Richard Rawlings Says David Allan Coe Tried To Extort Club
Outlaw country music legend David Allan Coe was scheduled to play at the Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill in Dallas, TX on Wednesday night (7-2), but a dispute between Coe and the venue forced a cancellation of the show. The venue, located just north and east of downtown and owned by Discovery Channel personality Richard Rawlings claims that the singer and/or a member of his camp attempted to extort them. “We are sorry to all the disappointed Gas Monkey fans that came out to see Mr. David Allan Coe,” The venue said in a statement. “We did everything in our power to try and make the show happen! Unfortunately not everyone in our industry operates honestly. Refunds will be made available to all the fans that purchased tickets to tonight’s show through Ticketfly. We look forward to seeing all of you at GMBG soon!!!”
Richard Rawlings of the Gas Monkey Garage and the Discovery Channel’s Fast N’ Loud show apologized to patrons about the incident. “I just heard that David Allan Coe bailed on his fans tonight and canceled his show at Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill. First of all, I want to apologize to all the fans who were let down tonight. Long story short, he tried to extort us for extra money up front to “perform outside” despite the fact that that wasn’t in our contract. A member of his camp HIGHLY disrespected Alex, the GM at the Bar N’ Grill, and we don’t stand for that. I hope David Allan Coe realizes that his fans are the reason he’s as popular as he is. Sorry again and I hope you enjoy your night at the Bar N’ Grill despite that!”
This is not the first time recently that a venue has complained that David Allan Coe has held up a show and demanded more than he was contractually obligated to receive. On June 12th at a show at Mojoes in Joliet, IL near Chicago, patrons and management said that David Allan Coe refused to play until an amount higher than originally agreed upon was received, and hot meals were served to him and his crew. The demands resulted in the show starting three hours later than advertised. The police were called to manage the dispute between Coe and the venue, as well as the angry fans that were demanding refunds. Patrons who purchased $70 meet-and-greet packages were left in a lurch, and once Coe did finally take the stage, he played for only 30 minutes according to attendees.
READ: Look, This is the Deal with David Allan Coe (An Editorial)
Saving Country Music has reached out to David Allan Coe’s management for a statement on the accusations, but none was received by the time of this post. If one is made or received, it will be posted here.
July 3, 2014 @ 3:39 am
What a piece of shit. Never understood everyone thinking DAC is so great. His music(as a whole) is average at best and he’s a major asshole.
July 3, 2014 @ 3:50 pm
Be careful, them’s fightin’ words around here. We’re only allowed to criticize modern country artists for this type of behavior. If you start doing it to a legacy act the double standards start pouring out 😛 . When it comes to DAC, you’re supposed to “respect” him for this crap.
July 13, 2016 @ 8:26 pm
Bull shit. His behaviors point to those commonly portrayed by extortionist ….standards in society have “slide down hill” so fast I don’t know what anyone thinks is fair anymore.
March 26, 2017 @ 6:30 pm
Richard should admire him if he stuck it to him .look Ricky rawlins stuck it to street outlaws making a challenge then hiring a professional race team to compete against them what a vagina.hope he’s wearing his kotex when chief waxes their asses
May 25, 2024 @ 2:10 pm
Du auch…. Geh nach Heino… Die finden immer statt…
July 3, 2014 @ 3:55 am
I love David’s voice, and I love his songs. I guess if you were to make a list of the most underrated singers, and songwriters in Country music history, he’d be dang near the top of both those lists. Can you imagine the career he would’ve had, and how he’d be perceived now, if he wasn’t such a weirdo?
I’ve seen him twice. Those were the 2 worst concerts I’ve ever been to. They were both 30-45 minutes. They hadn’t done a soundcheck. He was cussing his band. And he hardly did any of his own songs. He mostly sang covers, and when he did do his own stuff, he either changed the lyrics or strung the songs together like a medley. Both of these shows were before he was really old, so age wasn’t an excuse.
He fooled me twice; shame on me. I haven’t seen him since though, and I never will again.
