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[trolley]

from NME.com
CONOR OBERST has apologised for remarks made during his set at GLASTONBURY in which fans were left offended at comments made about late DJ JOHN PEEL.

Bright Eyes were promoted to the headline slot on the John Peel stage at last weekend’s festival (June 26), after Ryan Adams pulled out due to an ear infection.

After his performance, fans started emailing NME.COM saying they were “appalled” at his attitude, with the singer allegedly making disparaging remarks about John Peel and the Make Poverty History campaign.

A reader claimed: “Some of the things he was saying concerning the Make Poverty History Campaign and John Peel were completely out of order. Being a bit cynical about some people's motives behind supporting the campaign is one thing, and is perhaps okay, but belittling the campaign which many people strongly believe in is plain wrong.

”The John Peel thing was in my opinion even worse as it was completely inexcusable. You can't slag off one of the most important people in our lives just because he didn’t play your tunes. A lot of people left the show and I think and hope he lost a lot fans that night. He lost me. It's a shame because the guy is quite possibly a genius, but also, clearly, he is a complete cock.”

In a statement issued exclusively to NME.COM the singer has offered his “sincerest apology” for his comments about Peel.

He said: “I would like to express my sincerest apology to the friends and family of Mr. Peel for anything I said during our performance at Glastonbury. I truly don’t remember much of the show but have been informed since of what I said and it was way out of line and far from my real feelings.

”I have nothing but respect for John Peel and his beautiful gift for sharing music. I never had the pleasure of meeting him but by all accounts he was an outstanding man and deserves much more respect then I showed. I am very sorry.”[/size]

Basically he got up on stage wrecked out of his face, insulted the crowd, called john peel a cokehead, slated the poverty campaign, and was just generally a complete banker. I wasn't there, but just from the stories my estimation of him has gone seriously downhill.

It's annoying that he's such an asshole because he makes good music. If he was someone like Davey Drayman, who makes crap music, he's easy to hate. But now I'm torn.

Thoughts? Feelings? Anyone know of any other good artists who are dickwads?

[Praeserpium Machinarum]

Well I suppose this proves what I said in the listening thread, the man is in need of a psychiatrist, though I suppose we should keep in mind that he might have been drunk and/or stoned. That doesn't make it okay, but just saying... Luckily most of the artists who are dicks, are also shit, though I like Death Above 1979 and they are quite definitely dicks...

[KharBevNor]

BUT, he's got balls. Which I wouldn't have expected from his music...

[trolley]

I wouldn't call it balls. Balls is when someone does something other people don't have the guts to do. Insulting the memory of John Peel just to invoke a reaction is just moronic.

[KharBevNor]

So you're saying you'd have the guts to get up on the John Peel stage and slag off John Peel?

That said, John Peel was DA MAN and Connor Oberst is a whiny little trendy cunt who'll go out of fashion...round about now!

[trolley]

So you're saying you'd have the guts to get up on the John Peel stage and slag off John Peel?

I guess not. But i'm hessitant to use "balls" or "guts" to describe someone who is doing something for the sole purpose of being an ass.

If someone turned up to a bar mitzvah and started going on about how great hitler was, i wouldn't say that person had guts. Just that they were a complete tit and didn't deserve any real respect.

Plus, he was also off his face on drugs, so any such statements can be put down to lack of inhibitions due to intoxication rather than gall.

[a pack of wolves]

Plenty of great artists have been complete shits. By all accounts both Rollins and Ginn were utter dicks (at least back in the day) but who cares, Black Flag were (and still are) bulletproof.

Calling someone a cokehead isn't that big an insult though. And Make Poverty History... well, I'm not the biggest fan.

[ASturge]

My question to you:

What the fish were you reading NME for in the first place?

just, eeuw.

eeuw

[trolley]

It wasn't me officer, I swears!
The article was borrowed and placed on another music site run by some guys local to me http://www.downinsound.co.uk [/shameless plug]


And yeah, the makepovertyhistory campaign may be a bit pants, but to insult John Peel, whilst playing the John Peel stage, just a few months after he died, is more than a tad insensitive and obnoxious.

