Death Cab For Wussies
Here are all of the details with Death Cab For Cutie’s refusal to play in Airwaves on Friday.
*The event was set up two weeks ago between the record rep and me. I requested a performance and interview in Airwaves
*The record rep has been to our facility several times and has seen our studio with the window, and Airwaves.
*On the morning of the show, the record rep sent me a follow-up email verifying the time and their equipment needs.
*A second email came from him to confirm that no listeners would be in the lobby. I replied that there would indeed be listeners in our lobby.
*I then called the record rep, because this seemed like a small problem at the time. He said that they are very particular and would want to have this approved by their manager. I told him to please approve this. He said he’d take care of it.
*The band, the record rep, and the road manager showed up at 1:00. The record rep and the road manager entered the building. The band stayed in the car.
*The road manager informed us that they would not perform in front of an audience.
*I asked them why that was a problem. (Bands perform for audiences for a living, right?)
*The road manager informed me that the only way they would appear on the radio was if I kicked out the X96 listeners in Airwaves. I told him that our listeners were far more important to me, and that was not going to happen. I offered to let the band perform in the air studio and not in Airwaves. I took him into the air studio and showed him how it could be done. He said that would be fine, but there was a problem with our studio window that overlooks Airwaves. Again, he requested that we remove the X96 listeners (fans of the band). In my final act of diplomacy, I asked if we could set the band up in one of the production studios where they would not be seen. He then went to the car to ask the band. Their reply was that the “mood was not right” for a performance.
*I told their manager that in no way would I eject X96 listeners from our property to facilitate his band, and that I was no longer interested in a performance from Death Cab For Cutie, nor was I interested in supporting the band.
*They told me not to take this personally.
*The road manager told me that I should lie to the fans in Airwaves and tell them the performance was cancelled “because one of the band members was feeling ill.”
*I then informed the listeners in Airwaves of the exact details of the whole situation, as outlined here. I am appalled at the audacity from a band that I actually liked. X96 was one of the first stations in the country to play “Soul Meets Body,” and they come to our station and treat us and our listeners like this.
*They left, and went to another radio station in town and performed in front of an audience. What complete arrogance.
It is interesting when you look at the list of bands that have performed in Airwaves: Jimmy Eat World, Rise Against, Franz Ferdinand, Goldfinger, Eve 6, Dredg ... For some reason, Death Cab For Cutie just couldn't get it done. They're not invited back.
*The event was set up two weeks ago between the record rep and me. I requested a performance and interview in Airwaves
*The record rep has been to our facility several times and has seen our studio with the window, and Airwaves.
*On the morning of the show, the record rep sent me a follow-up email verifying the time and their equipment needs.
*A second email came from him to confirm that no listeners would be in the lobby. I replied that there would indeed be listeners in our lobby.
*I then called the record rep, because this seemed like a small problem at the time. He said that they are very particular and would want to have this approved by their manager. I told him to please approve this. He said he’d take care of it.
*The band, the record rep, and the road manager showed up at 1:00. The record rep and the road manager entered the building. The band stayed in the car.
*The road manager informed us that they would not perform in front of an audience.
*I asked them why that was a problem. (Bands perform for audiences for a living, right?)
*The road manager informed me that the only way they would appear on the radio was if I kicked out the X96 listeners in Airwaves. I told him that our listeners were far more important to me, and that was not going to happen. I offered to let the band perform in the air studio and not in Airwaves. I took him into the air studio and showed him how it could be done. He said that would be fine, but there was a problem with our studio window that overlooks Airwaves. Again, he requested that we remove the X96 listeners (fans of the band). In my final act of diplomacy, I asked if we could set the band up in one of the production studios where they would not be seen. He then went to the car to ask the band. Their reply was that the “mood was not right” for a performance.
*I told their manager that in no way would I eject X96 listeners from our property to facilitate his band, and that I was no longer interested in a performance from Death Cab For Cutie, nor was I interested in supporting the band.
*They told me not to take this personally.
*The road manager told me that I should lie to the fans in Airwaves and tell them the performance was cancelled “because one of the band members was feeling ill.”
*I then informed the listeners in Airwaves of the exact details of the whole situation, as outlined here. I am appalled at the audacity from a band that I actually liked. X96 was one of the first stations in the country to play “Soul Meets Body,” and they come to our station and treat us and our listeners like this.
*They left, and went to another radio station in town and performed in front of an audience. What complete arrogance.
