Twin Temple dropped by Charley Crockett, offered slot by Jack White
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
The Los Angeles duo Twin Temple, known for their "satanic" aesthetic and provocative song titles, were dropped from Charley Crockett's upcoming tour over their "satanic imagery". Jack White subsequently stepped in and publicly offered the husband-and-wife act an opening slot at his Los Angeles show, turning a booking dispute into a public gesture of support for artistic freedom.
Twin Temple, made up of Alexandra and Zachary James, announced on Wednesday that Crockett had removed them from his shows, thanking fans and signing off with "Hail Satan!" Crockett confirmed the decision to Rolling Stone, remarking, "I thought they were like Black Sabbath, but they ain't. Not today, Satan." White — who released his new album Frozen Charlotte and turned 51 that week — extended his invitation via Instagram, asking the duo to open his 29 September show at the Hollywood Palladium and adding "Get in front of me Satan!", a nod to his 2005 White Stripes album Get Behind Me Satan. A representative for Twin Temple did not immediately respond to White's offer, and it remained unclear who would ultimately open the show.
New here? Start with this
Twin Temple are a Los Angeles musical duo made up of married couple Alexandra and Zachary James, who perform with a self-described "satanic" theme running through their imagery, lyrics and song titles. They had been booked to open shows on a tour by country singer Charley Crockett, but he removed them from the line-up, saying their material went further than he was comfortable with.
Jack White is a well-known rock musician, formerly of the White Stripes, who has just released a new album. After hearing about Twin Temple being dropped, he publicly invited them to open one of his own upcoming Los Angeles concerts instead, framing it as support for the duo's right to perform their act as they see fit.
The episode has drawn attention less for the music itself than for what it represents: a dispute over how far artistic provocation should be tolerated on tour, and one high-profile musician's public response to another act's booking being pulled.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A performer’s provocative religious imagery is part of their artistic expression, and removing an act on that basis can look like a restriction on creative freedom. White’s offer gives Twin Temple a chance to perform and signals that audiences and artists, rather than stigma around the imagery, should shape a band’s opportunities.
The case against
A tour’s headliner has a legitimate interest in choosing acts that fit the show’s tone and their own artistic identity; declining to book a band is not necessarily censorship. Crockett may have judged Twin Temple’s performance or presentation a poor fit, while White’s invitation shows that other artists remain free to make a different choice.
More coverage
Entertainment Music Space Technology
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Rolling Stone as “Jack White Invites ‘Satanic’ Band Twin Temple to Open for Him”.