UPDATED: Uproar Over “Callous” Florida Georgia Line Remarks
This story has been updated.
On Tuesday, April 15th, the city of Calgary in Alberta, Canada faced the city’s worst mass homicide in its history when the son of a veteran Calgary police officer stabbed five people to death at a house party. Four men and a woman were fatally stabbed in an unprovoked attack that transpired at roughly 1 AM. 22-year-old Matthew Douglas de Grood, a student at the University of Calgary, has been charged with five counts of first degree murder, and is in police custody. Two of the stabbing victims, Zackariah Rathwell, 23, and Josh Hunter, 22, were in a local band called Zackariah and the Prophets, and had just held a CD release party the prior weekend.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves throughout the Calgary community, including the music community, in an incident that may pale in comparison to some of the body counts of American massacres, but in the rather non-violent culture of Canada, it is nothing short of horrific.
American pop country super duo Florida Georgia Line played a concert in Calgary the following day, Wednesday (4-16) at the Scotiabank Saddledome, and according to numerous reports, broached the subject of the tragedy on stage in such an uninformed and callous way, it has created a big backlash against the band in Canadian media outlets.
Taking the point in the Florida Georgia Line criticism is a writer for the Calgary Herald named Mike Bell. The reporter was at the concert, and was so incensed by the flippant nature with which Florida Georgia Line handled the tragedy, he decided to forgo a traditional concert review and write a scathing piece bemoaning the American duo’s behavior.
…early into their set, they open their mouths and, in what’s supposed to be some casual between song banter to show that, yeah, they actually know which town they’re playing in, that they’re in “CALGARY!”, they mention, in vague, terribly awkward terms, a shooting that went on in this city a couple of days ago or something.
Or something.
Or something.
Or.
Something.
I’m sorry. Here’s where I diverge from the script, the unspoken, unwritten contract between reviewer and reader, here’s where I put the collective aside and impose the personal experience on the professional.
Remember the Calgary tragedy was a stabbing, not a shooting, and apparently that wasn’t the only detail Florida Georgia Line got wrong. According to Mike Bell, it would have been better if the duo hadn’t broached the subject at all. But since they did, their fumbling of the information came across as insult to the Calgary crowd.
In the 20 years I’ve been doing this, I’ve written positive reviews of bands I wouldn’t cross the street to spit at, those who “aren’t my cup of tea” as some might say. I’ve also written negative reviews of bands I admire and actually go home and listen to on my time….But what I’m not paid to do is forget about something that happened in the city I’ve called home for all of my life, the city that I actually care about and understand somewhat the pain it’s going through.
I don’t get being so entirely oblivious, so utterly callous that you can’t even get the basics of a tragedy right. A really, really fresh tragedy. That’s on the cover of every newspaper in the city, on every newscast, and on the lips of every citizen….It would be like showing up as the waters were just receding, then calling last year’s flood an earthquake. It would be like calling, to take it to the extreme, 9/11 a really big tornado or sharknado. Or something.
Calgary Herald reviewer Mike Bell goes on to give his assessment of the Florida Georgia Line concert as,
Florida Georgia Line were at the Saddledome. They played some songs on stage for a bit. There was sound. There were lights. And there were opening acts.
It was a concert.
Or something.
Though Saving Country Music has been unable to obtain the specific comments Florida Georgia Line made, and they weren’t included in the Calgary Herald article, numerous concert attendees are quoting the duo as saying, “We know that this city is in mourning, we heard about a shooting…. or a murder.. that happened in the city a couple weeks ago… or a couple days ago here in Calgary. And you know what? I think we need to give a special shout out to those people that are going through the hard times. This one’s for you guys.” (see update below) The quote is attributed to Tyler Hubbard of the duo.
The piece was also reposted by other prominent Canadian newspapers in the same syndication network, including The Ottawa Citizen and The Edmonton Journal. Apparently the subject is also making the rounds on numerous Canadian country radio stations and other media outlets.
A Facebook account attributed to Florida Georgia Line lead singer Tyler Hubbard (though not verified to truly be the singer) responded in the comments section of the Calgary Herald article, saying,
wow… i’ve never had someone twist a genuine statement that was me trying to show love and support for the families that have gone thru such a tragedy. If you ask me mike… you’re the one that’s being disrespectful by blowing this out of proportion. You’ve absolutely put words in my mouth that never even came out and i’m offended. But hey what can ya do.. just keep trying to make people happy and love life. good luck brother.
that being said … to the people of Calgary, if i offended y’all i’m truly sorry.. there is no tragedy that i would take lightly, especially in this case so i apologize if i said something that come off that wrong way but that was definitely not my intention. Y’all rocked last night and we love you guys. Hope we put some smiles on some faces.
Later on their Twitter account, Florida Georgia Line Tweeted, “Last Night In Calgary was incredible. Our fans are amazing. Our hearts go out to all of those affected by the tragedy there. #GodBless.”
