Hoodoo Gurus have publicly condemned the use of their music at a recent Australia Day rally linked to One Nation, issuing a blunt statement distancing themselves from the right-wing political party and its supporters.
In a post shared on social media on Jan. 26, the Australian rock icons said they were “disgusted” to learn that one of their songs had been played during the rally, which coincided with events marking Australia Day — also widely recognised by many as Invasion Day.
“Like most Australians, we have always been appalled by Pauline Hanson and the toxic nonsense she spouts,” the band wrote. “We want nothing to do with you. In fact, we wouldn’t p*** on you if you were on fire.”
The statement continued with a direct message to the party and its supporters: “Don’t play our music, don’t listen to our band, do not pass go!”
The Gurus’ remarks arrive amid renewed scrutiny over how artists’ work is used — and often weaponised — in political settings without consent, particularly around Jan. 26. In recent years, the date has become increasingly polarising, with many Australians choosing to mark it as Invasion Day in recognition of the impact of colonisation on First Nations peoples.
Only days earlier, Men at Work frontman Colin Hay publicly objected to the use of his band’s signature song, “Down Under,” at anti-immigration demonstrations.
“Let me say that I most strenuously disapprove of any unauthorised, unlicensed use of ‘Down Under’, for any ‘March for Australia’ events,” Hay wrote in a separate statement. “ ‘Down Under’, a song I co-wrote, does not belong to those who attempt to sow xenophobia within the fabric of our great land, our great people.”
Hay went on to describe the track as “a song of celebration,” adding that it stands for “pluralism and inclusion; unity, not division.”
He concluded his message with a pointed sign-off, telling organisers to “go write your own song, leave mine alone,” before signing his name followed by “(immigrant).”
Together, the statements reflect a growing trend of Australian artists drawing clear boundaries around how their music is used in political contexts — particularly when those uses clash with the values they associate with their work and legacy.