July 3, 2014 @ 9:19 am
When I was playing for *name withheld* and we opened for DAC in Ft Worth, the show was an utter nightmare. Three guitar players, with DAC on a barstool plinking away on a Dean guitar and full Marshall stack, no bass player, steel player. The whole thing was one big medley since he never finished an entire song. Complete contempt for the audience.
July 3, 2014 @ 10:12 pm
Have to agree. I’ve seen tons of concerts and DAC was hands down the worst. The two people I went with had enough and left in the middle of the show. I chalked it up to being his first show after the car accident, but it sounds like he’s just mailing it in now (and maybe always has).
March 27, 2017 @ 9:03 pm
Chief shouldn’t worry about getting beaten more than getting run into and taken out by a pro stock driver driving without training wheels.that dude has no clue how to pedal a dragster
December 13, 2022 @ 4:48 pm
Every month or so we get a visit from big bad David Alan Coe. He comes to town to fight the system. Double parks on music row : Waylon Jennings
July 3, 2014 @ 5:32 am
He’s a crazy old bastard that thinks his work is so important that he can get away with that stuff. All the while more prolific and important artists like Haggard are out working their asses off to put shows on for their fans.
July 3, 2014 @ 6:38 am
I’ve seen Hag twice too, and both shows were the epitome of professionalism. I agree with you that Merle is much more important, but I’m of the opinion that David is Merle’s equal in terms of raw talent. The man had a beautiful voice in his prime, along with being a brilliant songwriter. It’s a dad gum shame that he had to be so strange. I think he could’ve gone down in history as a 1st tier Country legend.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:46 am
I agree DAC had tons of raw talent, and could of really been one of the greats had it not been for his issues. It would be really interesting to see where he could of ended up had he not been such a headcase.
July 3, 2014 @ 12:40 pm
I like a lot of DAC’s work & it’s too bad he didn’t end up with a better career because he did have talent for sure.
But, come on man, he couldn’t carry Merle’s guitar case.
July 3, 2014 @ 3:20 pm
You are right Coe’s life doesn’t even come close to comparing to the Hags legacy. I don’t think anybody was saying that Coe was as good as Merle though. Many people can have raw talent. It’s how they harness that talent that separates them. Merle Haggard is at least one of the top 5 greatest country songwriters of all time in my book. Hell, he might even be second…Hank obviously being number 1.
July 3, 2014 @ 6:10 pm
Yessir, I was referring more to what Clint said
Above …. “but I”™m of the opinion that David is Merle”™s equal in terms of raw talent”
Merle is Easily top 5 & I could even argue for
#1 considering his voice, the number of hits he write, him
Being a great songwriter, plays guitar & fiddle …
All I’m sayin is Merle is great… My favourite of all of them 🙂
July 4, 2014 @ 1:00 am
My point is Lance, that I believe they both were born with equal talent, but Hag made the most of his, and David has been the biggest hindrance to his own success.
I like Hag better too, that’s my personal preference. But I still believe that David had an equally beautiful and expressive voice, and if you listen to his music, you’ll find tons of great songs that might have been a lot bigger had he not been a stone cold lunatic.
Saying somebody couldn’t carry someone else’s guitar case is usually a gross exaggeration, as it is here.
July 4, 2014 @ 1:00 pm
Agreed Clint , David was his own worst enemy and it’s unfortunate.
I’m a big fan of DAC’S music so don’t get me wrong, but there isn’t a snowballs chance in Haiti that he’s on par with Merle. You just can’t compare Hags accomplishments over David’s and as much as David had a good voice & wrote some great tunes, Merle’s talent is greater and that’s what I’m trying to say.
Hell, I’d hate to even see DAC try to even Lift Merle’s empty guitar case today 😉
July 4, 2014 @ 10:05 pm
I love the Hag, but the show I saw with him was BAD. The sound was terrible, Merle looked like he didn’t want to be there, and musically, it wasn’t his finest moment. This was a show in a large venue (Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), and myself and those I attended with expected MUCH better….in fact, we walked out. Yes, walked out of a Merle Haggard show. Merle is a legend, and I waited years to see him, but I was sorely disappointed. And pissed off the show was the shits. I’m still a huge fan, as I have been for years, but I’m convinced it was an off night, and the sound rig he had wasn’t up to par for the venue.
