Scab Eater were slated to play at East Brisbane show Total Attack on Sunday alongside such acts as Sewercide, Shackles and People Problem.

However in a statement to show organisers on Monday, the group explained it would no longer be performing at this or ‘‘any other related shows’’. 

‘‘This is due to a graffiti incident at an Anzac memorial that occurred in Corrimal over the weekend,’’ the statement said. 

‘‘Scab Eater would like to state that they recognise the history of Anzac and conscription service in Australia, and that although the Australian military has a bloody and imperial legacy, fallen soldiers are just as much victims of war as any other form of casualty.

‘‘The ignorant and heartless sentiments on the memorial were the action of a single individual which collectively the band does not stand behind.

‘‘The structural damage to the granite and additional broken glass was not caused by any member of Scab Eater. Scab Eater apologise for any distress or grief caused by the message, and this incident.’’

The graffiti was written in neat black handwriting and signed off with the letter A in a circle – the symbol for anarchy among punk followers. It read: ‘‘Scab Eater’’, followed underneath with ‘‘no tears for dead soldiers’’.

The message and a damaged granite pillar were discovered at the site on Saturday, a day before Corrimal RSL sub-branch’s annual Sunday memorial and a day after Scab Eater performed at Corrimal Hotel.

Wollongong police are looking to CCTV footage from the hotel as part of their investigation into the incident. 

Members of Wollongong’s punk and broader music scene were quick to condemn the desecration of the site.

‘‘It’s just the most cowardly act to basically deface a memorial that is dedicated to people who lost their lives and are unable to defend themselves,’’ Luke Stewart, of Wollongong punk outfit Run for Cover, told the Mercury.

‘‘We want to distance ourselves as far away from this as possible. It had absolutely nothing to do with the punk scene in Wollongong or the music scene here in general. 

Warren Wheeler, a stalwart of the city’s music scene, said the desecration could affect the willingness of area venues to book local bands, particularly punk bands.

‘‘The local live music scene is always coming up against some barriers and the last thing we need is for any venue ... to have reason not to put some shows on,’’ he said. 

‘‘Particularly the punk subculture can be viewed from the mainstream as something to be wary of. 

‘‘Some people think punk is about destruction and disrespect and about being obnoxious little brats. That’s not punk; that’s just being obnoxious.’’