Promoters in Ohio have axed a gig by Canadian punk band Viet Cong following an influx of complaints over the group's name.

The rockers, whose name is inspired by a political group in Vietnam which was active during the country's 20-year war with America, have been booted from the bill at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio on 14 March (15).

Ivan Krasnov, a member of the Student Union Programming Committee which booked the band, released a lengthy statement to announce the cancellation in association with the college's Vietnamese Student Association (Vsa).

It reads, "I would first and foremost like to apologise on both my and my booking organisation's behalf for inviting a band with a name that deeply offends and hurts Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American communities, both in Oberlin and beyond. I acknowledge the problematic nature of a band naming themselves 'Viet Cong' and extend my apology to anyone hurt or made uncomfortable by the name and its connotations."

Viet Cong vocalist Matt Flegel has previously defended the controversial name saying, "It's just a band name. It's just what we called ourselves."