Read The Complete Calgary Herald Review
****UPDATE 4/18/2014: Partial video of the incident has surfaced, though the first portion is cut off. Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard can be heard saying, “…a couple of weeks ago, or a couple of days ago here in Calgary. And you know what? I think we need to give a special shout out to those people that are going through the hard times. This one’s for you guys.”
April 17, 2014 @ 11:32 am
Tyler Hubbard, if it was really him, commented via Facebook at the bottom of the article saying they twisted his statement. LOL Some fellow Belmont grad sided with him. LOL again.
April 17, 2014 @ 2:47 pm
I bet it’s on video.
April 17, 2014 @ 11:35 am
https://twitter.com/FLAGALine/status/364905726897946625
April 17, 2014 @ 11:51 am
http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/music/Callous+remark+Florida+Georgia+Line+crossed+line/9746575/story.html
On this article Tyler Hubbard responds,
“wow… i’ve never had someone twist a genuine statement that was me trying to show love and support for the families that have gone thru such a tragedy. If you ask me mike… you’re the one that’s being disrespectful by blowing this out of proportion. You’ve absolutely put words in my mouth that never even came out and i’m offended. But hey what can ya do.. just keep trying to make people happy and love life. good luck brother.”
That link is from the Calgary Herald website at about 1:45 Central Time.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:02 pm
That information has been added above, but I’d caution everyone there’s no verifiable way to truly know if that is truly Tyler Hubbard himself. It is not coming from an official, verified Facebook or Twitter page.
If they do give an official statement about this, I will make sure to include it here.
April 17, 2014 @ 11:57 am
I hate FGL as much as the next guy, but I can’t get outraged over it.
When I saw the headline, I assumed they had tried to make a joke or something about it. They were trying to show their condolences, but did a very bad job of it. Yes they should have said nothing, or done a little more research, but there was no malice or disrespect intended.
Seems like there are more important things to worry about.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:08 pm
I agree with Mike. Not a fan of FGL, but I can imagine this happening to any artist on tour. When you are in a different city every night, I don’t expect you to be as informed on the regional news. It could have been handled better, but it sounds more like lack of information rather than callousness. I don’t think this would be a story here if a favorite SCM artist had said the same thing.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:17 pm
Yes it would have, because the story is a story in itself. See when I covered Saving Country Music Artist of the Year Justin Townes Earle getting arrested in Indianapolis, or Wayne Hancock going into rehab.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/belligerent-justin-townes-earle-arrested-in-indianapolis
https://savingcountrymusic.com/wayne-hancock-cancels-dates-enters-rehab
As I was explaining below in a comment as you were posting yours, I am not necessarily agreeing with every sentiment by this Calgary Herald writer. However this has caused a big stir up in Canada and here in the US (I was woken up this morning with a barrage of text messages about it), and so I did feel it was newsworthy. It is my intention to present everything that has happened as facts, leave my opinions for the comments, and let readers decide for themselves.
In my opinion, video would really help reveal just how insensitive whatever was said actually was. I can’t imagine there weren’t dozens of people with cellphones trained on the stage where these words were uttered. That may be the key to clarifying this situation.
April 17, 2014 @ 7:40 pm
Based on what I’m reading in the story (and again, not having seen the actual events), what makes it seem so callous and outraging is the “or something” remark. If he had simply said “we heard there was a shooting in the past few weeks,” maybe one could give the benefit of the doubt and say “okay, his intent was good.”
By saying “or something” it adds, what someone has already said, a certain flippancy to the remarks…as if he doesn’t care enough about it to get the details of what he’s talking about.
Even Mike Bell seems to be focusing on this when he re-iterates the “or something” several times.
I can’t say that I’d heard about the stabbing myself, but from what is written, it seems like it was big regional news. And honestly, if Hubbard had enough time o hear about the regional news, one might at least expect him to know the basics of what happened.
April 18, 2014 @ 8:39 am
I should have added, though, that I can see why it is newsworthy if it is causing a stir. I think that is one of the tensions in your work, though, Trigger. There is both news and put-down, and it is not always clear which is which. I read this more as a put-down of FGL, and I just don’t see it that way.
And I can see how the “or something” sounds callous, but it is easy to stumble for words. Video might change my mind.
April 18, 2014 @ 9:54 am
I know it may seem really subtle, but that’s the reason I have categories for all of my stories. If I call something “news” then it is delivered without opinion or commentary for the most part. If something is labeled “Down With Pop Country” you know it is going to involve sarcasm or be derogatory. “Random Notes” can be a mixture of the two, but even when I do deliver news and opinion in the same article, I try to keep the two isolated. I understand though with the nature of this site, sometimes people are going to read beyond what is said.
