Currently on the road as part of their "Forty and Fuck It" farewell tour, Twisted Sister's final Canadian show came late last month at the 2016 edition of Amnesia Rockfest. But even after 40 years in the biz, some of the band's crew weren't happy with how they were treated at the festival in Montebello, QC.
Authored by tour blogger and assistant Armadillo Terry, a now-deleted "Armadillo Road Report" from the band's website brands Rockfest as "the festival we would all like to forget" before listing a number of slights against the band during their stay, the Montreal Gazette points out.
In the post, as well as a series of Facebook videos which you can find below, the crew member takes issue with the size of the band's dressing room, playing a shortened set on a small stage, transportation to the stage area, having the band name spelled wrong on the dressing room door, being given a dozen waterbottles and five bags of chips instead of whatever was on the tour rider, and disrespect from festival staff.
"WORST. FESTIVAL. EVER," the post finishes. "Fuck your boat, fuck your tiny-ass stage, fuck your forty-five minutes and fuck your five bags of chips. We're going back to Europe and playing the real festivals! Canadians rockers…go to Heavy Montreal next year instead–this festival doesn't deserve your attendance."
UPDATE (6/5, 6:30 p.m. EDT): Rockfest founder Alex Martel has released a statement regarding the Twisted Sister crew member's comments. Read it in full below:
I was extremely disappointed earlier today to read the comments made by Twister Sister's blogger after their show at Amnesia Rockfest 2016. We contacted the band's team as soon as we became aware of these comments, and they immediately decided to remove the blog post outlining their dissatisfaction. However, I think it's important that we set the record straight to prevent misunderstandings. In the 11 years of the festival, I have never seen anything like this. No member of the Twisted Sister camp contacted me at any point during or after the festival to express any concerns — we are always open to constructive criticism and improvement. I could tell the other side of the story. I could explain how running a festival with 130 bands over two days works and how our entire team makes serious efforts to accommodate them all, rather than giving priority to a single band. I could mention that all the logistical information was sent to performers weeks prior to the event to ensure there would be no surprises about our hospitality, production or the site's geographic location. I could also name the hundreds of bands who are satisfied with their experience at Rockfest year after year. Even though I strongly disagree with their claims and the way they chose to share their views, I still have tremendous respect for this legendary band and I wish them the best in their future endeavours.
Authored by tour blogger and assistant Armadillo Terry, a now-deleted "Armadillo Road Report" from the band's website brands Rockfest as "the festival we would all like to forget" before listing a number of slights against the band during their stay, the Montreal Gazette points out.
In the post, as well as a series of Facebook videos which you can find below, the crew member takes issue with the size of the band's dressing room, playing a shortened set on a small stage, transportation to the stage area, having the band name spelled wrong on the dressing room door, being given a dozen waterbottles and five bags of chips instead of whatever was on the tour rider, and disrespect from festival staff.
"WORST. FESTIVAL. EVER," the post finishes. "Fuck your boat, fuck your tiny-ass stage, fuck your forty-five minutes and fuck your five bags of chips. We're going back to Europe and playing the real festivals! Canadians rockers…go to Heavy Montreal next year instead–this festival doesn't deserve your attendance."
UPDATE (6/5, 6:30 p.m. EDT): Rockfest founder Alex Martel has released a statement regarding the Twisted Sister crew member's comments. Read it in full below:
I was extremely disappointed earlier today to read the comments made by Twister Sister's blogger after their show at Amnesia Rockfest 2016. We contacted the band's team as soon as we became aware of these comments, and they immediately decided to remove the blog post outlining their dissatisfaction. However, I think it's important that we set the record straight to prevent misunderstandings. In the 11 years of the festival, I have never seen anything like this. No member of the Twisted Sister camp contacted me at any point during or after the festival to express any concerns — we are always open to constructive criticism and improvement. I could tell the other side of the story. I could explain how running a festival with 130 bands over two days works and how our entire team makes serious efforts to accommodate them all, rather than giving priority to a single band. I could mention that all the logistical information was sent to performers weeks prior to the event to ensure there would be no surprises about our hospitality, production or the site's geographic location. I could also name the hundreds of bands who are satisfied with their experience at Rockfest year after year. Even though I strongly disagree with their claims and the way they chose to share their views, I still have tremendous respect for this legendary band and I wish them the best in their future endeavours.
