BEHEMOTH Frontman's 'Provocative Behavior' At Polish Club Sparks New Controversy

The president of Poland's public TV broadcaster TVP has asked the producer of the Polish version of the hit singing competition "The Voice Of Poland" to provide a detailed explanation for the "provocative behavior" of one of the show's judges, BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski.

According to reports in the Polish media, Nergal made a special guest appearance during the October 1 performance by the Polish band TIMES NEW ROMAN at the Hydrozagadka club in Warsaw (see video below). A couple of the TIMES NEW ROMAN members turned up on stage in wheelchairs, wearing hospital pajamas and accompanied by nurses. A stage announcer proceeded to inform the audience that the musicians were physically unable to play the show unless they were "healed." At that point, Nergal appeared on stage dressed as a clergyman, wearing a sash around his neck resembling a stole (a liturgical vestment of various Christian denominations, particularly within the Catholic Church and among the various Protestant communions of Anglicanism and Lutheranism). He then laid his hands on the heads of the musicians and "healed" them, making it possible for them to continue the concert.

In his statement, Braun wrote that Nergal's "provocative behavior" showed a lack of respect not only for others' religious beliefs but also for the sick and the disabled. Braun said that he considered such actions to be unacceptable and asked Darski for clarification on the matter. The TVP president also said that the current season of "The Voice Of Poland" will wrap in the coming weeks.

When asked why TVP only now decided to make a public statement about Darski's "reprehensible behavior" while the current season of "The Voice Of Poland" is still in production, the station spokeswoman Joanna Stempien-Rogalinska explained that the Programming Council Of TVP in late September refused to condemn Darski's employement as a judge on the show after determining that it did not break any existing laws. In addition, the makers of the program, Rochstar, have defended Darski's participation in "The Voice Of Poland", calling him "a warm and friendly man with a great sense of humor."

Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji (officially known in English as the National Broadcasting Council and also commonly referred to by its Polish acronym KRRiT) the Polish broadcasting regulator, which issues radio and television broadcast licenses, ensures compliance with the law by public broadcasters, and indirectly controls state-owned media last month reviewed a number of "The Voice Of Poland" episodes featuring Nergal and stated that there is no basis for intervention. According to Radio ZET, KRRiT released a statement underscoring that apart from his controversial pro-satanic activity at the concerts, Nergal is an honorable activist supporting the fight against cancer and promoting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Nergal's participation in the TV show divided Catholic Church. More liberal priests like, father Adam Boniecki, editor-in-chief of the Tygodnik Powszechny Catholic weekly defended the right of the musician to stay in the show arguing that he plays an entirely different role on TV. This attitude was slammed by conservative bishop Wieslaw Mering who said that the Catholic journalist "needed to have his eyes tested."