April 18, 2014 @ 8:33 am
There is a huge difference between this incident, which as I said seems more like ignorance than callousness, and the allegations against JTE. This seems like a tempest in a teapot, which is why I think it is not a story. I am certainly not defending FGL, but it seems like a minor slip. Though of course it was significant to those close to the story, and it would have been better to say nothing than to get the facts wrong, I don’t think touring artists can be expected to know the local news.
April 17, 2014 @ 11:43 pm
That might very well be true, but if someone told you a city you’re about to entertain is mourning because of a tragedy, what kind of callous bastard are you for not asking questions about it? Even if his manager mentioned it to them two minutes before the show, why not stall the show and ask their fans about it? Hindsight is always 20/20, at least for most people. Even after these guys have had time for all of this to sink in, their apology still reflects a self-absorbed me ism disposition Chastising the city’s newsman for writing about how poorly they handled that news, is just further evidence that they at no time empathize with the city.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:10 pm
Hypothetically (VERY hypothetically), let’s say I was a Florida Georgia Line fan, and a Calgary citizen, and was in attendance that night, I probably would have been turned off by how flippant the band handled the situation, but I don’t know if I would be as incensed as this particular Calgary Herald writer was. I am reporting this story not necessarily condoning all the sentiments expressed by the Calgary Herald writer, but explaining what is transpiring. And trust me, this is big news up in Calgary right now: the killings, the Florida Georgia Line statements, AND this review.
If it was my review, I probably would have taken a different angle on this (and used proper syntax for album names and song titles), but at the same time, I cannot walk a mile in a Calgary journalist’s shoes in the aftermath of this tragedy, and am not going to fault anyone for being emotionally distraught and potentially overly sensitive in this situation.
April 17, 2014 @ 2:33 pm
Let’s say it was a Canadian artist who said that in Boston after the Boston bombing last year – most people here would have been pissed. I’d like to know how they knew about it. Did they read it in the news, did their manager tell them, did someone at the venue mention it in passing? The sensitivity knob was turned to zero if they didn’t ask more info and discuss together and with their manager if and how they would address it. They may be young and green, but that’s just inexcusable.
April 17, 2014 @ 6:57 pm
Exactly!
“Hi, uh, we know you guys had something happen yesterday or maybe last week, and some people got killed somehow, and we just want you people in BOSTON to know that we’re thinking of you! Now party!”
April 18, 2014 @ 1:09 pm
Big news in Calgary is an understatement. I live in Edmonton, which is about three hours north if you don’t know, and the mass killing is STILL all anyone’s talking about here. I have family in other provinces and they’re in shock as well.
April 17, 2014 @ 10:31 pm
I agree with Mike. I’d like to shit down Tyler Hubbard’s throat every time he opens his mouth, but that Canuck bastard sounds like a crybaby.
April 17, 2014 @ 11:58 am
Ass and No Class.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
FGL are just two festering boils on the backside of corporate country music.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:18 pm
I can’t believe I’m defending these dumbasses, but I think this is a case of being inarticulate (or not being the sharpest tool in the shed) plus awkwardness in expressing their sympathy and lack of research. I can understand though why this might be seen as callousness.
To me their statements on this interview are the more appalling, because they seem to sincerely believe that country music is in the best place now and that it’s partly because of them:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/music/Life+fast+furious+Florida+Georgia+Line/9746619/story.html
April 17, 2014 @ 1:23 pm
What makes people “douchebags” is being in a vacuum of self-awareness and always feeling like they have to be super cool at all times. This was a rookie mistake by a pair of young performers who were at their peak of cocksure stupidity on stage. A mistake? Yes. And they should take responsibility for it. But I don’t know if there’s a need to be served a bowl of blood over this.
April 17, 2014 @ 1:40 pm
How long have they been headliners, and did they have a lot of experience playing at smaller gigs and venues? Seems like they are not yet used to talking to their audience in between songs. I agree with others who’ve commented that since they don’t know the full details of this tragedy, not mentioning it at all is probably the better option.
April 17, 2014 @ 7:02 pm
What bowl of blood, Trigger? They’re not going to lose any fans over this, it’s not going to halt their commercial momentum. This is just a nice reminder to superstar entertainers that facile comments aren’t always the smartest.
April 17, 2014 @ 7:49 pm
I think we agree here. What I was trying to say was their remarks were incredibly stupid and unfortunate, but I really don’t see the need for any recompense to be paid by the band besides the further erosion of whatever credibility they had to begin with, which was little if any.
April 17, 2014 @ 2:34 pm
That’s why they have “people”.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:21 pm
Sounds like somebody mentioned to him that a tragedy had happened in the town they were playing that night and Hubbard either didn’t really care or wasn’t interested in getting the details and then he tried to use it to connect with the audience during the show. Pretty stupid but I’m not sure it is that big a deal since Calgary has a population of 800,000 people so it would be unlikely that this would offend anyone directly related to the killings.
