Saskatoon... Shame On You

[DissidentICN]

I recently read Matt's posting on his website to see that Saskatoon got honourable mention... in a bad way. I'm pretty embarrassed that we were soooo terrible to receive a musicians reprimand.

 

I was at the show. The atmosphere was pretty laid back since the auditorium had comfortable seats for assigned seating and so everyone remained seated for the whole show except for the encore. As has become expected in Saskatoon, we have douchebags who like to yell things out at random in an attempt to be funny. For instance, "Go Riders!" or "Play so and so!" Matt got irritated with the crowd and hence ceased to talk to us.

 

The show was not shorter than any of the other shows I have been to of his, but it's the second time he's complained about Saskatoon and doing shows here. Last time is was because the venue was WAY hot and crowded. After the second song Matt was dripping sweat. This time, however, he played in the nicest venue in Saskatoon but the fans screwed it all up.

 

I heard that after the show some people got aggressive towards crew members which is altogether unacceptable. Is it something in our water???

 

Especially after the debacle regarding Regina's red X on Matt's tourlist.... Saskatoon should really watch it's back of Saskatchewan will be skipped over collectively for the next time Matt goes coast to coast.

 

Matt, if you read this... please accept my apology and 99% of the crowd's apologies for the rudeness of 1% or less of us.

[Morglor9]

Yeah, having been there that audience deserved the dishonourable mention. I figured Matt would probably be getting annoyed by the shouting... but wow, I didn't realize people had gotten that stupid.

 

I've got some skulls to crack around here, that type of behaviour is decidedly uncool. I do sincerely wish these things hadn't happened...

 

And if I recall correctly, aside from saying that his show at the Odeon in 2008 was extremely hot, he did say that he felt a lot of good energy coming from the crowd. Very strange how these things change.

Edited November 22, 2009 by Morglor9

[AnOceanPearl]

I read that post and sent him an email reminding him that not all of his fans are like that, that we're happy to hear him play no matter what, and that him, the band and the road crew should be proud of what they're doing. Even though I wasn't there in Saskatoon, as a longtime fan and supporter of Matt and his music, I was embarrassed that other people who claim to be fans and supporters would act like complete and total jackasses. I can't even imagine how it feels for him to hear things like that.

[MarcoBeltrami]

I was infinitely more proud to be British Columbian after reading that post on Matt's website. For the happiness he brings, I don't find that much of a fair payback.

 

When the new tour kicked off, I was in Abbotsford for the first concert, front row, had the fucking time of my life. I could not stop smiling ear to ear. I saw someone post a play list of what was played at the concert, and the first dozen replies were to the effect of "What a shitty playlist" I don't even know how you can be a fan of Matt Good and complain about a playlist or act like a general fuckass at a concert. I cannot think of a time in recent memory that I enjoyed myself more than I did at the concert, and became an even bigger fan of Matt Good that night, which I didn't think was possible.

[IamNick]

I like how Matt called those guys out though.

[here is no why]

going after the crew? shameful. honestly, who does that?

[Audio of Being]

Really I think fans like EXPECT the artist to respect them. While I did read what happened I am not surprised in the least bit. While he played in Buffalo in 2005 there was one fan (probably drunk) who kept shouting over Matt while he tried to speak the crowd. There was the moshing bit if I remember during some acoustic number in 2004 as well. Other fans pay good money to see a band, and it only takes one jackass to ruin the show for everyone. If I was Matt at that point I would have personally kicked that person out of the concert, and then continued.

 

I strongly agree with Matt's choice not to meet fans. No means no. I remember how he said when he gets sick it takes a long time for him to get rid of a disease. And now with H1N1 this fits. Going after the crew and doing, or saying what every shows lack of respect for the band.

 

Thanks to the assholes in Saskatoon you may have ruined concert experiences for us all on the rest of the tour, and on future tours.

[Gomo]

I think that a lot of things get overblown around here. A lot of things.

[Devil On Rollerskates]

There was the moshing bit if I remember during some acoustic number in 2004 as well.

 

That was probably Toronto, during Can't Get Shot. He stopped mid-song and said something to the effect of "Is this a fucking pinhead convention? I could understand if I was Korn, but it's just me up here with a fucking acoustic guitar" which 99% of the audience cheered for. I guess the moshing continued, because then he said (again this is paraphrased) "Yeah that's really fucking funny. Grow the fuck up". He then apologized to the rest of the crowd for the disruption and finished the song.