That being said, his merch staff went above and beyond. We had bought shirts and other merch earlier on in the evening, and when they saw we were obviously pissed, leaving the venue, they actually gave us free CDs and offered their apologies about our poor experience. Classy move, and I totally agree with the poster that said they were professional. I felt bad for them trying to justify the poor performance Merle and co. put on. It was also not just us that were choked about Merle’s performance; several people around us were like, “What the hell?”. Really sad, but I chalked it up, like I said, to an off night. Being a fan, I would probably go see him at a smaller, more intimate venue. He’d be awesome there.
I also like DAC’s music, but from all I’ve read here, not a chance I’d go see him. Anyone with this much contempt for his fans deserves to be playing to 10 people every night. I also agree that he can’t hold a candle to Merle, talent wise. Merle is one of the greatest American artists ever. DAC was good at one time, but clearly doesn’t care nowadays, and that’s a shame. Rewarding him for mediocrity by attending his shows nowadays is not my idea of supporting the artist. If he gave his fans half as much respect as they (misguidedly, it seems) give him, he’d be a lot better off and have a much better reputation.
Another show I saw from someone I really respected that was a huge letdown was Dwight Yoakam. Again, the sound was terrible, Dwight came out on stage, rolled his eyes at the band, and launched, trudgingly, through a mediocre set. So disappointing.
My point at the end of all of this is that artists, even ones we respect, sometimes don’t give the fans a good, or even passable show. Everyone’s entitled to an off night, even though it sucks when you’ve paid hard earned dollars for a show and merch, but it’s a fact of show biz life. I can live with a bad show here and there, but when the shows are consistently bad, the performers act like asshats (DAC), and they don’t honour things like meet and greets with fans on a regular basis, there’s an issue.
Plain and simple, promoters need to spread the word that DAC is not a reliable act. Yeah, it’s not cool, but neither is what he does to promoters and venue owners, either.
May 25, 2020 @ 8:12 am
Are you nuts no one will ever equal the hag he was one of the best writters since Hank sr he had a voice unmatched by anyone other than 2 of his sons he started out a heathen and corrected his life so he was a success story I no everyone has fav but the hag like him or not was one of the top 5 ever to hit a note period
July 3, 2014 @ 5:34 am
Worked security for a DAC show about 10 years ago. My sole responsibility was to make sure he got from the tour bus to the stage, and back. Then, provide stand-by during the meet and greet. David is out there all right, and the show sucked. Lost all respect for him that night. He’s a pompous ass, and so was his road manager, he was talking to the band like they were dirt.
July 3, 2014 @ 5:38 am
Why anyone still goes to see this guy anymore is a mystery, he quit even trying to put on a good show 20-25 yrs ago, and when he does play more than 30-45 minutes its usually a longwinded extended melody where he plays about a minute of every song he ever wrote. You’d think a guy who lost most of his income (publishing) in his 1990’s bankruptcy and mainly relies on touring for his $ would act/try better when he plays…as when the concerts dry up he’s FUCKKKEDDDD….
July 3, 2014 @ 6:23 am
I wish I could say that he’s suffering from dementia or something due to his age but he pulled the same stunt at a show I had tickets for in the mid-90s.
One only needs to watch his Midnight Blue interview on You Tube to get an idea of how crazy he is.
July 4, 2014 @ 4:45 am
I just watched that Midnight Blue interview on YouTube. It really is pretty jaw dropping. DAC has always been a loon.
Still love “The Ride” though.
July 3, 2014 @ 7:29 am
DAC is insane. Seriously out of his mind.
But that wig has ol’ Bigfoot hot and bothered!!! Reminds of a cute lil’ susquatch I used to date up in Montana. She’s the one who orignally named me “Bigfoot” (if you catch my drift).
