Calgary group Viet Cong bows to pressure to change name

Joy Division, Dead Kennedys, Dayglo Abortions. That's just a small sample of band names meant to offend, but one Calgary band has bowed to pressure and will change its name.

Much heralded local group Viet Cong has been heavily criticized for its cavalier use of a name that has serious historical baggage for many in the Vietnamese diaspora and recently announced it would seek a new moniker. 

"They weren't forced to change the name, they could have chosen not to, I think they just made a decision that they weren't committed enough to it on principle that they were going to make this the career hill that they were going to die on," said James Keast, editor-in-chief of Exclaim!

He said times have changed when it comes to offensive names, thanks to increased awareness, and that making a statement is one thing, but offending a target group with a long and complicated history is another matter. 

'Sounds cool'

The band has said they essentially chose the name because they thought it sounded cool, something that's hard to defend.

"I think the issue that's coming from the Vietnamese community is that essentially you have four guys from Calgary saying 'this sounds cool,' and you have millions of Vietnamese people going like, 'Ah, yeah, this really troubling part of our history is much more complicated than just you thinking it sounds cool,'" said Keast. 

Viet Cong was on the short list for the Polaris prize, which went to Buffy St. Marie in a ceremony on Monday night, and received tremendous hype with the release of their first full-length album. 

Keast says the recognition likely played a part in the controversy and in the band's intention to switch things up. 

"I wouldn't want to spend most of my days answering questions about the band name if there wasn't a particular investment in why you picked that name," he said.

There is no word on a new name for the group.