I shudder to think what song they dedicated to the victims, though.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:30 pm
“I shudder to think what song they dedicated to the victims, though”
Wow, you’re right, what a chilling thought. Does FGL even have a song that is not about trucks, parties, tailgating, and girls, that they can dedicate to the victims? But I don’t want to search and listen to all their songs to find out, don’t think I can endure that.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:36 pm
Do you really think that no one with a connection to the killing was in attendance? Everyone involved was a university student, people who make up the majority of FGL’s audience.
I can guarantee that people who knew the victims were in attendance because some of my friends were at this concert and they knew both the suspect and the victims. To address the largest mass murder in the history of a city of 1.2 million people in such a flippant way is insulting and embarrassing. It also speaks to FGL’s utter lack of respect for anyone and anything that is not themselves. It is utterly appalling that anyone would ever think it appropriate to refer to the murder of 5 people as “some shooting or something.”
Country music is supposed to be about respect, loyalty, family, and ordinary people striving to do or be better. By choosing to reduce 5 families suffering to mere inter-song banter, FGL have failed to uphold all of the ideals of country music. If the quote in the article is actually from Tyler Hubbard, then I can only say that it is deeply saddening that FGL seems to fail to realize how hurtful their actions were.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:45 pm
My apologies to your friends. I can’t imagine going to a concert the day after someone I knew had been murdered so I guess I assumed others would feel the same.
If you think FGL are about respect loyalty and ordinary people striving to do or be better than you haven’t been paying attention.
April 17, 2014 @ 1:42 pm
Calgary has 1.2 million people, actually. And considering that five University of Calgary students were killed and the majority of FGL’s fans are young adults (many of them attending university), I can guarantee that there were dozens, if not hundreds, of people at the concert who would have been directly impacted by the tragedy and offended by this situation. I don’t go to U of C but the murders occurred in my hometown community, and I wasn’t at this concert, but I’m still offended.
April 17, 2014 @ 3:38 pm
Your not sure it’s a big deal????
Nobody related to the victims???
Your effing kidding me with this statement.
What these Two effing Morons should have done was say ” nothing” because they don’t have enough brain power between the 2 of them to string a proper sentence together.
5 university students killed… So ya, plenty of people knew them.
2 were musicians in the same band , a few people prob knew them as well.
I lived in cowtown, and although it has over a million people , it’s a pretty tight knit city.
FGL should have just sang their shitty tunes & boarded the bus for the next venue where they can continue to dumb down country music.
April 17, 2014 @ 3:48 pm
As a few others here have said I find it hard to believe that this was done with any malice. The real tragedy is the loss of five lives not the poorly spoken words of a dim witted faux country singer. And you are correct that they shouldn’t have said anything but as Trigger said I can’t see getting so incensed by these idiots comments.
April 17, 2014 @ 3:59 pm
Well, then call me incensed because that’s exactly how I feel.
For two reasons, the first being the current state of what ” country” music has become and were expected to buy into this Crap as if we don’t know any better or have enough intelligence to decipher the difference.
I’m prob equally as outraged that acts like this exist and are popular with a following.
April 17, 2014 @ 5:16 pm
On that I agree completely. The success of these guys is a sad commentary on modern country music.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:33 pm
i know its shocking, but FGL are not engineers or rocket scientists
April 17, 2014 @ 12:48 pm
Hydroplanin’ nailed it! How much tact and intellect are you expecting from these 2 modern country puppets? They should be issued a handicap or something when public speaking.
April 17, 2014 @ 12:51 pm
I’m from Calgary and a regular SCM reader. Although I was not at that concert, I can attest to the fact that the City is reeling after the largest mass murder in its history. It has hit home for many people and emotions are running high. If these ass clowns are not going to be respectful they need to play their songs and get the hell out of town. Hopefully this article has offended them and they don’t come back.
April 17, 2014 @ 1:01 pm
They need a better road manager to make sure they have facts before they speak or simply leave the subject alone entirely. Not done with bad intent but reaks of ignorance and arrogance that frankly does not suprise me.
April 17, 2014 @ 1:10 pm
whatever he said was probably just thoughtless or clumsy and shouldn’t surprise anyone who considers the source.
the reaction from everyone else is what really offends me. i cant believe that this incident (the stabbings) which was a tragedy for the people involved and their friends/family really affected so many complete strangers so much that they went into such hysterics about what hubbard said. some people just get off on putting on a big show of emotions when stuff like that happens and then completely forget about it a week later when theres some new hot topic to go batshit crazy about.
April 17, 2014 @ 2:37 pm
I apologize if my reaction to 5 university students needlessly being killed in my city 2 blocks from where I used to live has offended you. I’ll admit that my dislike for FGL maybe playing a role for my reaction to what Hubbard said. But I’m guessing there might be some cultural differences here as well. I think its appropriate for a community to be in mourning after a senseless act of violence, whether there is a direct relationship to the victims or not.
