Feine Sahne Fischfilet: Punk concert at Bauhaus cancelled

Feine Sahne Fischfilet are known for their left-wing political punk music

German punk band Feine Sahne Fischfilet has been forced to change venues for a Dessau concert in November over its "extreme political positions".

The left-wing band had planned to perform for a televised series at Bauhaus, a Unesco World Heritage site.

The arts foundation, however, made the controversial decision to cancel amid fear of sparking far-right protests.

Feine Sahne Fischfilet criticised this but announced a change of venue to a Dessau beer hall with greater capacity.

"We will of course play in Dessau on 6 November," the band shared on social media. "A promise is a promise... [It will be] Brauhaus instead of Bauhaus."

Initially, the Bauhaus Foundation said "extreme political positions, whether from the right, left or other" could not be hosted at their concert venue - a position that faced widespread criticism.

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The band's guitarist Christoph Sell said this suggested anti-fascists were on a par with right-wing extremists.

"The absolute cheek of it, I don't let myself be compared to people who are homophobic or denying the Holocaust.

"We want a society without racism, we want a society based on democracy," he said.

Bauhaus's director told German news magazine Die Zeit that she regretted the initial statement. Instead, she explained they did not want to risk far-right "radicals" mobilising at their doors and wanted to protect the building as a Unesco World Heritage site.

The band performed at an anti-racism concert in Chemnitz last month

The band criticised this statement on Facebook, calling it an embarrassing excuse considering that more than 100 concerts had been held at the venue.

Known for their anti-xenophobia activism in eastern Germany, Feine Sahne Fischfilet said it would donate profits from the larger concert to Dessau Nazifrei, a local anti-fascist group.

The band rose to national attention earlier this year when it was part of the line-up for an anti-racism concert in Chemnitz last month.

The eastern German city had seen a wave of far-right and counter rallies after a fatal stabbing of a German man, allegedly by two migrants.