[Kanno]

So what.  Everyone does stupid shit when they're drunk.

At least no one is pregnant.

[Keith Decent]

Oberst is a huge dick.  Back before he was hug, he asked my friend if he could do coke off her tits.  She was 14 and he knew it.

genius or not, he really is a cock.

[OtterErotic]

There's a great story about Oberst offering Thom Yorke some coke backstage after a Radiohead gig, and Thom responding with a stern look and "I don't do that and neither should you."

[will: wanton sex god]

meh, he was drunk.

[Johnny C]

I think Saddle Creek should have an intervention.

[Gryff]

While I don't think anyone should be exempt from blame for things they do because they are either (a) a rock star or (b) on drugs, I do think this is hardly a huge offense. Calling someone a coke-head is not exactly comparable to saying "Hitler was a good guy" at a bar mitzva (or anywhere for that matter).

Oberst is a young talented guy and he's made a bit of an ass of himself at a concert. So what? So he made fun of John Peel. Who cares? And he criticised a charity. Who gives?

Peel was a guy who played records (albeit very good ones) on the radio - he wasn't a saint - and Make Poverty History (not to mention all the bands that attach themselves to "causes" *cough* Coldplay *cough*) is fairly open to criticism.

Geez, the guy's only a musician. What do you expect?

[trolley]

He also insulted (read: spat at) the crowd and played a shitty set.

[Gryff]

It wouldn't be the first time someone's done that, though.

[trolley]

I'm not saying he's the most obnoxious artist to ever grace the stage, but what i'm saying is that he's proved himself to be somewhat of a fool. There had doubtlessly been fools more foolish than he previously, but that doesn't excuse such behaviour to an entire crowd of people who have stumped up that cash and are here to support you and your music.

[Gryff]

Maybe, but surely it's not that big a deal. If artists had to apologise every time they played a bad set, then the NME would have nothing but "I'm sorry" notes in its pages (which might actually make it worth reading).

In an industry where excess is accepted and even encourged, surely you've got to expect the odd drug-addled performance. Sometimes they can be gloriously ragged, other times messy. They do happen though.

[trolley]

Hmm, perhaps. It's a shame that the industry does choose to glamourise such a thing tho, when it's quite obviously anything but. The kid from my school what was found dead in his bed from a drug overdose on sunday didn't look too glamerous, so i think it's a terrible double standard to encourage performers to add glamour and a false sense of safety to such an obvious danger.

[Inlander]

It's not just what he said, it's the context.  "Cokehead" might not be the worst insult in the world, but it is derogatory - and the fact that he made the comment while performing on the John Peel stage makes it that much worse.  Context is everything.

EDIT: and holy mother-of-crap, I've just been trawling the Guardian's reportage of the festival and noticed the La's have got back together!!!

[Spike]

I don't know what it is, it may just be other peoples negativity towards bright eyes creeping into my own judgement,  but I don't like him.  This is just an addition, however small or big it may be, to reasons not to like him.

[est]

him calling someone else a cokehead sounds like a pot calling a kettle black.  from his actions it doesn't sound like he was just drunk, sounds like he was coked off his head at the time, also.

[KharBevNor]

Excuse me, But I listened to Peel's talk show, Home Truths, and let me just say, that guy was a total legend.

Plus, did he even do THAT much coke?

[trolley]

Just to clarify, Connor was jacked up on coke at the time and the exact line was something like "John Peel was a cokehead, just like me"

[loyalpeon]

Just to clarify, Connor was jacked up on coke at the time and the exact line was something like "John Peel was a cokehead, just like me"

...which is hardly a very derogatory statement, especially coming from someone who obviously has no moral qualms about cocaine use. Imagine him accusing Peel of getting plastered every night... I highly doubt anyone would have battered an eyelash at that. Plus, let's just say that makepovertyhistory deserve anything he might have said about it.

[Kanno]

Ya know what?  I think I like Conor better now that this type of thing happened.  It proves he's either drugged up out of his gourd and/or crazy.  These are the type of people who make some of the best music.  