It is interesting when you look at the list of bands that have performed in Airwaves: Jimmy Eat World, Rise Against, Franz Ferdinand, Goldfinger, Eve 6, Dredg ... For some reason, Death Cab For Cutie just couldn't get it done. They're not invited back.
posted by Todd Nuke 'Em at 10:16 AM
41 Comments:
let'em burn.
those assholes.
well......i for one still love death cab. yeah, that's gay that they wouldn't perform. especially if they performed somewhere else under the same circumstances. but instead of not playing a very talented band on your radio station, you should consider not playing shit like fallout boy. you play that far too much.
although i'm delighted to see that xpsychofiendx agrees w/ me about fallout boy sucking ass.....i'd seriously like to recommend not giving up listening to death cab. just from attending their concert last night i can assure you that they're not afraid of being seen live. i'm just assuming they were under the impression that they weren't going to have an audience when they were at the radio station. they obviously made it clear they didn't want one........and honestly.......why should they? they didn't agree to put on a "concert" so to say, they just agreed to play.
dude, if they don't want to play so their damn fans can see them through a window then what the hell? I mean who gives a shit about playing in front of an audience that loves you and acme there to see you? Why the hell just disgrace yourself like that. I agree with todd and anonymous, the guy with the first comment and keegan. you kick ass. Let the fucking assholes burn. They deserve it.
i bet they didnt want to play because maybe they lipsync or something
what a bunch of homos
Having interviewed and spoken with bands in over a decade, I cannot understand this sort of diva behaviour. It's bad for business and, unless your Madonna, is very unprofessional. Besides, it's not like anyone at X96 was going to take a cheap shot at the band.
If they do decide to show up back in Utah, my first priority will be to find out from them why they chose to behave like that.
I agree with Tom the Button Pusher.. from what I read in Todd's version of the story, the following is a possibility:
The Record Rep forgot to talk to the Band Manager about the live audience after Todd called him, so he never called Todd back about it. The band arrived in SLC. Todd assumed (incorrectly) that the Rep had cleared it through the Band Manager. The Road Manager started throwing a fit when he found out about the audience, and the Rep conveniently forgot that Todd had previously asked him to get things cleared through the Band Manager. The RM and RR went back to the car and told Death Cab that the audience factor was a complete surprise, and maybe threw in a few "stupid fucking program director d.j."s for good measure. The band sided with the RM and RR, and they all agreed that it would be best to cancel the performance with a lame excuse (rules of war). Todd lost his cool, rejected their excuse and spit out the details of their "duel" on the air. They heard this, and decided that they had better perform somewhere else to save face. The end.
This is just one possibility out of thousands that might make supporting Death Cab acceptable to me.. The point is, nobody should jump on Todd's "Boycott Death Cab" bandwagon until they've heard the band's side of the story.
P.S. Todd, if you're not going to play "Soul Meets Body" anymore, I think you should play "Walking on the Moon" by The Police. It's pretty much the same song. :)
Nobody's saying that they don't believe Todd's story. I totally agree with ruckus roo..........none of you know what the whole situation was, including Todd. If you all decide to stop listening to a great band just because a radio dj (whom most of you don't actually know) told you to, then it's your loss. But honestly, if you can't make a decision about which music you should and should not like on your own, you're fucking pathetic either way. AND...I'm gonna say this again...fallout boy plays almost every time I get in my car, you should invest more time in playing bands that actually have talent.
Until we've heard Death Cab's part of the story? See. That's the funny thing. I am betting we wont hear their part of the story. Think. If these guys are too stuck up to play for a local radio station, will they put serious time into their "side of the story?" No. They wont.
If a few fans didn't concern them, then why worry about pleaseing them with a response?
Oh wait... the Road Manager told Todd to lie to those same fans. God, they sure must have a lot of regard for their fanbase.
Not.
-Zack
well why should they waste their time w/ a petty little radio station? they're still going to have fans........fans that actually appreciate their talent and don't hate them because somebody told them to.
No. I don't hate them because anyone told me to.
I hate them because they've given into corporate greed. No matter how many bouncing girls with mini-skirts and tube tops at their concerts scream and yell, i'll always know this band is a bunch of douche bags.
I've come to my own conclusions from how they've acted.
Nobody needs to tell me how to hate Douche Bag For Cutie.
Stupid play on words? Maybe. But it's a stupid band nonetheless :).
-Zack
I never liked Death Cab or their style. A great band would never have a problem performing for a small crowd. I love touring bands that drive 1000 miles on their own, to play for an audience of 5 people. Also knowing that Death Cab have played at Kilby Court for a small crowd, they've really lost sight of what's important since they've gone maintstream. Bands like Modest Mouse who have gone mainstream love what they do, and couldn't care less about a million fans or playing a small show. Like any great band, if you have a small audience who cares. It doesn't have to be the pathetic corporate slogan "100 million listeners and counting".
