BottleRock CEO Explains Pulling The Plug On The Foo Fighters
"We were bummed that that had to happen. But it had to happen."
That's how BottleRock CEO Dave Graham summed up the controversial decision to pull the plug on Foo Fighters during their festival closing set on Sunday. Graham called Kevin Klein Live this morning to give the behind-the-scenes details on what went down in Napa.
The band, playing their first show in two years, was in the middle of their hit song "Everlong". As the clock crept closer to the 10pm curfew time, a decision had to be made.
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"I was responsible for making sure that we ended at 10 and it pained me to have to do that."
As 10pm struck, the power to the speakers got shut off. The remainder of the song was finished by the crowd of more than 40,000. Still, many fans, including those who weren't even in attendance, criticized the festival for silencing one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Graham was quick to point out that this wasn't simply the matter of avoiding a fine.
"I would have happily paid a big fine to keep them playing," admitted the CEO. "It's less about the money and it's more about the trust within the community and the credibility that our festival has within the community."
"When we took over the festival, we made a deal with the city of Napa and the community that we would honor some of their concerns and deal with some of their concerns. One of which was, hey we can't have noise past 10pm."
For what it's worth, the Foo Fighters seemed to take the whole thing in stride. Graham revealed that he and lead singer Dave Grohl shared a laugh and a hug after the show. "The band was happy."
Check out Kevin Klein Live's entire interview with BottleRock CEO Dave Graham by listening below.
