When Bayfest comes to town, it is the biggest rave. Usually everyone in Sarnia goes to the concerts that are going on. Then we get thousands from other cities that surround us. We’ve had some pretty sweet (to some people) bands in our little city of Sarnia such as Our Lady Peace, Sum 41, Blink 182, Tragically Hip and Foo Fighters. This year we have Staind, Three Doors Down, Altar Bridge, Billy Talent and Kid Rock. I just got back from the Billy Talent show, but not without a few observations.
Between each song, the lead singer would say a few words before going into the next song. Following are some of them that I remember.
1. This next song goes out to a girl who cheated on me. F*^$ her, this song goes to that F^&@#$ B^*CH
2. This song goes out to all the sexy ladies walking around the park.
3. It’s all about people and loving people and respecting them. Respect everyone around you and pick them up if they fall down.
4. This song was written for a girl named Ashley Simpson. Who ruined the music industry.
5. Being here today means that we are some of the luckiest people alive on the face of the earth. Look at what just happened in London and what is happening all around the world. Never take for granted how lucky and blessed we are to live in Canada.
6. Everyone put up your middle fingers. We love America, but we hate their leader. Everyone say with me ‘F@#$ George Bush.’
Those are the ones that I remember. I just thought it was interesting that the same person who was telling us to respect each other and help each other out was the one also saying to F*&% George Bush and degrading the girls in the park (even if they were dressed to degrade themselves) and getting thousands of people to chant with him as he hates on a girl that cheated on him. Sounds loving and respecting doesn’t it. When he was talking about how lucky and blessed we were, I couldn’t help but to agree. It was truth. We aren’t being bombed or in poverty or without shelter and we can afford to entertain ourselves to the max. It was amazing to hear come from his mouth. Only to hear a few minutes later to F*** the American President, the leader of our neighboring nation.
It’s interesting though that because he was on stage with a mic, everyone listened and everyone cheered. When he told everyone to put up their middle fingers, I felt like I was in the middle of a bible story with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and maybe I was going to be thrown in a fiery furnace if my finger didn’t pierce the sky. I was being told to outright be rude, crude and arrogant to a leader that we are told to respect. I was being told to accept and join everyone else in hating on someone. All because he had a mic, and he was in front of everyone. If he would have said God rocks and everyone put up your hands and clap for him, guaranteed everyone would have done it. It’s horrifying to watch everyone cheer when he says respect and love and then cheer again when he says hate and be arrogant. Can’t we see the difference between the two? Is it really so easy to cheer for righteousness and be equally happy for evil. It seems it is.
I think you are right, i mean, it doesn’ make sense to help each other up and respect, yet also diss Goeorge Bush in hte same 20 minutes. I think that being behind a mic is a very influential postion, and Billy clearly took advantage of it.
Thank you for the food for thought.
The e.
When kids who don’t the first thing about the political process or political history start to pontificate about the evils of the current American administration, my explanation is immediately “They’re following the anti-Bush fad”. Same with regards to Christianity. It is actually quite scary, when you think about it, that the opinions of the vast majority of our peers are being formed by morons with microphones. I wonder sometimes, if the church fails in its task to reach our society, are we headed for another dark age?
Yup, I’d love to. At least the way I see it.
1. The problem lies in the fact that his words weren’t consistent. One second he is telling everyone to respect eachother and pick eachother up and the next second he is disrespecting females (by his rud diragotory comments), the leader of the states, his ex girlfriend and so on. It didn’t make sense, he couldn’t even in the hour that he had his mic do what he was telling everyone else to do.
2. Inconsistency is one of our societies biggest problems, we love to say one thing and do another. I’m not cut out of this problem, by any means. I do it all the time. I was just pointing out the fact that he didn’t do it either and he probably shouldn’t be promoting it from a microphone.
I was also just pointing out how much power somenoe with a microphone has in front of people. It’s pretty remarkeable if you look at crowds.
wow sounds like the time i saw sum 41 at warped tour..it was when they were just becoming popular, i think they had just released their first album..and the warped tour was being held at the skydome. i thought i was watching a sixth grader control the mic…i think he(derek) used every different possible swear word ever know to man, every other word..and then he starts telling everyone over and over again to WORSHIP SATAN!!! what the heck..what is wrong with you..young kids and teenagers are impressionable..and all the time i was thinking…we are in toronto, and sum 41 is from ajax(a suburb of toronto) so id assume that everyone in their familes would be there to support them…probably even their grandparents!! who swears in front of their GRANDPARENTS!!!!!!???? cant say im a fan of sum 41..or ever really was..it just some people cant handle the attention that comes with fame..its really too bad….
Interesting commentary. Our society has so elevated the concept of celebrity that the impressionable young audience is left to believe that the opinions of their favourite musicians/sports stars/actors have more validity than the ‘average Joe’. In reality, celebrities are just average people who happen to stand under a spotlight. Just because someone has a microphone in their hand doesn’t mean that they are speaking Truth — what it DOES mean, is that it gives them the opportunity to promote any kind of belief or lifestyle the record label chooses for them (let’s not be naive and forget that the ‘image’ is what is driving record sales these days much more than the quality of the music itself, and if an artist doesn’t do what the label tells them to do in order to sell, they’re dropped…Sadly, most fall to this ‘peer pressure’ – I’m sure there’s more than one artist that comes to mind).
But there is hope :) As much as non-believing artists promote their brand of life, we can support (and be!) artists who are proclaiming Christ and who truly desire to be a light for Him in the dark world of the music biz.
A good reminder that if you ever have the chance to step up to the mic…choose your words carefully and prayerfully. The world may be watching.
I dont see what the problem is, hating the leader of the States, and telling people to help each other out are 2 totally different things. If you stood up there with the mic and told every one to put their hands up and praise God that would have pissed some people off, cant make every one happy. I thought what he said was funny and if you didnt agree then dont chant, and (hate on) the girl who cheated on him, thats your decsion, I dont think its a big deal could someone explain the problem?