April 17, 2014 @ 2:46 pm
This isn’t a cultural difference, Michael. We would react the same way if that happened here.
April 17, 2014 @ 4:02 pm
Don’t apologize( I know it was sarcasm and all) but we’ve gotta lose our ultra nice guy reputation.
April 18, 2014 @ 1:01 pm
blue demon, are you saying that hearing about 4 people in your town that was stabbed to death would not have affected you?
April 17, 2014 @ 1:28 pm
@ Scotty J – Just to let you know, Calgary has over 1 million people in its population and its very highly likely at least one person in the audience was directly affected by the killings.
Even if the majority were not, the city is a community in itself and we are all saddened by it, whether we knew the victims personally or not. There is a noticable gloom over Calgary and they could have used the show to say something comforting, respectful and offer condolences properly. I am sure the thought was in the right place, but it just displayed the lack of caring to get the basic facts. If they didn’t know what actually happened, when (at the time of the show, it was yesterday!), or who was involved, they should not have brought it up at all.
Plus. The 5 victims were just kids, all in their 20’s. Just like the majority of the concert attendees were. (I was there, and the crowd was generally very young adults). It would have been nice if that fact was acknowlegded, as that age group makes up a huge part of their fan base. I myself, was a pretty big fan of their music, but mostly because they are always posting on social media pictures and their appreciation to the fans. I guess thats just the fans in the U.S then…which is bullshit
All in all, they tried. But it was not sincere. If they didn’t know what the hell they were talking about, they should have left it alone entirely. No one who is in mourning over such a thing needs some arrogant guys who don’t give a damn to undermine their suffering.
April 17, 2014 @ 2:59 pm
I was going by memory on the population of Calgary I’m sorry for all those offended by my understating the population.
April 17, 2014 @ 2:41 pm
Why in the hell are you all commenting in this instead of listening to Trigs stream of sturgill??..
April 17, 2014 @ 4:06 pm
These guys tried to say something thoughtful, but didn’t get their facts straight, so it came out as being kind of flippant.
I don’t listen to their music or like the name and face that they are putting on country music, but it sounds like they made a mistake of judgment.
April 17, 2014 @ 8:51 pm
Yo peeps this iz how we rollz there was a stabbing or sum thin it’s nothin that fireball whiskey and the bed of mah truck crusin cant fix rite?
April 17, 2014 @ 9:59 pm
The problem here is not with what Florida-Georgia-Lame said, although they were stupid to try and make off-the-cuff comments about something so serious.
The problem is not whether the reaction by the Calgary journalist or anyone else has been reasonable or not.
The problem IS that two bobble-heads like FGL represent the vapid and totally clueless attitude of the pop-music machinery that they came from.
SO WHAT that they wanted to dedicate a “song” to some people they knew nothing about? Exactly how long would anyone remember such a gesture?
Take an artist like Lee Greenwood… now I know, I KNOW, Greenwood was not a traditional country act… more like a Kenny-Rogers-type crooner, albeit a decent one.
Lee Greenwood felt strongly enough about his patriotism and love for his fellow man that he allowed his ENTIRE CAREER to be defined by his recording of “God Bless The USA”. Almost NO ONE remembers anything else the man ever recorded or performed.
What would these two idiots be willing to have their careers defined by? “drankin an scroo-in” songs? Looking like HS-dropout dirtbags? What’s going to happen 20 or 30 years from now when nobody thinks they’re “pretty” anymore? They’ll be making some version of their ungodly racket at a town fair someplace, fat, balding and pathetic, and nobody will give the crap they sing a second notice except “oh, yeah… they were popular once for a little while”.
Let these morons stew in their own juices over their stupid attempts at social commentary. Remember that they neither represent country music, nor right-thinking Americans, and that they and their kind will come, flash and vanish like so many before.
You want quotes, comments and insights worth listening to? Try listening to the men and women who have not only MADE, but KEPT, country music what it should be… the Nelsons, Haggards, Owenses, Jenningses and Straits of the world. They lived and sang their values, not the air-headed pop crap of dipsticks like FGL.
God bless country music and God bless America.
April 17, 2014 @ 11:39 pm
So, Frodo Hubbard and Doogie Kelley showed how stupid and shallow they really are to a bunch of Canadians, and then got defensive when called out for it…
Sounds about right for those white-trash-wannabe clowns.
Canada, you have our apologies and condolences.
April 18, 2014 @ 3:59 am
Nothing these guys do surprise me anymore. I am pretty much numb to it now. At this point I just hope the whole trend of bro-country / douchebag country runs itself in to the ground, and hopefully a lot sooner than later. Then real country music will come back to the forefront.
