So by now I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened at Rock Fest with Ronnie Radke. A lot of things have been said, and I’m not here to beat a dead horse. I just wanted to tackle a claim he made about the festival that I have to bust here and now. It’s about a tweet he made in regards to the festival referring to how he was treated backstage. Tweet below.
As you can see in the tweet, he claims to have been served raw chicken and made to use “porter potties” that he had to share with the crowd. This is the claim I’m here to dispute as a long time Rock Fest patron who attends as a Corporate VIP.
First off, where the bands reside is backstage, in an area closed off to the public. I can’t even get back there, and again, I’m Corporate VIP. The highest level of access someone can have as merely a spectator. So the claim that he was made to share porta potties with the public is false. No public is allowed back there.
Now, I don’t know what the situation looks like in the area strictly for the bands. Again, I’m not allowed back there. But I can tell you that bands have full access to the entire backstage area, including Corporate VIP where I am. And that area is quite nice, especially since being redone a couple years back. It’s got A/C, an open bar, plenty of good food, and private bathrooms. These are no porta potties. It’s a private bathroom area complete with shower stalls. I know, because I always take a mid-day shower to hose off and refresh for the night at the show. It’s one of the best parts of my day.
Even assuming (as illogical as it would be) that the band area isn’t that good, they still have access to join us in Corporate VIP and hang out with the very people he claims are giving him scraps. I’ve had lunch and dinner with many a band in my time. It’s where some of my best conversations have happened. (Avatar is a particularly cool group of dudes.)
As for the raw chicken? I can say I’ve never been served under-cooked food at Rock Fest, but things can happen. I’ve worked in the food industry long enough to know that mishaps can occur. Nobody’s perfect, certainly not myself. But knowing that he’s lied about everything else in this tweet gives me no reason to believe him here either.
Don’t like the crowd? Fine. Every show can’t be a winner. But don’t lie about the venue and tell them you were mistreated when you weren’t.
So if you are a fan wondering if the bands coming to Rock Fest are facing any kind of mistreatment. I can assure you that they aren’t. This is just a Prima Donna doing Prima Donna stuff.
COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Thanks for the blog and clearing the air. I agree.
The menu the day he performed did not even have chicken on it, so yea, pretty sure he was not served raw chicken!!
Bags,
I read through many of the Radke Tweets yesterday and as I continually got angrier, I realized that these are the mindless ramblings of an untalented, auto-tuned, whiney shit-stirrer who uses these kinds of opportunities to draw more attention to himself and his God-awful (almost) music. Falling In Reverse makes AI-generated music seem like a more viable option, as a computer program could generate a more genuine musical endeavor than Radke and his band of hacks. A homeless junkie shitting in a syringe-laden “porter potty” makes a better sound than Dr. Backing Track and his circus of binary clowns on their best night of lip syncing.
So, please don’t take it to heart when guys like this don’t mix well with the glorious and beautiful people of our great state of Wisconsin. They might just be better suited for a homeless encampment in L.A. or San Francisco. I mean, if Ice Cube can come up here and have a good time and put on a hell-of-a show, I don’t know what Radke’s problem is. Sounds like a personal problem if you asked me. Anyway, thanks for putting this out there, man. It definitely needed addressing.
I kinda dig some of his songs. He’s got a cool flow with tying word strings together. But, damn if he’s not a controversial vessel.
I also attended Corporate VIP so I know what that area is like, and I can confirm everything you said. However, there is a little screened in bar place just for the bands that honestly reminds me of something you’d see at a youth camp somewhere far out in the sticks. I know this because I’ve done a little bit of work around the grounds. I’m guessing that’s what sparked his ire with the facilities. But as you said, nothing was stopping him from using any of the other facilities. Also, I have always thought the food was good, and I can’t imagine they are getting served by a different catering company than the rest of us. Dude just likes to cause drama is all.
I herd he was late and didn’t play a full set either that usually don’t help hype the crowd up,if your late maybe he was boring just saying
I have the distinct opportunity to tell you all he is completely full of shit I worked MainStage and had to deal first hand with the arrogance he quit show early because it was raining and if the food was that bad why did they order pizza and watch Teenage mutant ninja turtles before going up to watch Slipnot, lol just a premodadona being just that! Plain and simple!!!!