July 3, 2014 @ 7:33 am
I still love his music and always will. Instances like this (piled on top of tales I’ve heard my whole life) as well as the more recent “everybody quit me, ‘cept my wife” just make it that much harder for me to deny that the guy is the very epitome of a world-class shit. At this point in his career, I would think that he would be trying to leave a better name for himself. The “old asshole” routine was tired a decade ago.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:23 am
low talent outlaw wantabe cling-on to the coat tails of the real outlaws. always has been always will be. As the song says.. “Fights the system by double parking on music row”. waste of money to see him anyway.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:33 am
As a fan who tries to not let backstage antics, political opinions or anything an artist does off stage effect how I enjoy their music, David Allan Coe is pushing that envelope and putting it to a test. I consider some of his songs to be among my favorites, and I wish his back catalog of songs beyond the hits was more easily accessible sometimes (some albums are downright impossible to get). He’s at least made it where I will never seek out the chance to see him live and I would caution any club owners against booking him at a venue. I still love his music, but I find it harder every time the more I hear about the things he does. He ruins his legacy the further he goes on like this.
July 3, 2014 @ 10:29 am
I still love much of David Allan Coe’s music, and this side of going on a murderous rampage, there’s nothing he could do to ever change that, and I don’t see why it should. If you’re a David Allan Coe fan, you know what you’re getting into. Of course, he’s a complete piece of shit for trying to extort people if these accounts are true (and there’s no reason to think they’re not), along with the dozens of other things he’s done in the past. But I see a clear delineation between the music, and the man.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:42 am
I guess I just don’t understand renegotiating contracts.
If you wanted $5,000 for a job, and agreed to $2,500, then you do the job for $2,500. You don’t then change your mind after signing.
I’m more likely to pay that $5,000 if you ask for it, instead of stiffing me on the job in the first place to hold out for more money.
Whether it’s lawn mowing, sports, or playing a show, if you agreed to the terms, you stick to the terms. Anything less is just a slimy move, no matter which side of the contract you’re on.
July 3, 2014 @ 10:45 am
I agree completely. A deal is a deal. However, I read one of DAC’s autobiographies (I think there at least three) and he said that he is very firm about what he asks for when he books a show. He doesn’t like to play outside and wants the room a certain temperature, the lights a certain way,etc. Lots of artists have idiosyncrasies and outlandish demands and I don’t think Coe is any different. There was a list floating around I saw where it showed the outrageous demands that Axl Rose, Prince, David Bowie, etc. make to each venue they play. They went way beyond what Coe asks for, obviously they play bigger venues, have more clout, and are even bigger assholes than he is…. If Coe never agreed to play outside and showed up and they wanted him to play outside, I can see where he might be pissed. I think Coe is mean old son of a bitch and ornery as all get out, but there could be at least some reasons he was pissed. I have seen him a half dozen times. A couple were good, a couple were bad, but he is definitely unique. No two shows are the same and it certainly isn’t a bland rendition of his hits as they sounded on the radio.
July 3, 2014 @ 1:16 pm
That’s another thing I’ve never understood. This idea that musicians get their every whim catered to.
Hey! DAC! You get to play music for a living! Perhaps tone that ego down a bit and realize you’re damn lucky to not have to do manual labor like the majority of your audience. The audience that has to bust ass to pay the ticket price just to be disappointed because you decided it’s too hot to play a guitar.
Musicians, actors, athletes…. somewhere along the lines so many of them have forgotten what a privilege it is to live in a country that allows so many individuals to do these things.
Shame on DAC, and his “I’m owed” attitude. And furthermore, shame on the industry that allows that attitude to flourish.
July 3, 2014 @ 1:51 pm
RD,
Couple of things.
Just for the record, I have reached out to DAC’s people, and through numerous channels trying to get a statement so that we have his side of the story, and so has The Dallas Observer to no avail. If it was an issue with it being an outdoor venue and somehow the contract did not stipulate that to Coe, then they need to communicate that to people. Coe can demand whatever stipulations he wishes, and if the venue doesn’t want to adhere to them, then they shouldn’t book him. But it must have been known to all parties it was an outdoor venue, and if that wasn’t iterated to Coe, this would be on whomever booked the show, not the venue. It’s not like the venue has a choice. If there stage is outdoors, then that is what it is and there’s nothing they can do to change that. He can demand to play indoors, but if they don’t have the facility, what good is the demand? And demanding twice the pay to play outside, especially if it was a booking issue and not a venue issue, is once again being unfair to the venue.
