationship with Black, and when Tenacious D will return.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe\u2019re gonna come back \u2014 it\u2019s gonna be bigger than Oasis!\u201d Gass says before adding, with a self-conscious laugh: \u201cI was thinking we could play it up more, but that feels a little disingenuous.\u201d (Technically, the group already returned with an REO Speedwagon cover<\/a> released on a charity record in 2025.)<\/p>\n \n\tEven as Gass takes full responsibility and acknowledges the severity of the incident, his sense of humor remains in tact.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI was naive, of course \u2014 people are gonna pick that up,\u201d he says of the way his joke caught fire. \u201cBut I just felt it was kind of a private moment. I thought I was safe in the bubble. And it was so fast.\u201d Then, in a hushed voice suffused with mock gravity, he says, \u201cFive one-syllable words that brought down the empire.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSo, walk me through what you remember about the Sydney show and the aftermath? \n\tSo, it\u2019s a special show. And it\u2019s everybody\u2019s favorite thing to tour with Tenacious D. I\u2019m on the other side of the world here. I\u2019m in a different hemisphere, I\u2019m in a different continent. And I\u2019m naively forgetting about cameras and such.\u00a0So [we play] \u201cThe Metal,\u201d and then I just decided to quip about what happened. And it was terrible. It was terrible judgment, obviously. I\u2019ve felt terrible ever since, because it\u2019s such a responsibility to not screw up like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tI wouldn\u2019t wish it on anybody. It\u2019s one of those things, once it was picked up, it just got worse and worse. It was a Defcon 2 for sure in the camp. And I did it. It was hard to take responsibility for it, but it was my fuck-up.\u00a0When you\u2019re in it, it\u2019s hard to even think straight. It\u2019s just this thing flooding and coming at you. We had to take the break. And I got it. Jack has this magnificent career; I can\u2019t even count the franchises now. So as hard as it was, I just had to take the long ride home.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHow aware of the assassination attempt were you since you were in Sydney and also enjoying your birthday? \n\tWatching the video back, it does seem like you got the laugh. \n\tDo you have any memories of that moment? \u201cI\u2019m human, I made a mistake. I was going for a joke. But timing is everything. If there was ever a \u2018too soon,\u2019 it was this.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWhen did you realize it was snowballing into something serious?\u00a0 \n\tOne Australian politician called for you to be deported. What was your reaction to that?\u00a0\u00a0 \n\tDid the overall response surprise you? \n\tIt feels like such an impossible thing to describe, but what was being in the middle of all this like?\u00a0 \n\tIt\u2019s been a pretty magical, cream dream thrill ride with Tenacious D. It\u2019s something that I never really expected, and it\u2019s been such a joy. In music, it\u2019s hard to even get your stuff out there and for people to care. And just to work with Jack for all these years and watch him soar to new heights, it\u2019s been really gratifying. But [laughs] it can all come tumbling down if you\u2019re not really thinking straight.<\/p>\n \n\tWhen did you realize you had to issue an apology? \n\tI\u2019m usually [just] recording Seventies covers on my Instagram. And so [the apology] was out for four or five days, and I thought, \u201cIt looks like a dead fish just laying there.\u201d I really did apologize, but I took it down because it\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n \n\tI saw it printed everywhere. I think that was definitely a misunderstanding. If I would have recanted, I would\u2019ve said, \u201cI\u2019m taking this down because now on further reflection \u2026\u201d But no. It\u2019s out there. And then, it\u2019s like, should I put it back up? It just felt so wrong at that point. To have that be a separate news story was really disappointing.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tGass in his Los Angeles home<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhilip Cheung for Rolling Stone<\/p>\n \n\tI definitely thought about trying to get more in the public discussion of it. But it just seems like you\u2019re not going to get a fair shake, and you don\u2019t know how much good that\u2019s gonna do. And I feel responsibility to Jack and the band \u2014 this is people\u2019s livelihoods that I put [at risk]. It\u2019s pretty heavy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tWere you aware that Jack was also planning a statement of his own? \n\tDid he give you a heads up or share it with you ahead of time? \u201cYou never want to fan those flames or be snarky about it. And I touched the stove.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWhat were you two in discussion about?\u00a0 \n\tWhat kind of concerns? \n\tI remember coming out of a coffee shop, and then a crazy reporter was snapping pictures. I felt like, \u201cWhat the hell is going on here? I\u2019m in Burbank getting some coffee. Leave me alone!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tWas there anything else like that, people outside your home?\u00a0 \n\tAnother reporter?\u00a0 \n\tSo you and Jack were on the same page when it came to canceling the Australian tour and the Rock the Vote shows.\u00a0 \n\tOn top of the safety concerns, were you worried that your presence at the Rock the Vote gigs would also be a distraction from the point of those shows? \n\tI\u2019m just gonna print what you say! \n\tHis statement did get some criticism from people who felt like he was maybe hanging you out to dry. Did that surprise you?\u00a0 \n\tThere has always been this fame imbalance within Tenacious D, and this situation highlighted that. How have you and Jack navigated that dynamic over the years, and what was challenging about it in this moment?\u00a0 \n\tIt was hard at first, though. When the D started to take off, it was really a dream come true. And then people were like, \u201cOh that must be really hard for you because Jack\u2019s so famous!\u201d Well, not really. It\u2019s cool. And then it\u2019s good for the goose, good for the gander. Part of the reason why the D\u2019s been so great is because of Jack and his popularity.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tDid you and Jack touch base after the dust had settled? \n\tWhat can you say about the future of Tenacious D? \t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-rollingstone-2022\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
<\/p>\n