[RileyLewis]

Matt Good does still perform in Regina. He said he wouldn't after the shoe throwing thing way back. But he was there twice on the last tours.

 

Anyway, I was at the Saskatoon show. Yeah, there were some dicks in the audience. None of them shouted anything mean or obscene, it was more just "play white wall! Play we were hunting rabbits!" over and over. And the stuff about harassing the crew is unacceptable, obviously.

 

However, I also think it's uncool that Matt punished the rest of the audience for .5% misbehaving. Clearly he shortened the show. And also didn't talk at past the first break. Yeah I know he thinks we don't "deserve" anything. But I also paid money to see an awesome show, and was kind of upset that he under delivered. Yeah, some fans were stupid. But I wasn't, and neither were 99% of them. And I was one of the people who yelled out "shhh" when it got bad (which was really only at one point).

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

[MrsSmith]

There's dickheads in every city. There were a bunch of Dickheads at the show I went to in Vancouver. Shouting all through his talking, all through slow songs, any time there was a quiet period with the possibility that they would be heard, they yelled. Play this and that. Blah Blah Blah. I found it rude and disrespectful, to him and to everyone else there who paid good money to see him. There are always going to be the Dickheads that just go to the shows becuase their girlfriends made them, or because they heard " Everything is Automatic" 12 years ago , and think it's a cool song, and therefore it's no big deal to them. But there's always going to be vast majority that are just thankful that he is still performing. I personally think serving alcohol at these venues only increases the ammount of Dickheads in the audience. That might be something he thinks about for the next time he tours, if he has any control over that at all. That's all. Just wanted you to know Saskatoon, that it's not just your city with disrespectful idiots.

[here is no why]

I'm not sure Matt has any control over the venue selling booze or not. That's their way to make money. I dont think he can request them to not sell it.

[MrsSmith]

That's too bad about the booze. I'm not against having a drink now and then, but I don't get people that go to things like this, and then get so wasted that they can't remember that they acted like a complete moron and pissed everyone off. Ah well, in a perfect world everyone would have a 2 drink limit.

[prototypepariah]

I'm not sure Matt has any control over the venue selling booze or not. That's their way to make money. I dont think he can request them to not sell it.

 

You're probably right, other than before booking he could say no booze or i'm not playing.

 

And anyone who things this doesn't happen at every show is fooling themselves. It MAY have been worse but this stuff is life for a rock star. Well save the moshing during an acoustic song that's silly.

[michiforsberg]

There's no way that they would be able to impose a two drink limit... people will always find a way around that one!!

 

Here's something simple... if you're being an asshole, you get kicked out... simple as that!!! I been to concerts where whole rows were kicked out because they pissed everyone around them off!!

 

It would be in the best interest of the venue as well... no more attempts to rip out seats!!

[DissidentICN]

I wonder if they even could have kicked people out at the show in Saskatoon. Most of the "security" comprised of middle aged women who are used to dealing with symphony orchestras and their boisterous crowds...

 

Although, there was a fight that left someone on his back outside the venue between Mother Mother and MG...

 

I suspect that Matt was just tired and had a lot of frustration boiling up from crowds of shows past but the Saskatoon show hit a boiling point.

 

While it's true that the show was a bit shorter than I have seen (this was my eleventh) it didn't seem to be shorter than the playlists I've seen on this site. He only really kept it short for the encore which was three songs. Usually he would do five or six but I think on this tour he kept it lower.

 

Lastly, I think the Saskatoon show was more expensive than most of the other shows on the tour save Massey Hall perhaps... but this is because we weren't at Prairie Land Park as was the butt of a joke MG stated early in the show.

 

I'm sure the show would have been there if not for the H1N1 public vaccine clinic set up there right now.

[prototypepariah]

Although, there was a fight that left someone on his back outside the venue between Mother Mother and MG...

 

 

Band members were fighting? that's pretty intense. Any elaboration possible?

[Audio of Being]

I highly doubt a fight between the band members. Did you witness it? Or are just going on hearsay?