Also I want to point out that the two incidences above is not where this problem ends. I’ve been hearing from numerous people over that past few weeks especially that this has been happening. I had been sitting on the info about Mojoes for 3 weeks when this story became a big deal in Dallas last night. My concern is that whether Coe’s on-site management thinks all the venues are trying to screw him so they will screw them back first, or there is a concerted effort to extort venues by adding new stipulations 5 minutes before showtime, this specific issue is a recurring problem that needs to be addressed, or Coe’s not going to be playing shows for much longer.
All that said, there’s two sides to every story, and I’d love to tell DAC’s as well.
Also, I personally refuse to write ANY articles without a bowl of only green M&M’s at my side, and a packet of gummi bears warmed in a mother’s pocket. So I’m not one to judge weird rider requests.
July 3, 2014 @ 2:01 pm
Trig,
Its my understanding that the venue has both an outdoor and an indoor stage.
July 3, 2014 @ 4:04 pm
Well that’s an interesting piece of info, though I’m not sure it really changes much. If the venue inside is much smaller, had another band booked to play there, or for some other reason wouldn’t work, then it may not be DAC’s place to demand that’s where he plays. They sold tickets as an outside show, and like with all shows with guaranteed money, there was a contract signed between the two parties. If the venue did not let them know it was outside, then it’s on the venue. But I can’t imagine a big, professional venue not disclosing that at some point. But hey, maybe it was the venue’s mistake. I’d love to hear DAC’s side.
July 3, 2014 @ 2:14 pm
So there I am, in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, at about 3 o’clock in the morning, looking for one thousand brown M&Ms to fill a brandy glass, or Ozzy wouldn’t go on stage that night.
So, Jeff Beck pops his head ’round the door, and mentions there’s a little sweets shop on the edge of town. So – we go. And – it’s closed.
So there’s me, and Keith Moon, and David Crosby, breaking into that little sweets shop, eh. Well, instead of a guard dog, they’ve got this bloody great big Bengal tiger. I managed to take out the tiger with a can of mace, but the shopowner and his son… that’s a different story altogether. I had to beat them to death with their own shoes. Nasty business, really.
But, sure enough, I got the M&Ms, and Ozzy went on stage and did a great show.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:50 am
Look promotors should be well aware of the risk involved in booking DAC. Why they continue to is a mystery. Having been in the promotors show once upon a time and as big of a fan of DAC’s music and I always will be. I would not have even considered booking him. I have seen DAC put on amazing shows and God awful ones. With DAC you just never know. If you hapen to be in Fort Worth Texas when DAC is booked at Billy Bobs, usually once or twice a year, go. DAC, for some reason seems to be at his best in that venue.
July 4, 2014 @ 10:16 pm
I’m guessing because they’ll show him the door if he tries any bullshit with them.
Billy Bob’s seems like a pretty important venue; I don’t think artists would want to close the door on playing there because of nonsense.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:53 am
Been a fan for 40 years. Seen him 25+ times. Some shows great some not so. In his day he had great vocal range and he is a great songwriter. Now he refuses to play his songs has the music so loud it drowns out the lyrics, which I think is due to the fact that his vocal ability is not very good any more. ABout 7rears ago he played the Mony Bleu in Tahoe and he rocked the place. Since then I’ve seen him 3 times all terrible.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:58 am
Its DAC one of the original outlaw singers who is now old and cranky. What do you expect.
July 3, 2014 @ 10:39 am
Yeah, that’s why Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Johnny Bush, Steve Young, and pretty much every other living true Outlaw country singer are complete assholes to their fans, and regularly attempt to extort venues for more money mere minutes before they’re supposed to take the stage, screwing hundreds of fans out of their good time, many which have driven hours to see him, lined up babysitters, taken off of work, and spent their hard-earned cash on a ticket. Imagine if you were in the crowd last night, or up in Illinois, had driven a long way to get there to stand in front of a stage for three hours just to be let down.