Hell, I hope this isn't the end of Oberst's shannagans.  I hope he steals the goodyear blimp.

[KharBevNor]

There's not really anything wrong with makepovertyhistory.

Apart from, you know, the religious involvement and the bands being made with child labour.

...

Dammit, why did Pink Floyd announce they were getting back together AFTER the bidding started on Live 8 tickets? I would seriously have gone for them, never mind that other shite.

[StupidityKills]

It was a pretty shitty thing to do, but nobody (especially Conor) ever claimed he never messed up, at least he's quickly appologised for it.
I have to admit, the posthumous Peel worship and charity wagon-hopping is getting a teensy bit tiring.
It's forgivable.



oh and DiS is the shit.

[Merkava]

This is completely ridiculous. Oberst is NOT a genius.

[Praeserpium Machinarum]

that might be right, but a whole lot of people thinks he is and that makes all the difference..

[Carrion]

Yo yo, I was there for Conor and his ramblings.

2 Many DJs weren't playing the set I'd hoped for, so the boyfriend and I waded through the marsh surrounding the John Peel tent to see if Bright Eyes was any cop as a headliner.  The boy was dying on stage.  Could barely speak, hear, sing and then started rambling about Peel... something about clapping our mastercards together (cos we all have those, let alone carry them at festivals) ... bleh... we definitely weren't the only ones to leave at that point.  It was embarrassing.  

Having seen him once before in Manchester at what turned out to be quite an intimate gig (one that was promoted as Postal Service & Bright Eyes support British Sea Power, and then ended up as just Bright Eyes... grrr) I expected a bit more as he wasn't half bad. Passionate lad.  Bought an album when I got back.  Sold on eBay shortly after... but I digress.

What a waster what a f*cking waster you p*ssed it all up the wall... la la...he's the Pete Doherty of indie emo, rah!

Carrion
- no coke in my cola gov.

[zekterellium]

what a rash, tactless shit. fuck him to hell.

[Borondir]

Oberst is a very talented, but incredibly arrogant asshole. I think we probably all knew this already.

There's not really anything wrong with makepovertyhistory.

Apart from, you know, the religious involvement

How exactly is religious involvement something wrong?

[Patatat]

Because its his opinion that it is something bad. It isn't your opinion so don't worry 'bout it.


Connor is my kind of guy, drunk and acoustic.

[i am richard and you suck]

calling john peel a cokehead in the same sentence he calls himself a cokehead? i'm sorry, but who cares?

and insulting the audience? whatever, so many damn great punk bands did that. and don't get me started about japanese hardcore bands who threw shit into the audience and pick up fights with audience members whenever they could.

ok. THAT would be a bit msiplaced at a bright eyes show but my point is: insulting the audience? well done!

other than that: conor wrote a couple of good songs. but that's it.

[Caramac]

Like we didn't see this coming. He is known for getting wasted on stage at gigs, why let him play somewhere like that where if he says something bad it will be muchly frowned upon? Whoever thought Bright Eyes were a good band to have at Glastonbury were WRONG!

I guess I'll give him a bit of credit for appologizing and won't assume too much since he was wasted. I'll just blame it on the organizers for letting him on stage when he was wasted and obviously going to say a load of crap.

There's too much drama around Conor Oberst, I will stay out of it and stick to making opinions about his music rather then his personality.

[KharBevNor]

How exactly is religious involvement something wrong?

Because religious involvement in campaigns like this leads to shit like America's refusal to offer assistance to family-planning organisations that offer abortions, which mean people die. It gets all sorts of conflicting systems of morality into the mix, which is what you don't need.

posthumous Peel worship

I've always been worshipping him. He was a fucking legend. I loved him via Home Truths even before I really listened to music.

[zekterellium]

peel was a legend, out and out. nobody will ever compare. he appeared on tv shows and radio and was mentioned in films. there's nothing post-humous going on - if you lived in england and liked music, you loved peel. why question khar's integrity? there was no need for it.

[Merkava]

How exactly is religious involvement something wrong?

