Punk band NOFX loses sponsorship over 'insensitive' joke about Las Vegas concert massacre
NOFX told fans: "At least they were country fans and not punk rock fans."
Veteran punk band NOFX has lost a sponsorship and is facing heavy backlash after making "insensitive" jokes about the Las Vegas massacre that left dozens dead.
Stone Brewing, the company that creates the band's beer, Punk in Drublic, and who sponsors its music festival of the same name, is cutting ties with the band after several inappropriate remarks made while the group was performing at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Las Vegas Sunday.
"You play a song about Muslims you're going to get shot," NOFX frontman Fat Mike said during the performance.
"Man, I'd say getting shot in Vegas ... I mean if you're a country band," one of his bandmates, believed to be guitarist Eric Melvin, said, according to fan video.
To which Fat Mike replied, "I mean, that [massacre] sucked but at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans."
When the audience started to groan in disapproval, Fat Mike responded, "You were all thinking it."
Fifty-eight people were killed and hundreds of others were injured on October 1 at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. Country music artist Jason Aldean was performing on stage at the time.
Stone Brewing released a statement Wednesday saying they "are aware of NOFX's insensitive and indefensible statements this past weekend. As a result, we are severing all our ties with NOFX, including festival sponsorship and the production of our collaboration beer."
"Nevertheless, to try our best to make some good come out of these awful comments, we have decided that we will donate all profits of the beer to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation, which provides post Route 91 trauma counseling for officers and other first responders alongside other safety programs, training and funding.
"Punk rock is cool," the statement continued. "These callous comments were the furthest thing from it."
Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival organizers Mark Stern and Shawn Stern apologized in a statement Wednesday.
"In light of NOFX's comments during their performance at Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival, we would like to offer a formal apology to those in attendance, the City of Las Vegas, the victims, and the families of 10/1," the statement began.
"Las Vegas is home to the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival, and we do not condone the statements made from our stage on Sunday night. We take the safety of our festival-goers seriously and want to relay that. There is nothing funny about people being shot and murdered, ever," the statement concluded.
NOFX took to Twitter Thursday, admitting that their comments were "insensitive."
"I can't sleep, no one in my band can. What we said in Vegas was s---- and insensitive and we are all embarrassed by our remarks," the statement read. "So we decided we will all get together to discuss and write an in-depth, sincere and honest apology because that's what the people we offended and hurt deserve."
