Toronto is within the world highlight this week, and never simply due to the World Cup. The world additionally appears transfixed on a person in a banana go well with. And it hasn’t been going properly for the banana.
On June 5, a hardcore band known as Terror headlined a present at Lithuanian Home on a tour supporting their album, Nonetheless Undergo. Additionally on the invoice was Finish It, a hardcore band from Baltimore. After they took the stage, they couldn’t assist discover the enormous banana within the viewers, or, extra appropriately, a person in a glittery banana go well with.
This was Banana Man, a man named Scott who has made a behavior of going to rock gigs dressed this manner. He’s been noticed crowd-surfing at a Rise In opposition to Present (his second time) and in a large circle pit at a gig by System of a Down. He clearly loves what he does and has linked with moshers all around the metropolis at hardcore, metallic, punk and emo gigs.
His banana fits take a beating, however he considers it regular put on and tear. He’s gone by means of three thus far.
Again to the present on June 5. Finish It frontman Akil Godsey would have none of Banana Man’s enjoyable, so he principally put a bounty on him.
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“We’re simply gonna handle it. Do you need to do that now or later?” Godsey stated. “Banana Man, what the f–okay is you doing?”
The gang cheered. The response aggravated Godsey.
“No, no, no, no, no, you don’t get rewarded for doing that sh-t. He needed the eye, and now he has it.”
At this level, the bassist stepped in.
“And now, everybody right here has to kill you.”
Godsey then stated, “And now, when you strip the banana, you get this beautiful set listing,” as he brandished a giant handwritten set listing. “I’m simply saying, he was asking for consideration. Now you bought it.”
These closest to Banana Man instantly set on him like rabid wolverines, and the banana go well with was destroyed in seconds. The headpiece was later tossed round by means of the gang like some bounty in Sport of Thrones.
Banana Man was, after all, angered and harm. A Reddit poster stated, “I noticed banana man outdoors between units. Poor dude was sulking, stated he was beat up and sore. He stated he was extra unhappy about not having the costume anymore 🤷🏻♂️.”
“@enditbaltmore two of your band members crossed the road…and I’m obligated to talk on it. F–okay the police? Whereas, policing what folks put on? Take off, hoser. The message final evening; Conform or get known as out, precisely the alternative of what Hardcore is meant to be. I used to be an unwilling participant, attacked and clothes eliminated on the route of a band I paid to see… What would you do?”
These I’ve talked to say that the Banana Man scenario has break up (sorry) the Toronto hardcore neighborhood. Some folks say Banana Man is only a unhappy attention-seeker, whereas others are celebrating this expression of non-conformity and getting misplaced within the pleasure of music.
Folks have been sporting unusual and dumb costumes to gigs for years. This isn’t a brand new factor created by Banana Man. Viewers members have been dressing outlandishly for gigs since no less than the punk days of the mid-’70s. A man in a banana costume? Cool cool cool.
As we speak, it’s not unusual for followers to put on bald caps to Pitbull exhibits. Been to any gig by Sabrina Carpenter? How many individuals had been sporting sparkly costumes? For many years, Kiss followers spent hours on their make-up for heading out. Ever been to a goth present? Superman and Santa Claus outfits have been seen at metallic gigs. I as soon as received bumped by a T. rex on its method into the pit. They needed to elbow a few Pikachus and a SpongeBob out of the best way. And let’s not even begin on the clothes/costuming prep that faces a hardcore Taylor Swift or Beyoncé fan. The truth is, when the latter performed Texas in 2023, the outcome was a scarcity of silver garments within the northern a part of the state.
Right here’s a wild stat from Censuswide: Greater than 7.5 million “single-use outfits for live shows or festivals” are bought yearly within the U.Ok. alone. That’s an expenditure of round 2.7 billion kilos (about $5 billion) simply this summer time.
Hear, if this cosplay isn’t hurting anybody, what’s the issue? And isn’t the enjoyable of Banana Man a-peeling? (Sorry once more.)
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