[umdesch4]

I think what the OP meant was...there was a fight, which took place outside the venue, during the break between MM and MG's sets, and in the course of that fight, somebody ended up on their back. Nothing to do with the bands themselves...just slightly misleading in the wording.

[jrw]

Matt Good does still perform in Regina. He said he wouldn't after the shoe throwing thing way back. But he was there twice on the last tours.

 

Anyway, I was at the Saskatoon show. Yeah, there were some dicks in the audience. None of them shouted anything mean or obscene, it was more just "play white wall! Play we were hunting rabbits!" over and over. And the stuff about harassing the crew is unacceptable, obviously.

 

However, I also think it's uncool that Matt punished the rest of the audience for .5% misbehaving. Clearly he shortened the show. And also didn't talk at past the first break. Yeah I know he thinks we don't "deserve" anything. But I also paid money to see an awesome show, and was kind of upset that he under delivered. Yeah, some fans were stupid. But I wasn't, and neither were 99% of them. And I was one of the people who yelled out "shhh" when it got bad (which was really only at one point).

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts.

 

Agreed, the more I think about what Matt wrote the more I'm becoming angry with it. I had an incredible night because of his music, but yes, he absolutely shortened the show and I would bet we were due for one more song. This pisses me off. I paid my $65 to see an artist who I have supported via purchasing merchandise and cds and just because there are four idiots in the crowd yelling "go riders" or whatever else does not mean Matt has the right to hold back or not put in as much effort. I would warrant a guess that there are idiots in every crowd. If it was all 2-3,000 of us yelling, I could be cool with that. I was respectful and applauded after each song and wanted to hear more of Matt talking. I highly doubt that Saskatoon was the worst. I don't know about the guy or girl ripping up the seat, I wasn't there. I left when the lights went up, but if it did, that's one fucking moron Matt. The entire crowd cannot be held accountable.

 

If he wanted a more energetic crowd, he should've played the Odeon. The place would've been packed and because everyone is standing we would've been more energetic. I went to see Metric two weeks prior to Matt at the Odeon and the atmosphere was brilliant and because of it Metric were energetic and were visibly enjoying themselves. But, in a seating theatre, are we really supposed to be energetic during a nine minute long BSOBL?! How does that create an atmosphere of excitement?

 

Overall I'm very happy with my night out, but I don't like the implication that we're all to blame or that Saskatoon is this horrible city that artists should avoid.

[RileyLewis]

I wouldn't say that we have a right not to be treated however he wants to treat audiences. It's his show, and he can play only 5 songs or whatever, or not talk at all. But then we have the right to complain.

 

And it was a good show. I won't complain about the show. But he didn't need to be so grumpy about 3 or 4 out of 2000.

 

Also someone said the encore was 3 songs. It was only 2. Giant and Fought to Fight It. I have a feeling that Everything Is Automatic was cut.

[DissidentICN]

You might be right. The encore may have been two songs... it seemed really rushed at any rate.

 

Being in a seated auditorium really does bring the energy down for a rock show. When he came through for the acoustic tour though, that was all seated and I feel like he had a great time on stage. Why did that need to be any different from this show? Matt doesn't like moshers or anything too boisterous... but now it seems that he didn't like it when we sat for nearly the whole show... As if we weren't enthusiastic or something?

 

For one, I am really really glad that we were sitting for most of the show but only for personal reasons. My wife sprained her ankle the morning of the show and was contemplating skipping the show due to that. i told her that the chances of us staying seated was slim but worth trying it out. It was just our luck that we only stood for the encore and therefore my wife enjoyed the show (through implication, that means that I got to enjoy the show too).

 

As for the fight between Mother Mother and MG... what I mean to say is between their performances some strangers had a fistfight outside of the venue to which an ambulance was called.

 

Saskatoon has been really really bad for fist fights lately. Too many Nickleback fans at the MG concert...

[michiforsberg]

I'm surprised that no one has said this yet!!

 

I guess they really can't count in Saskatchewan!

 

It's okay!!! We still love you!!

[jrw]

I'm surprised that no one has said this yet!!

 

I guess they really can't count in Saskatchewan!

 

It's okay!!! We still love you!!

 

I'm quite adept at counting, so I'm unsure of what you're trying to say here.