There is never an excuse to extort, or attempt to extort anybody. I don’t give a shit how good your music is. And because some people attempt to put David Allan Coe on a pedestal because of this type of behavior is the reason it continues. He is destroying his own legacy, and as a fan, you should want this behavior to stop more than anyone.
July 3, 2014 @ 9:18 pm
Since when is Johnny Bush considered an outlaw?
July 3, 2014 @ 9:19 pm
Just saying, there’s plenty of older country artists that could play the crotchety old performer card and don’t.
And the reason I mentioned Johnny Bush is because you can never mention Johnny Bush enough.
July 3, 2014 @ 9:22 pm
“you can never mention Johnny Bush enough.”
Amen to that.
July 4, 2014 @ 10:18 pm
Agreed. Johnny Bush could fart and it would sound better than a DAC show.
July 3, 2014 @ 8:58 am
Oh great, I’ve got tickets to his show tonight down here in Bossier City. Hope he doesn’t pull the same stunt
July 3, 2014 @ 9:31 am
Might as well role the dice and see what happens maybe you will get lucky and it will be a good to decent night for DAC.He loves to gamble and he will be surrounded by casino’s so maybe he will be in a decent mood. He is staying close to the DFW area must be playing Willies picnic tomorrow.
July 3, 2014 @ 9:01 am
Sorry to hear this. I’m a fan of DAC but when he played in Reading,Pa in May it was a mess. A guy I know (huge DAC fan) told me that the show was over early because DAC walked off stage after a drunk woman flipped him off!
I’ve seen him five times since 2000. Last summer was the best because he played great set and I got to meet him before the show. The worst part was Kim because she took the DAC photo I had purchased and made me put a post it note on it saying “To Joe”(my name). Before I handed it to DAC I removed the note and he just signed his name like I wanted. Kim saw this and immediately yanked the photo out of DAC’s hand and quickly scribbled “To Joe” above DAC’s signature, then handed it back to me. I guess she thought I’m going to sell it or something
.
July 3, 2014 @ 9:19 am
” I guess she thought I”™m going to sell it or something.”
That is exactly why she took it. I’ve seen people show up with binders full of photos and armloads of records wanting them signed by the artist.
July 3, 2014 @ 7:40 pm
I totally understand that. Autograph dealers suck. I gave her $60 for one 8×10 photo.
July 3, 2014 @ 11:12 am
Never was a big fan, though I like some of his stuff, and have a couple of compilation albums. But I did go see him a few months ago. Figured it might be the last chance. It was not a good show. He is a sad caricature of himself. But compared to some of the reports above, at least he started pretty close to on time, though he only played about an hour 15. He didn’t play one song all the way through. It was more like a medley of hits and other country favorites.
Contrast that with the Willie show I saw a couple of months ago. It took him a couple songs to warm up (too much toke, or arthritis, I’m not sure) but once he warmed up it was a great show. And he chatted with the audience, engaged them, played for them, not to them. Thoroughly enjoyable. So you can’t always blame it on age (senility maybe, but not age)
July 3, 2014 @ 2:47 pm
DAC is my favorite country singer-songwriter ever and possibly my favorite artist of all musical genres combined.
And I don’t care whether he is a racist, homophobe, etc. – that’s his business.
But I have no respect for an artist who gigs his devoted fans and DAC has been doing that for way too many years.
At this point, though, he’s not worth the price of admission or the hassle of going to a show.
It’s too bad, because he can put on a good show if he wants and his fans, including me, would drive to the end of the earth to hear him.
Jimmy Buffett is worth hundreds of millions of bucks and he hasn’t forgotten his fans.
Nor has Bocephus, who, irrespective of whether you like him, is quite a showman.
If I were as broke as DAC, I would be playing my heart out.
He likes to threaten to leave the stage if conditions (i.e. the temperature) aren’t just to his liking.
He needs to play to some empty shows and learn what it’s like to have no fans.
July 4, 2014 @ 4:51 am
I saw a show years ago. It was an act that was comprised of twin sisters. My friends just raved about them and convinced me to buy tickets to a show.
