Radiohead's concert last night in Kansas City drew in more than art-rock fans from throughout the Midwest. It also attracted a bunch of self-proclaimed religious folks known for picketing gay rights events, American troops' funerals, and Foo Fighters concerts. And the protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, even brought their own attempt at music criticism. (They still like The Bends, you just know it.)
As At Ease points out, the protesters described the band as "freak monkey's with mediocre tunes," which is [SIC] on arguably multiple levels, depending on whether you're talking to a diehard Radiohead fan or not. Also: God hates correct punctuation, apparently. Although the British rockers sadly didn't stage their own counter-protest, as Foo Fighters did late last year, longtime Radiohead producer-collaborator Nigel Godrich did tweet a photo of the protesters, quipping, "Highlight of the tour so far." Welcome to the freak-monkey house!
During the set, Radiohead played "Supercollider," a 2011 non-album single, for the first time on their current swing through our occasionally embarrassing continent. Listen to the band's performance of the pulsating electro-rock ballad, a leftover from the King of Limbs sessions and a mainstay of their 2008 tour: [VIDEO]
Why hate Radiohead? It’s not that there is a problem with Radiohead that doesn’t exist with other groups. Radiohead just puts themselves out there as a “thinky,” deep band.
What’s wrong with that? In an offhand manner they kind of reject every standard of God as being archaic and not worthy of moral consideration. Some bands are good time bands—Radiohead isn’t that. They teach the youth of America that the standards of God don't mean anything and that they are free to oppose them.
Really? They say that? I often have a hard time figuring out what the fuck they’re talking about. What do you hear in the music? So God says it’s not OK to be gay. Radiohead says it’s OK to be gay. God says no divorce, no re-marriage. But Radiohead won't preach that truth. God Almighty says thou shall not kill. But where’s Radiohead in all this? They think of themselves as a voice of authority for the youth of America, but where are they on these issues?
OK, Radiohead is a no-go. What kind of stuff are you guys rocking at the WBC? Well, I listen to Radiohead.
Ya do? Of course I do. At some level you have to be able to separate the art from the artist. Everybody’s got to do that. We’re music lovers at the church. I listen to Radiohead, Audioslave, Band of Skulls. I listen to lots of good stuff.
So, what’s the problem? But the point here is, when these musicians come to town that put themselves off as a voice of moral authority and yet reject the standards of God for a more bohemian outlook, we’re going to preach about it.
Where do you think Radiohead is spiritually? The guys that make up the band Radiohead, they are walking in the dim light of their own sparks. They are groping around moral darkness. And we’re out there with the only remedy for that.
Aren’t you a hypocrite for listening to Radiohead and protesting Radiohead? No. Not at all. Haven’t you ever watched a movie that you enjoyed but then you found out that one of the stars did something in the moral realm as reprehensible?
Sure. But I don’t go around picketing and protesting... I didn’t ask you that.
Why hate Radiohead?
It’s not that there is a problem with Radiohead that doesn’t exist with other groups. Radiohead just puts themselves out there as a “thinky,” deep band.
I'm not into Radiohead at all. I see now that it's because their music is too "thinky" for me.
These guys aren't as crazy as they seem. First of all, watch Kevin Smith's newest spoken word documentary "Hellbound" (I think it's called). That will give you a lot of insight. Additionally, they intentionally provoke because they're lawyers and will sue anyone that attacks them for large sums. They're smart. They know what they're doing.
hokahey wrote:These guys aren't as crazy as they seem. First of all, watch Kevin Smith's newest spoken word documentary "Hellbound" (I think it's called). That will give you a lot of insight. Additionally, they intentionally provoke because they're lawyers and will sue anyone that attacks them for large sums. They're smart. They know what they're doing.
As far as I'm concerned, the more exposure these scumbags get, the better. That way, eventually some far left crazy person will gun all of them down. In which case, them being lawyers won't mean shit.
hokahey wrote:These guys aren't as crazy as they seem. First of all, watch Kevin Smith's newest spoken word documentary "Hellbound" (I think it's called). That will give you a lot of insight. Additionally, they intentionally provoke because they're lawyers and will sue anyone that attacks them for large sums. They're smart. They know what they're doing.
As far as I'm concerned, the more exposure these scumbags get, the better. That way, eventually some far left crazy person will gun all of them down. In which case, them being lawyers won't mean shit.
I dont even think they're worth getting that upset about. Why give them what they want?
I think most municipalities would support an ordinance banning protests within x miles of a funeral. Just pass that and be done with it. Who cares where else they show up?
hokahey wrote:These guys aren't as crazy as they seem. First of all, watch Kevin Smith's newest spoken word documentary "Hellbound" (I think it's called). That will give you a lot of insight. Additionally, they intentionally provoke because they're lawyers and will sue anyone that attacks them for large sums. They're smart. They know what they're doing.
As far as I'm concerned, the more exposure these scumbags get, the better. That way, eventually some far left crazy person will gun all of them down. In which case, them being lawyers won't mean shit.
I dont even think they're worth getting that upset about. Why give them what they want?
Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church founder, dies at 84
by Sarah Posner @sarahposner March 20, 2014 11:49AM ET
Pastor Fred Phelps, founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, known for his virulent anti-gay demonstrations at funerals with signs bearing the church’s slogan, “God Hates Fags,” died Wednesday night, his son Timothy said. Fred Phelps died at a hospice in Topeka, Kansas, where his church was based. He was 84.
Phelps, who was trained as a lawyer (although later disbarred), was also known for his litigious efforts to test the limits of free speech. Several of his children are lawyers as well. Their law firm litigated a case that resulted in a 2011 Supreme Court decision that their “pickets” at the funerals of military members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan were constitutionally protected speech.