Zack, you keep saying "they" as though the band and the Road Manager and the Record Rep and the Band Manager are all one single entity (maybe all of the band members of DCFC agree with what happened, maybe they don't, maybe they did because they were acting on tainted information, but why try to force an opinion on others based on your limited knowledge of how things are? Maybe you're biased because of your relationship with Todd.). You also hung yourself when you said that they were "too stuck up to play for a local radio station".. If you had been paying attention to Todd's story on the main page, you'd know that they preempted you and like-minded individuals by playing for another local radio station (anyone know which one?). Politics. Lame. Let me be clear that I'm not really trying to stick up for DCFC or Todd or anyone else.. I just don't think it's wise to condemn people who might not have been involved (the band members).
One final note on hating a band because they've given into corporate greed: Popular band = probably given into corporate greed.. otherwise why would they align themselves with a record label instead of just playing for people in bars? I guess you can hate all the bands but like the music, right? You should listen to "Hooker with a Penis" by Tool (on the Aenima album). Incidentally, Todd, that song would also be a good replacement for the DCFC song.. and there aren't any swear words in it, so it's radio-friendly! :)
once again, i agree w/ ruckus roo. given into corporate greed......hmmm........don't you imagine all of the bands you play on x96 have "given into corporate greed"? i don't think they didn't play because there weren't "enough people in the audience". small venue, big venue, who cares. If they cared about audience size they definitely would not have played at In The Venue. They easily could have sold out Salt Air. Oh.......incidentally.......I didn't happen to see any of these girls in tube tops jumping around at their concert either. They must've gotten lost or something.
I said they because it seems as though not just one person was at fault here, i think a lot of people share fault at what happend. Band members? Well, i don't know, but seeing as they're the people who play the shows... maybe they have just a little bit of blame on their hands too :).
Corporate greed and signing onto a record label are too completely different things. You sign on a record label yes, to make money. Greed sprouts from making money. I call greed when you won't play for fans out of stubbornness, but you will go to a different station and do exactly what you would have done in the first place. Greed.
Anyway. I think this subject has grown stale.
By the way, girls in tube tops was a metaphor. Pick up on it. But hey, i'm not here to give you English lessons. I'm here to argue about a band who will never read my remarks, or care about what anyone in salt lake city has to say.
Point being, it's over. They don't care. This is taking too much time to argue over.
-Zack
Honestly, do you know why they wouldn't play? Or are you just assuming they wouldn't play because they're "too good to"? Perhaps you're just pissed that you didn't get to see them? They went to the second radio station knowing exactly what they were going into. They went to x96 thinking they knew what they were getting into, and were surprised by something different. I don't think greed has anything to do with it. You think that because they've made money, they don't want to play at your radio station? Like I said earlier, if audience size, or money, had something to do w/ it, they would've held their concert at a bigger venue in the first place. They wouldn't have agreed to give you guys your own private little concert if they were really that bad. So they didn't play for you, so what? Maybe you should've cleared up all of the ordeals before they were there. And how are girls in tube tops a metaphor? I just think you were trying to be an ass by saying that and it backfired. I'm sure I don't need an English lesson to understand the concept of bouncing girls.
:)
Love you too. Lets structure those paragraphs.
-Zack
hey zack i agree with what your saying i liked dcfc a lot but i dont understand the whole thing why they wouldnt just play. its way dumb
Ha! Yes, I care so much about how I write on a radio station's forum. My number one concern right now!! Honestly, if we're going to talk about English lessons, let me refer to your previous blog comments: pleaseing (spelling error), Lets (no punctuation), Think.(incomplete sentence), i (no capitalization), etc...etc... oh, and i don't think rachel will appreciate you telling another girl that you love her :).
Hilarious. Although your comment is indeed very witty, you should take notice that Zack started talking about English lessons, not me :).
i believe we can all say fuck off to death cab
Thanks for tainting the Death cab for cutie message boards with this crap. I can tell by the way you're acting that they were dealing with a professional radio station. For those of us who have actually met death cab, we know that this band cares about it's fans. So I doubt you can sway anyone's opinion in this matter by rhyming cutie with pussy. You could have atleast tryed something like Death Cab For Snooty. You were probably double booked by someone in management. Shit happens in the music industry and for a band that is touring for a new album, if they don't want to play on your show, too bad. I think you guys should go to your closets, look for a pair of man pants and start wearing them. Thanks, and fuck off.
-James
kudos to james! goes to show you how mature people are at professional work places in this state.
death cab can suck my cock. you guys are a bunch of faggity fans that wont see your band is full of pansies
Considering the band is all guys, them sucking your cock just might make you faggity. If anything this incident is reflective of Death Cab being on a new record label. Ben and Chris played Kexp with people in the booth watching. Has it occurred to you that there is something you're not being told ? Why don't you go listen to My Chemical Romance or something.
-James
my chemical romance. girls in tube tops. it's all the same just let it drop people
again james, kudos. you're my new favorite person.......at least after i read that my chemical romance comment, or the faggity comment, either way. pansies shmansies, i still can't believe that none of you people realize that death cab will play small venues, they're not "too good" for their fans, and they're not overcome w/ greed. hey......perhaps they realized the people they would be playing for at x96 were a bunch of idiots who still don't understand the concept of talent. OR.....like james and ruckus roo said....maybe it was entirely out of their control and none of you actually know the real story.
