Rock Band NOFX Makes Insensitive Comments Regarding Las Vegas Shooting Victims
Maren Morris, Cassadee Pope and more country artists tore the band apart on social media after the offensive banter surfaced online.
During a recent concert, punk rock band NOFX went after the victims of the Las Vegas shooting when a couple of the band members created an insensitive moment of banter on stage in between songs.
One of the members of the group started the joke by telling the crowd, “We played a song about Muslims and we didn’t get shot,” with another person responding, “I guess you only get shot in Vegas if you are a country band.”
NOFX thought it would be “hilarious” to joke about the October 1 shootings while on stage in Las Vegas. They said “at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans”. This is disgusting and callous. We will never support anything involving this band ever again. pic.twitter.com/am3R8QJIE6
— Dave and Mahoney (@DaveAndMahoney) May 30, 2018
NOFX dragged the comments along further, noting to the crowd, “You know, if I mean, that sucked, but at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans.” In the video of the commentary, fans in the audience can be heard yelling in disdain over the conversation before the band went back to playing their set for the evening.
The hateful words received instant backlash on social media from a number of music industry members, including some country music artists who ripped the band apart.
Adios, NOFX. Hope you enjoyed your last disgusting words to the people as you slide into oblivion. #VegasStrong https://t.co/3ACJvk6YfG
— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) May 31, 2018
“Adios, NOFX. Hope you enjoyed your last disgusting words to the people as you slide into oblivion. #VegasStrong,” Maren Morris tweeted in reply to her husband, Ryan Hurd, calling NOFX “losers.”
Cassadee Pope even went to her socials to agree with her country community, by writing, “Such a bummer. Sucks when a band you’ve always liked says stupid s**t. Adios indeed.”
The massacre that NOFX referred to happened during the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017. In the incident, 59 people died with hundreds of innocent attendees injured as a result of the sudden attack. It is the worst mass killing recorded in modern American history.
Ever since the Route 91 shooting, country music has pulled together as a unit to stand #VegasStrong throughout many awards shows and tribute concerts to show their love for the people affected.
UPDATE (May 31, 2018; 12:49 p.m. CST):
Hours after making controversial comments, NOFX is speaking out and apologizing to those they hurt.
“I can’t sleep, no one in my band can. What we said in Vegas was shitty and insensitive and we are all embarrassed by our remarks,” NOFX lead singer “Fat Mike” Burkett wrote in a post to Facebook.
In addition to their initial statement, Burkett revealed that the group would release an “in-depth, since and honest apology.”
“That’s what the people we offended and hurt deserve,” he concluded.
Following the distasteful comments, the group was slammed by fans worldwide and lost their sponsorship with Stone Brewing, a company that manufactures the band’s beer and sponsors their music festival.
“We respect punk rock, and the DIY ethos for which it stands,” a Stone Brewing spokesperson said in a statement to The Blast. “To us, it means standing up for things you believe in, and fearlessly committing to what’s right. And it is for that reason that Stone Brewing is immediately disassociating ourselves from the band NOFX.”
While the company plans on discontinuing future brews, they plan on donating the proceeds from their current batch to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation, an organization that provides trauma counseling for police officers and first responders.