When I got there, it was really nothing at all like what my friends had described. The girls were lethargic, had no energy, barely even acknowledged the crowd at all.
I seriously thought the hype machine just ran wild and I got swept up into it.
Then about halfway through the set, the girls apologized to the crowd, and admitted to being in “Day #2 of the flu.” They finished their 2 hour gig, (even did one encore song) and my respect for them went through the friggin’ roof.
Some acts get it. Some acts don’t. These girls will always have my respect, just for that show.
July 3, 2014 @ 7:57 pm
In response to my earlier post about seeing DAC, just got out of his show here in Bossier City and it was great. I know its a mixed bag in paying to see his show, because the last one i saw wasnt that great, but he made up for it this time. Full band with drums, guitar, and a keyboardist. He even played You Never Even Called Me By My Name, which apparently is somewhat of a rarity. Only lowlight was Kim, screeching into a microphone and convulsing with a tambourine in her hand. Otherwise, played some great songs, told some great stories. Dont give up on seeing the legend
July 3, 2014 @ 10:18 pm
So here’s a question — Was he always like this? Or did something happen to him along the way that turned him into what could, arguably, be referred to as a bitter old man?
July 4, 2014 @ 3:28 pm
Glad to hear that, Jonathon. I’m glad he still has it in him to put on a good show. My live experience with him was a positive one, despite the band lineup that night and it being obvious that he was under the weather. You could still tell he was doing his best to give a good performance. HeyDay, as far as I know, from everything I gather, he’s always been eccentric. A profoundly complex oddball of a man with a fiery temper and a serious take-no-shit attitude. Chest-beating has always been a part of his Schtick while he can also move you to tears on a dime. What Waylon had to say about him in his autobiography was worth reading the book alone. I’ve also known other musicians who always seem to have stories about the man and his behavior. I’m still not judging the guy. Those stories are awesome and hilarious.
July 4, 2014 @ 4:58 pm
You kind of have to get an understanding of this type of stuff when you see the venues that he plays compared to the ones that George Jones used to play. Big difference. DAC wrote some awesome tunes, but there is a reason why he plays some random shithole bars and yet he has such a strong songwriting legacy. It’s a shame. If the dude was easy to work with and played properly, he could probably be making a shitton more money and would have a lot of more reputable folks backing him up.
July 4, 2014 @ 6:53 pm
I love DAC’s vintage music, but at least I know not to go if he ever gives a concert near me (in NYC).
Seems to me that when an artist is old and his voice is mostly shot, if he wants to keep giving concerts, then he should at least treat everybody right. You can go to a Merle or Willie or Tony Bennett concert and enjoy it and even suspend disbelief and feel like they’re still hitting the notes.
But if the guy’s got a chip on his shoulder, like DAC, what’s the use?
July 5, 2014 @ 6:53 am
Might get to see him this month, in huge downtown Granby, MO., on a bill that includes a bunch of local rock/country/metal/hip-hop/electronic acts too. We’ll see if he shows up. He was supposed to play in Carthage, MO a couple months ago, but that show got cancelled for some reason too. I don’t expect much, or even for him to show up really, but what the hell, it’s a $10 ticket so I’ll take the chance.
July 5, 2014 @ 4:50 pm
Saw him play twenty years ago in Chicago. Most cops I’ve ever seen in my life at a show,due to chapters of both the Angels and Outlaws showing up to the show. Met his nephew(whose group Pimpadelic, were hick-hop before anyone else) five years after that, and asked him if it’s true DAC is tattooed everywhere, including his taint. He said yes, he’s shown all of them to his family.Food for thought.Only way I’d ever seem him again is if he agreed to play the ‘Adults Only” tape front to back.Minus the N****r Lover song, of course.
