Viet Cong no more - they’re now called Preoccupations

The Band Formerly Known As Viet Cong have announced their new moniker, following controversy and cancelled gigs at the hands of their admittedly-quite-ill-thought-out original band name.

The Canadian post-punks will henceforth be known as Preoccupations, which is a decent result all round really. It’s not quite Wolf Alice 2, Jesus Crisis, Planet Of The Vapes or any of the other 100% certified genius names we suggested last month, but it’s good nonetheless.

The band have also issued the following statement regarding the name change:

“After finishing our latest record and taking some time off, we are excited to announce that we will be performing and recording as “Preoccupations” going forward. We will be previewing new material from a forthcoming record in a series of festivals and shows in North America and Europe in the coming months. We apologize to those who were adversely affected by our former band name. This was never anticipated nor our intent. We are artists and not politicians, we understand that the name reflected pain to some individuals and we are happy to change it and move on and focus on our music. Thanks to all our friends and fans. See you all soon.”

So there we go, and that’s that. According to their Twitter bio, there’s a new album incoming this year too. To celebrate, you can catch Preoccupations at one of the following brand new dates:

MAY
28 George, WA, Sasquatch Festival

JUNE
13 Brooklyn, NY, Baby’s All Right
27 Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands, Best Kept Secret Festival
18 Brussels, Belgium, Out Loud, Beurschouwburg
22 London, England, Shacklewell Arms
23 London, England, Old Blue Last
28 Paris, France, Olympic Cafe
30 Berlin, Germany, Urban Spree

JULY
02 Tullamore, Ireland, Castle Palooza
09 Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa Blues Festival

AUGUST
27 Los Angeles, CA, FYF Fest

OCTOBER
08 Toronto, Ontario, Danforth Music Hall

Preoccupations will play Best Kept Secret (17th - 19th June) where DIY is an official media partner. Tickets are on sale now. Visit diymag.com/presents for more information.