Because religious involvement in campaigns like this leads to shit like America's refusal to offer assistance to family-planning organisations that offer abortions, which mean people die. It gets all sorts of conflicting systems of morality into the mix, which is what you don't need.

Fuck yes and fries.

[zekterellium]

war started religion, religion started war, religion was the shit that started it all

- indicator

[ASturge]

I will stay out of it and stick to making opinions about his music rather then his personality.

Want- To- Make- Elitist - Comment

[Borondir]

why question khar's integrity? there was no need for it.

I'm going to assume that's directed at me. I didn't intend to offend anyone or question anyone's integrity.  I was asking honestly what Khar's reasons were for believing that. Its his privilege to believe whatever he wants.  I'm just not sure any good comes out of painting all religious groups with such a large brush. Sure, the American evangelicals are fucking stupid, and so are Muslim fundamentalists, but they aren't the only religious voices out there. Conflicting moralities will come into the mix wherever two or more people get together.  I know this is a very delicate subject, but I'd like a little dialogue here.

[mahlon]

I'd like to know what he said about the Live8 stuff, because I probably agree with him. This whole Live8 event is complete bullshit and nothing more than a publicity stunt to make celebrities look like they care. How much was spent on the 8 concerts? Probably near a billion dollars. I'm sure that'd feed a few million people.

[blanktom]

There's a great story about Oberst offering Thom Yorke some coke backstage after a Radiohead gig, and Thom responding with a stern look and "I don't do that and neither should you."

Hahaha, I can just picture that in my head. I love Bright Eyes, but Conor Obesrt gets on my nuts. I downloaded an mp3 of him playing 'When the president talks to God' in London and he fucked up one of the verses and had to start again, then everybody cheered. I was like wtf?
Btw Trolley, I'm loving the Mew avatar. Mew are awesome. Dig it.

[trolley]

Btw Trolley, I'm loving the Mew avatar. Mew are awesome. Dig it.

No. YOU are awesome. Are you seeing them later this month?



Also, I went to see Bright Eyes at somerset house last night, despite all this. And he did play a blinding set, thanks in no small part to The Faint who were an excellent backing band. When he wants to be good, he's awesome. But he's still a dick.

[loyalpeon]

Also, I went to see Bright Eyes at somerset house last night, despite all this. And he did play a blinding set, thanks in no small part to The Faint who were an excellent backing band. When he wants to be good, he's awesome.

aye, twas a brilliant gig, both bright eyes and the faint. i really didn't expect as much, from either, going into it, but i'm always more than happy to have those sort of doubt disproved. he rocked man...

[trolley]

Totally. My enjoyment was 10-fold just because i was so worried it would suck. In fact, the only crap thing was the morons next to me who
a)Almost started a fight that the whole crowd heard
b) Were chatting all the way through Hit the switch
c)Decided to call out to their mates half way across the venue during the hush of "first day of my live". REBEEEECKAAAAAH!.

If they weren't girls and I wasn't a wuss, i woulda blackeye'd them. Fo Sho'.

[muffy]

Conor is a bit of a dick, and rumours are that most of the europe branch of his record label can no longer stand him...
but
he puts on an amazing show -  it's not like the early days when he'd get fucked on a bottle of merlot and then be unable to sing - everything seems to be held together a little more than before.

That said, he was a bit of a mess at the Somerset House gig, with his eyes and nose streaming and his finale of doubling over and vomitting on the stage - but then, that's not as bad as the people who applauded it.

And I'm going to do my bestest to ignore the comment about him resembling Pete Doherty, no matter how true it may be, as I'm still hoping that there's something more strategic in the way Conor's behaving around the press than we think.

[ColdSteelRain]

Piont Number 1: Conor Oberst is a jerk and every body knows that.  He plays ok music; he is far from a genius though.  
Point Number 2:  Being drunk or stoned out of your mind is not an excuse for being a jerk.  If you can't handle drugs or alcohol you shouldn't be using them.
Point Number 3:  Although Live 8 wasn't perfect it was a whole lot better than doing nothing.  If you are going to be famous and not try to use your position to make a difference in the world you probably don't deserve the fame in the first place.