April 18, 2014 @ 5:42 am
I don’t listen to FGL music (except what bombards me from the radio) and I think what they said, while coming off as callous and insensitive, is not worth a crucifiction. From personal experience as a performer, I can tell you that when you are on-stage in front of a big crowd, the adrenelin is pumping, and sometimes what you really wanted to say doesn’t always come out the way it was forming in your head. I can think of several times this has happened to me and some of my fellow performers. Even some of our beloved country legends have stumbled on their words from time to time. There is no “Take 2” on stage.
Let it go, and just don’t buy their music if you are offended to that extreme. If you stop buying their music, they will be gone in short order anyway…
April 18, 2014 @ 7:52 am
If your eyesight starts to go bad, you can get Lasik surgery and they can give you 20/20 vision at any age. If your hearing starts to fail, they’ll put a little device in your ear that makes you hear as good as when you were born.
But let me tell you something folks- you can’t fix stupid. There’s not a pill you can take. There’s not a class you can go to. Stupid is fo-evah. Tater Salad
April 18, 2014 @ 9:49 am
For some reason this incident reminds me of a wedding I went to in 2004.
During the wedding party the DJ tried taking recent events, and rolling them into what should have been a special moment… basically souring the entire wedding party.
He pointed out that the bride and groom met during a Tsunami Bomb concert, and just couldn’t help bringing up the Indonesian tsunami that happened a few weeks back.
Everyone was just confused, and couldn’t figure out why it was even brought up other than the fact that both of these incidents (the wedded couple’s first meeting, and a recent major news event) included the word “Tsunami”. To say the least, the married couple’s first dance was incredibly awkward.
In just a few seconds of having an open mic, this DJ showed everyone just how clueless and out of place he could be while simply trying to be hip to current events. Most people agreed what he should have said was nothing.
Perhaps FGL felt compelled to bring this up… but doing so without even knowing what they were referencing is just another example of someone with an open mic trying to appear hip to current events, when what they should have said was nothing.
April 18, 2014 @ 12:01 pm
As a performer myself, of much less acclaim and likely less God-given talent than those who are making millions selling out concerts, I want to say this:
Yes, it was a mistake, a misstep, and I think somewhat disgraceful to not get the facts straight. In our shows, we attempt to create “moments” – Moments are what separate truly great performers from a band up on a stage. Garth,Strait, Alan Jackson and all the greats are masters of it. Aldean is one of the best of the New Country stars at it today.
These guys created a moment, and it was a bad one. It left a poor taste in the mouths of many whom it was meant to uplift.
Not only that,but I have to call into question the timing of the banter. I”™m sure there were numerous moments into which to insert talk of a tragedy. I personally would probably do it before a heartfelt song – something that will truly speak to the core of the listener. For myself, I would probably follow up a statement like that with my song, “I Can”™t Pray” – written in anguish after the loss of my father. THIS circus act followed the sentiment up with “That”™s how we do it round here” – a bad song, following a bad statement about a horrible tragedy in the eyes of those in Calgary. I mean”¦ You know, Stabbing 5 people – “That”™s how we do it round here” – or something.
Asshats. Asshats with “hearts of gold.” But hey, they jus gon”™ keep doin wut dey do doe.
April 18, 2014 @ 12:21 pm
I’m from Calgary. Are the people who are offended by Florida Georgia Line’s comments being overly sensitive? Perhaps. But you know what? The people in this city have every right to be overly sensitive right now.
The lives of five young kids with bright futures ahead of them, who were celebrating the end of the semester at a low-key house party with friends, were brutally and senselessly taken away. Every single person in this city, whether they knew the people who were killed directly or indirectly, or not at all, is affected. This is an absolute tragedy and it has shaken this city to its core.
Tyler Hubbard’s defensive comments in response to Mike Bell’s article are not helping matters. I don’t think the remarks at the concert were intended to be offensive or rude. But they were. They were ignorant. And instead of being defensive, Tyler should simply say “I’m sorry. My intent was not to offend anyone, nor to be flippant about the tragic murders of five young people. I hope you can accept my apology and my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Kaitlin Perras, Jordan Segura, Josh Hunter, Lawrence Hong and Zackariah Rathwell.”
April 18, 2014 @ 2:59 pm
I think a few people have definitely hit the nail on the head and I will probably just be redundant at this point but here goes my opinion anyways. I absolutely LOATHE FGL but also believe they never really meant any harm by it, but it is still ignorant non the less. I completely agree with the statement that had a Canadian done the same in the US there would have been much more press coverage and uproar over it. This is a big deal in Canada, plenty of news coverage of it and it just goes to show how little Americans really know about the current events here in Canada (sorry to anyone I offend with that statement, I’m more blaming your media not citizens directly). I knew every detail of the Boston bombing, or Katrina, or the Aurora shooting. The sad thing is they are on tour with a Canadian.. maybe he could have filled them in but then again it is Dallas Smith he’s on their level in so many ways he probably could have said something equally as stupid. I thought the comment about what song they would dedicate was pretty hilarious because once again, they have nothing but party songs and considering this tragedy happened at A PARTY might be a little hashtag “too soon”.
