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Rise Against, radio station tumble over U.S. Army recruiting
Alternative Press - Scott Heisel on 10/2/09 @ 11:52 PM - altpress.com
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The band has since responded at length to the station's accusations, writing in part:
"To dignify this ridiculous scare tactic, Rise Against supports the troops and always have. In the past year, Rise Against worked closely with the USO to allow troops and their families to attend our shows with Rancid for free. As our economy spiraled over the summer, we played near about 14 different military bases, making this all possible. We also continue to work closely with the Iraq Veterans Against The War who attended and tabled many Rise Against shows in the last year. We hear from troops overseas on a daily basis through email and cherish that contact. We learned so much in the time we spent with all of these individuals and look forward to doing it again.
That said, we grew up in a time where the decisions and stances that bands took in their career are the things that defined them, and what made them special and respected by fans and media alike. Nobody would have asked Rage Against The Machine to headline this stage. To not respect the decisions and stances of bands across this vast musical landscape puts real music and real musicians in jeopardy. To have radio stations become bullies and threaten the artists they play to conform with their agenda or else face the consequences is something that flys in the face of not only the scene, but of this country. Many of the bands that BUZZ 103 plays on the airwaves carved their name through the stands that they took musically and politically. We need to be wary of those who would bully artists into an agenda set by those who control the airwaves.
If we were to bow to this pressure, we would not be Rise Against. Shame on you BUZZ103 for even asking us to. Last time we checked, supporting the troops involves more than just accepting their money that you need to put on shows. We are sorry to the Rise Against fans who took BUZZ103s word as truth and had to spend the better part of the day believing that we are the monsters the DJs made us out as."
The band have also assembled comments from members of Thursday, Anti-Flag and Flobots regarding the situation; those can be read here.
Should Rise Against have turned the other cheek and performed under an Army recruiting banner? Is the radio station in the wrong for airing this private business and turning their listenership against the band? Tell us what you think!
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Jackass radio station.
i say kudos to Rise Against.. i have two nephews in the military and i fully believe that they are serving in the military so that we here continue to have our freedoms, such as the freedom to perform or not perform. leave them alone, they support the troops too, just not the war. shame on the radio station. Goooo Rise Against..! :) tattedgrl @tattedgrl
a stage is not a place to get political? What a moron.
these are the stupidest comments from radio DJs i've ever heard. way to misinterpret everything rise against stands for. PS OH MY FUCKING GOD WE GET IT BITCH, YOUR DAD WAS IN THE MILITARY.
If I hear that woman mention how soldiers listen to them before they go into battle, I'm going to stab myself in the ears.
* one more time
This is really messed up. I don't understand how the DJs can even bring patriotism into question. We're talking about the army sponsoring a stage here! WTF? Doesn't the army need all the money it can get and why is it sponsoring events? I'm lost.
I want my Army to take the money it is using to sponsor a stage and use that to help our troops overseas. There are much more effective ways of advertising than slapping your name on a rock concert.
This is some of the most ridiculous shit I've ever heard. Just because your family was in the military doesn't mean you have to take that shit personally. I hope Rise Against gets even more popular because of this. Tricking someone into playing a show like that, ESPECIALLY a political band, is so fucking low. What scum.
Notice how most, if not all the calls they took, were agreeing with the radio. And yeah we get it, you had family and friends in the army, you don't have to keep raving about it, once is suffice and taking it as a personal attack is just vain. Not only is the radio pressuring and bullying Rise Against for standing up for something they believe in, they're also insulting the people who disagree with them. Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but attacking the people whose opinions are different from yours is utterly disgusting.
Rise Against did what's best for them. That radio station really should've thought ahead, it's not RA's fault that they didn't. They're making up rumors because no they don't have a bomb ass headliner. Shame on you Buzz103.
That is the biggest pile of horse shit I have ever heard in my life. Thanks for including a link to the radio station. Gotta defend RA.
I'm gonna find that lady and beat the shit outta her if she mentions her dad being in the military or says F U Rise Against one more fucking time
Rise Against are good guys. They Hold strong to what they believe and i support them. The radio station seems to just be taking it bitterly.
I love how the whole time they never really state anything about Rise Against other than "they gave us an ultimatum" and make them looke like the bad guys. God these DJ's are jackasses.
Rise Against had no problem accepting an offer to play (read: paycheck) from BUZZ103 before they found out about the Army sponsorship. Maybe the band and their manager should have checked on something like that BEFORE they allowed their name to be attached to this show. It's not like it would be illegal, and to explain to the station why you were asking who's sponsorship will grace the concert's stage would probably have been honored by the station. Rise Against are hiding their own shitty behavior behind contrived ideals. BUZZ103, however, is not saintly by any standards. No one's right, no one wins. And the fans of each side all lose.
Rise against does a hell of a lot more for troops than any of these loudmouth radio personalities. Just because your dad, or your grandpa was involved in the army doesnt mean you have the right to say you are involved in it. Who cares if you sent a few packages overseas. That is nowhere near the same support Rise against shows to troops. RA shows their support in a different way. they dont try to wrangle up vonerable kids to ship away and die. they help out the ones already fighting, the wounded, and families that have loved ones fighting. I personaly agree with their decision to bail on the show. I am 16 and RA has taught me that i need to stand up for beliefs. so why the hell wouldnt they
I love how everyone calling in is saying how they are now just hating Rise Against because of this. They have always been that way, and they are a political band. 100% of the people in American has or had friends and family in some form of the service. I have a long time friend in it right now, but taking it personally is stupid. Their songs are created in the same way they always have been, and those people saying fuck Rise Against, I highly doubt they knew the message they sang about. That bitch on the radio is so annoying.
My dad is in the army and i support him but come on the radio station is fucking stupid rise against as the said hve done so much for the troops and just cause they dont want to do this little gig doesnt mean shit i am now going to blare them as i drive down the street FUCK BUZZ103
that first caller was such an asshole. if he was really a fan, he would've listened to the band's side of the story before supporting the radio station.
I'm really offended by these DJs since Buzz is one of the only rock stations in South Florida.I support Rise Against all the way, it's their right to pull out, I bet had it been another band they wouldn't have cared so much about it and as for the hypocritical fans they never were true fans if they've turned into turncoats over this issue. The Buzz DJs need to stop being so stuck on themselves and 'experiences' and see the big picture
that bitch DJ needs to shut the hell up. they have no arguement, they just keep saying over and over that rise against is anti american, anti troop, anti everything and the dumbass listeners hear it enough that they start believing it. florida sucks. and oh btw, last time i checked, radio stations have been TURNING alternative, playing more of it, because unfortunately alternative is becoming the new mainstream.