Well, I think context is important. First off, Australia is one of our favorite destinations. They\u2019re great fans, and it\u2019s hard to get there. But I can see the calendar, and I\u2019m going, \u201cWait, my birthday is the second show in Sydney. This is gonna be a blast!\u201d I got some friends over there, it\u2019s a party, I\u2019m feeling pretty special. It\u2019s ironic, because I had thought before, \u201cI\u2019m having the greatest day ever!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can be a news hound at home, checking all the time just to see the latest madness. But over there it felt like \u2026 \u201cOh, my God, that\u2019s crazy. It\u2019s terrible.\u201d But I really wasn\u2019t thinking straight through it. It is serious business. You never want to fan those flames or be snarky about it. And I touched the stove. But at the time, I was trying to make the band laugh. Trying to be a little outrageous. I wasn\u2019t overthinking it \u2014 obviously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Honestly, I can\u2019t watch it. I think I might have looked at it once, but even then I was shuttering [my eyes].<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the thing, you\u2019re doing a show for a lot of people, and you\u2019re just in the flow of the experience. And the extra thing of my birthday \u2014 not that that gives me carte blanche. But I probably had a shot before the show, I was celebrating with my friends. And when you get a laugh, you\u2019re like, \u201cThat worked,\u201d and you\u2019re moving onto the next thing. And it was a great show. We were at the top of our game. We had just come off a European leg, and it was great. You feel bulletproof.<\/p>\n
We were partying in my hotel room and reports started coming in. \u201cOh God, oh no, I see what\u2019s happening here.\u201d And then it just kept getting worse. There was no way out. Just panic \u2026 It became a worldwide story, which seems so ridiculous now in comparison with all the shit that\u2019s been [happening].<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t take long to be like, \u201cOh, this guy is such a grandstander.\u201d We\u2019re so used to it over here, where people take the opportunity to make a grand statement. And then the next day, my agent dropped me<\/a>. And I was like, \u201cWell, gee, it would have been nice to at least talk to you or something.\u201d But I think he wanted to get in the news cycle too \u2026 It did feel like an overreaction. But that speaks more to my relationship with my agent. I\u2019ve been around a long time, and I guess he was tired of me saying no to too many projects or something. He saw an opening.<\/p>\n
Yeah, like, wait a minute, I\u2019m human, I made a mistake. I was going for a joke. But timing is everything. If there was ever a \u201ctoo soon,\u201d it was this. And maybe I thought I was on it, or ahead of the curve. But no, it was definitely too soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s overwhelming. It\u2019s like a tsunami of shit rolling over you. And then there\u2019s the regret. Like, \u201cWhy would I do that?\u201d I just didn\u2019t put it together. And the ramifications were so huge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The day after. Like, OK, people are really disturbed and hurt by this, I have to apologize. It was hard to think straight, but I had some time to craft it. I did it myself. I ran it by the manager, and it seemed like I got what I wanted to say. And then that became a story.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I assumed there would be.<\/p>\n
No, we were in our own camps at that point. Jack has an agent, manager, and publicist, all that stuff, and they were doing their thing. And I was over here trying to figure out the best thing to do.<\/p>\n
We were discussing what we were going to do [with the band]. I think we were considering taking a show off and getting back out there. I thought I could apologize onstage, like, \u201cHey, I wasn\u2019t thinking straight.\u201d But at that point there were safety concerns. And once you get into that, it just doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n
They came in from every which way. Somebody called my mom. My poor 95-year-old mom. It hits close to home, and you want to be brave and courageous, but I\u2019m not a congressman. We\u2019re just entertainers. And it just bespeaks the insanity of the times. It feels almost vindictive. And it doesn\u2019t seem right in terms of the big picture. It seemed like, \u201cOh, Jack\u2019s a big target, and I\u2019m the sidekick who screwed up.\u201d It all felt pretty terrible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No, not too, too bad. Well, actually, there was one guy that seemed like he was circling.<\/p>\n
Or a stalker, or a killer. I don\u2019t know. You just can\u2019t tell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh sure. That was pretty easy.<\/p>\n
Yeah, and that was another regret. We were looking forward to that, and wanted to do our duty as citizens. But I felt bad because it didn\u2019t seem like we had any kind of moral high ground at that point. I\u00a0 fucked that up too. [Laughing, then mock wailing] Oh God, why are you taking me back there! Why?! Are you gonna do me dirty?<\/p>\n
Oh, no \u2014 that\u2019s terrible! [Laughs]. No, I mean, Jack and I are all good. At the end of the day, we\u2019re friends. I\u2019ve known Jack since he was 18, and it\u2019s been such a long marriage, really. You go up and down, and we\u2019ve always taken long breaks. He\u2019s had a lot of stuff to do, and I\u2019ve got my other projects. So it doesn\u2019t even feel that different now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No, not really [laughs]. I might have deserved it. Or, he had to protect himself from his loose-cannon partner over here. I totally understood once safety concerns got in. I might have tried to finish the tour, and I think sometimes these things can blow over, but at the time, it\u2019s hard when the tsunami of shit is coming at you.<\/p>\n
A \u201cfame imbalance\u201d seems\u00a0weird. First and foremost, we\u2019ve been friends and shared so much over the years, and I think people want to put that on you. But I\u2019m a fan of Jack. It\u2019s been great to see him ascend from when we were just a couple of schmoes in Hollywood. He\u2019s the engine behind the D, too. You can\u2019t really separate that. I don\u2019t begrudge him at all, and I\u2019m just happy to be there. My glass is seven-eighths full, and it\u2019s allowed me to live my best life. I was a delivery driver and a security [guard].\u00a0<\/p>\n
Oh, for sure. We hashed it out. And it was hard. It is like a marriage. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner.<\/p>\n
We will serve no D-wine before it\u2019s D-time<\/a> \u2014 but we will be back. We will return.<\/p>\n