April 18, 2014 @ 3:44 pm
I for one am willing to give Tyler Hubbard the benefit of the doubt here, in spite of how livid I am over their so-called “music”.
I believe, based on the provided syntax and the fact they readily responded after their remarks received scrutiny, evinces genuine concern and awareness. I can’t get worked up over this: especially seeing how frequent touring can wear the conscious mind over time.
If instances like this become more patterned, then I’ll see greater need for concern.
April 19, 2014 @ 11:39 am
“I had the right to remain silent__but I didn’t have the ability”. Tater Salad
April 19, 2014 @ 5:12 pm
There is No Saving Grace for Florida Georgia Line from their own Self-Destructive Ignorance! How’s that for a headliner?
The PR powers that be who watch over the damage control part of these clueless ignoramuses; would of/should of/could of released a statement by now. The story broke last Tuesday, the concert was on Wednesday. I’ve read/heard squat in the form of any statement or acknowledgement from the band or their reps! As for the band’s ill attempts or posts on Facebook/Twitter with respect to covering their asses…they are unconfirmed.
As you are probably well-versed in the art of reviews; researching stories and getting the facts straight is paramount. By the way you mentioned approx 1:00 am in your post above when it happened. It was actually 12:30 am and police attended at 1:22 am. Minor details can make or break stories or something.
Reality check…
If you want proof of what Hubbard said on stage that night, forget the video/cellphone or the goods his own people have on him. (As if his own Management PR Team are going to want to release his damning statement). Ask the audience and reporter who heard it firsthand in the Saddledome that night. That should be enough evidence to go on, don’t ya think?
@Trigger…I want to address your comments below.
“If it was my review, I probably would have taken a different angle on this (and used proper syntax for album names and song titles), but at the same time, I cannot walk a mile in a Calgary journalist”™s shoes in the aftermath of this tragedy, and am not going to fault anyone for being emotionally distraught and potentially overly sensitive in this situation.”
Thankfully this wasn’t your review to put a spin on! I can breathe a huge sigh of relief and rest assured that Mike Bell, reporter from the Calgary Herald, showed his human side. There was no public endorsement or traditional music review of FGL, because they messed up in the worst way possible, in front of hundreds of witnesses. Is the point of his review being missed? The man deliberately chose not to give a critical perspective of their music or show’s performance for justifiable reason. He did it his way and flipped them the bird pretty much for their callousness, or if you prefer stupidity.
Don’t fret about walking a mile in this reporter’s shoes he used his better judgement and did the right thing. Try walking a mile in the shoes of the families, friends, whole community where these lives were lost.
I would like to hear their perspective on the “overly sensitive” part of the equation and take on the band’s statement. That’s right they are too busy mourning, grieving, and coming to terms with their devastating life altering loss. Also, awfully sporting of you not to fault anyone for being emotionally distraught or overly sensitive with respect to this recent tragedy. (As she rolls her eyes).
Seriously…
You would “use proper syntax for album names and titles” in the wake of the worst mass murder to hit Northwest Brentwood in Calgary! Five innocent lives were snuffed out in a senseless horrific way and you would worry more about an accurate account of albums, titles etc for undeserving morons. Tell me you’re joking!
What is wrong with this picture? Since when did reporting a story the way it actually went down with raw emotion have to take a back seat? Bell showed cojones to tell it like it happened in his column…you could learn a thing or two from him. He put his music reporting skills on the back burner for the bigger picture. This reporter gave the band actually what they deserved in their write up, nothing.
Hello…this whole tragic story has received such a widespread public backlash, because the news is too raw, too painful, and too horrific. Come on…really…the following day after the incident. You yourself mentioned all the texts and how huge this is in Calgary.
It was deemed sensitive material as soon as this moronic duo opened up their mouths and threw it out there for public consumption in such a flippant disrespectful manner! If FGL did not have the wherewithal to educate themselves on what transpired, they should have kept their mouths shut! End of story then we wouldn’t have anything to bitch about where these uninformed idiots were concerned. Instead we could critique their cookie-cutter country style of music that makes me want to vomit!
What I hope people will bring away from this…
these “Florida Georgia Clueless Creeps” didn’t show an ounce of remorse for the afflicted families and displayed total disregard for their sensibilities. Five innocent lives were lost in a tragedy that sent shock waves through Calgary and beyond.
The public will remember the negative spin the band managed to put on their own concert, instead of the focus being on their music. Nothing like bad press – to fuel a bad band – that did a really bad job at an attempt at condolences.
