NOFX Lose Beer Sponsorship Over Insensitive Las Vegas Shooting Comments
The fallout continues from NOFX's insensitive remarks this weekend at the Punk Rock Bowling festival in Las Vegas. While the band is not known for being politically correct, their jokes about the Las Vegas mass shootings last fall in the city where it happened generated some backlash and now Stone Brewing, who have backed the band's Punk in Drublic festivals, are severing ties with the group.
“We at Stone Brewing 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,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to The Blast.
“We respect punk rock, and the DIY ethos for which it stands,” the statement continued. “To us, it means standing up for things you believe in, and fearlessly committing to what’s right. And it is for that reason that Stone Brewing is immediately disassociating ourselves from the band NOFX. Stone had a sponsorship deal for this summer’s Punk in Drublic festivals. Emphasis ‘had.’ That sponsorship is now canceled.”
The spokesperson added, “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. We have cancelled any future rebrews of this beer. We apologize to the fans of the beer itself, but know that we make this decision out of respect to all. Punk rock is cool. These callous comments were the furthest thing from it."
During their performance in Las Vegas, singer Fat Mike joked about playing a song about Muslims and not being shot, to which one of his other bandmates remarked, “I guess you only get shot in Vegas if you are in a county band.” The conversation continued, with the comment, “That sucked, but at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans.” The shooting last fall at the Route 91 Harvest Festival left 58 dead and nearly 500 injured.
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