Way to go, Todd. You're my new hero. They should obviously not be in music if they're going to totally screw over their fans.
its sad to see x96 try to bad mouth a band no matter what the circumstances is
this all makes you look petty and unprofessional.
what are you, college radio? wah big deal, you didnt go through the proper channels, the record rep really has no pull, and things didnt go the way that you wanted. anyone involved in the music industry knows about the "blame game" and gets over it. grow up.
Hello, all -
This is Chris from Death Cab for Cutie. I don't particularly want to argue or be a very large part of this conversation, but clearly we've done some irreparable damage to our relationship with KXRK, and with a few of our fans, and some statement should be made on our behalf. I always prefer that such statements are personal, and not handed down from management or wherever, so here it is.
It's important to note that, since our first show in November of 1997, we have canceled exactly three scheduled engagements. One was in 1999 when Ben was violently ill with heat stroke in Austin. Another was in Houston last year when the electricity went out at the venue, and the roof was leaking onto the stage. The third cancelation was last week, at KXRK in Salt Lake City.
It's simply not in our nature to walk out on an obligation without reason - this should be obvious from our track record. We love performing, we enjoy talking with our fans, and we still freak out when we get to meet our favorite bands.
There are a few realities, as a successful-bordering-on-famous band, that we're having to learn. We've always prided ourselves on our approachability, but as the lights get brighter it becomes more difficult, and more uncomfortable, to negotiate uncontrolled situations. We've gotten stuck a few times now doing promotional things that went haywire; appearances that have gotten uncomfortable or even ugly.
The point of all this is that we'll do just about anything if we have all the information, if we know what we're getting ourselves into. We, by way of management and our label, agreed to a live, in-studio performance at KXRK. We did not agree to put on a show in the lobby of an office building. Those two things are not the same. The station told all its listeners, all of you, to come see a performance that we neither agreed to nor were we ready for. I apologize to anyone who made the trek to the station to see us play, and was disappointed by our no show. You were given false information. And really, all the station had to do to make it seamless was to let us know the score - we'd have brought different instruments; our engineer would have come along; we would have brought the silver Sharpies to sign our black record for you; I'd have made a concerted effort to brush my teeth. And most importantly, we'd have known we were going to meet you. It's like when your roommate throws a party when you thought it was going to be a nice, quiet evening at home. We simply weren't prepared.
By contrast, our engagement at the other station in town was spotless. They were clear, detailed and professional in their communication with us, and we knew exactly what to expect. It wasn't a public performance; there was no PA, and therefore, no need to have our engineer along.
Whatever you end up thinking about us as a result of all this is ultimately alright (actually, I encourage the homophobes to stay away, please). Just know - this goes for Todd Newcomb, as well as all the fans - that, in the course of nearly six hundred shows, a hundred radio performances and fifteen van tours, we've only bailed two other times: Once for illness and once for a
power outage. Doesn't that imply that something actually went wrong?
- Chris / Death Cab for Cutie
All I have to say to Chris is: You are full of crap and you hate your fans!!!
smells like stinky death cabs
god get over it. you were all bitching because you didn't think anyone from death cab would give a shit enough to give a valid explanation for not performing, when they actually do give a valid explanation, it's still not good enough. you all need to realize that everyone is human. they didn't perform, so what. they had the decency to tell their side of the story to all of you shit talking people. god you make me sick. they're better off not having "fans" like you anyway.
its great that chris responded. the problem is, too bad the entire x96 listership wont hear that side of the story, esp after x96 bad mouthed them for two hours this morning. again, extremely unprofessional.
Chris,
Sounds like we were each told something different by the middlemen--damn record companies anyway--and we were both put in a bad spot. I think it's cool of you to care enough to comment on this silly little blog of mine.
Sometimes the band is the last to know who obligated them for what.
i love fall out boy! hahaha but who cares what i think! Yeah it is kinda messed up but they gotta have some kind of reason for it! don't they? Shit happends I STILL LOVE THEM!!!
hmm my comment didn't go through. Anyway, I think you should have them back Todd. So you can shake hands. You seem like a nice guy. Will you fly to canada to put stickers on cars ?
i'm glad everyone is happy now. i did enough support death cab bitching for a lifetime lol.
Todd and Chris, I'm happy to see how this worked out. For the most part, people are such arrogant asses that when something like this happens, it doesn't matter what happens later, the blood stays bad. It takes a couple of smart, compassionate and enlightened doods to play the game like you two have.
(-;
Oh yeah, and to hell with record companies, managers, executives, etc. Power people suck.
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