August 6, 2014 @ 1:04 pm
I had an opportunity to open for Mr. Coe in 1988 and again in 1989 at Westport Playhouse in St. Louis. The first show, in 1988 was completely awesome and I must say he was on top of his game. He came out on stage and sang with me during my opening performance. The crowd ate it up, as did I. about a year later, he was scheduled back and he asked for myself and band to open for him again. This time, a totally different man.. He was rude to everyone who was around him. Security, sound techs, roadies, etc. He was dressed in a total feathered outfit that made him look like some sort of sick chicken. He went off on our management because as we left the stage, the crowd continued to applaud and it was our job to clear the stage as soon as possible for his people. They somehow thought we were going back for an oncore and freaked out… Then, he brought his entire family out on stage and put them in chairs right in front of himself and his band. 12-14 of them. The entire show was sung to them. He never looked past his family and I watched many folks get up and leave. From one great performance to one of the worst I’d ever witnessed. The St. Louis Post Dispatch gave us a great revue the following day and gave Mr. Coe a “what the hell was that” revue. As a fan of Mr. Coe, I was very disappointed but honored to have the opportunity.
January 3, 2015 @ 3:03 pm
DAC is just a washed up drunk! Seen him a few years back and he could barely stand
Along with after every song he would take a shot of whiskey.
Mentioning how he demanded more money from GMBG….I also went to see him at another venue upon arrival there was a sign on the door stating ” David Allen Coe will not be performing tonight, thanks management”. Let’s face it….DAC is done!
January 11, 2015 @ 9:24 pm
Richard….You are as big a jerk as David! You disappointed numerous fans in Cincinnati yesterday. People who shelled out 13 dollars to see you!
The Shameful thing is you canceled 1 hour before your show time!
The Line was 4 hours long! Imagine that! to see a self absorbed dirtbag!
Ironic huh!
February 24, 2015 @ 8:45 pm
Always 2 sides to every story but DAC has a history for using these bs tactics. He seems to forget his fans are the ones who put him in the position to be able to tour the country and put on shows. From day one he used the create drama and controversy ploy to bring in free publicity . It was a wise move and it did help to boost his career but this deal with trying to fuck over people who shoot straight with you tends to bite you in the ass eventually.
DAC once rolled up in his tour bus unannounced to a large biker rally in the southeast and offered a low ball price to do a show but the promoter had dealt with him in the past and it was a quick “thanks but no thanks” He is a talented singer -songwriter but I agree with what Waylon Jennings said in his book about a conversation he had with DAC. Waylon didn’t agree with some of his gimmicks for self promotion and basically told him (after DAC insulted him in several interviews) if a man has to go around always talking about what a bad ass he is he must not be too bad because if he was he wouldn’t need to say it. DAC has made endless wild claims that were later PROVED to be complete bs. I can take that with a grain of salt, IT’S SHOWBUSINESS ! But when he leaves me holding a worthless ticket because he couldn’t screw over the business ,he did it two times. The first time and the last time. If he tried what they claimed with the $$ and they gave in and paid him they would have opened the door for everyone to try it. As for his music I can take it or leave it now.
June 16, 2016 @ 6:54 am
Having years of first hand experience while working for DAC, I can offer some possibilities as to why he did not play this show–but they are only guesses. Perhaps management sold more tickets than they originally expected and decided to move the show outside in order to sell more tickets. If that is the case they should have offered more money to the artist, in my opinion. DAC has always stubbled to perform under certain conditions( air conditiong being one) even tho I always thought it was in his mind. His management is Miss Kim and she will is so tight with money that she squeaks when she walks,and I doubt that Dac had any knowledge of what happened. She is a money grubber and is ruining DAC
June 10, 2021 @ 10:03 am
He pulled the same crap at a concert here in Tallahassee years ago. Extorted venue owner for more money than agreed or he would not get off the bus. I remember he ended the concert with “Good night and F#$K You”. Never again.
October 6, 2023 @ 1:20 pm
There are Hank,Hag and a HUGE battle for a distant third. (Which doesn’t mean a lot of these guys and gals aren’t great;just that Mssrs. Williams and Haggard are on Country music’s Mount Rushmore .) Were Country Music Organized Baseball,DAC would be a Triple A player compared to the Babe and the Say Hey Kid.(“The Mick”,”Teddy Ballgame” and a few other baseball Brahmins.)