Let’s put this in perspective these guys are douchebags and the article in the Calgary Herald promotes this, not their show, not them, not their music! Negative publicity has it’s disadvantages in the music business. Time will tell if they suffer any damaging effects, but my guess is probably not.
Now, while everyone is sitting down to enjoy Easter dinner with their loved ones…let’s think of the victims, their families, their friends and the Brentwood community and pay our respects and heartfelt condolences.
April 19, 2014 @ 7:22 pm
Annie,
We’re fighting the same fight here. I agree that Tyler Hubbard is a moron and should apologize, and certainly should have apologized by now. Obviously his PR team decided to let this carry over the Easter weekend and hope it gets swept under the rug. I think you and anyone else have every right to be as angry about this as you want, and it’s not my place or anyone else’s to judge you for that.
All I was saying is that I personally see the difference in something done with malicious intent, and something done because someone is a dunce. I also think that if the writer of the non review had used better syntax, it would have strengthened his message. This is something I have learned over the years here on this site, fighting some very public battles against Florida Georgia Line, and their parent label, Big Machine Records, and the label’s owner, the Country Music Anti-Christ Scott Borchetta. All that said, I appreciate the stand taken in the non review, and I’m glad he and his newspaper had the guts to post it.
April 19, 2014 @ 9:52 pm
Watch any of our awards shows and they’re dopes, knotheads. They blather on about themselves and say nothing.
We love Canadians. We respect your peaceful way of life.
This is a tragedy of the worst kind. May you find comfort in one another.
God Bless the families and soothe their broken hearts.
April 19, 2014 @ 11:38 pm
Is that lame ass song really what they sent out to the victims?
They get more moronic each day!
April 20, 2014 @ 12:06 pm
Trigger,
I already concluded you were on the right side, but wanted to address your emotionally distraught and overly sensitive comments on SCM. When senseless carnage of this magnitude hits and devastates so many lives; it’s hard not to become emotionally invested or remain detached.
Journalist Mike Bell deliberately chose to nix syntax to get his message across, because he deemed it unnecessary. His non-review was loud and clear in substance and a fitting tribute to FGL given the circumstances.
The fact that these rednecks have not come forward to release an official statement, speaks volumes and only adds more fuel to this discussion. Only Hubbard can answer if his statement was maligned with malicious intent or he is really a slow-witted dunce.
As for the apology…may be a little late. It doesn’t take rocket science to formulate something to the press. I’m of the opinion, if the band had noble intentions they would have come forward by now. Hubbard should be able to articulate a genuine or sincere we are sorry. In the event he is that inept, hire someone with intellectual common sense to write the script.
Actually, I don’t totally buy into Tyler’s too stupid to realize the harm he’s inflicted by his remarks. He knew when he hit that Calgary stage something happened the night before. He just didn’t have the presence of mind to take the time to actually know the details of how this tragic story unfolded. His people should have been all over that!
Part of any band’s responsibility when playing venues is first – know what town you are in and second – try to connect on a positive level with your audience. If the frontman sucks big time at casual banter in between songs, work on it and improve or hone your skills. FGL should not be granted a free pass for crossing the line based solely on their stupidity. There needs to be some closure and accountability, they owe it to their fans.
Obviously, the right thing for the band to have done in this scenario – would have been to issue an immediate public apology. Failing to do so, makes these jackasses look undeniably guilty and totally remorseless for their actions.
Here’s a thought…
While FGL are enjoying the company of loved ones this Easter weekend, maybe they can collectively come up with a mother of all apologies to run in the media.
Happy Easter to you! I’m done wasting my precious time debating this topic further.
April 20, 2014 @ 12:38 pm
Happy Easter. I think your comments hit the nail on the head.
If you stumble and bumble around, from venue to venue_it won’t be long before the “fans” decide to spend their hard earned money elsewhere.
April 20, 2014 @ 5:48 pm
And on a totally unrelated topic, I read from other sites that another bro country dumbass, Jerrod Niemann, has a single called Donkey. The standards are getting lower and lower and lower…..
April 21, 2014 @ 5:29 am
I do not listen to anything coming out of any artist’s mouth other than singing. The genes that make a ‘good’ artist never coincide with intelligence.
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April 21, 2014 @ 1:32 pm
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June 28, 2014 @ 5:11 pm
For god sake ! Get off Tyler’s hot ass, already! DAMN!
All the man tried to do was offer his condolences to the citizens of Calgary,So, he misspoke big fucking deal! I am batshit crazy about Tyler and I love FGL! Be greatful that so, eone took the time to acknowledge and honor the victims of this horrible tragedy!
In my opinion, the greatest product of Canada is the Hart wrestling family! Love me some Tyler Hubbard! Come to Kansas City, baby! Missouri is the Show Me State, so show me something, Mr. Hubbard! ‘Nuff said!