Indie rockers are far too mellow (and way too white) to get into a Jay-Z v. Nas-esque feud, but Mark Kozelek is sure doing his best to start one. He’s the notoriously prickly musician best known for his work as Sun Kil Moon, who earlier this year released a very good album in Benji. And now he’s involved in a very bad fight with the War on the Drugs, the hazy Philadelphia group that put out an even better album in 2014, Lost In the Dream.
It began, as all quarrels must, at the Ottawa Folk Fest in September, only about a week after Kozelek called his audience a bunch of “f*cking hillbillies.” He was scheduled to perform at the same time as the War on Drugs during the Canadian music festival, and became agitated when, according to Exclaim, “noise from the main stage drew the singer into a couple of false starts.”
When audience members jovially informed him that it was Philadelphia band the War on Drugs, Kozelek replied by saying, “I hate that beer commercial lead-guitar sh*t” before exclaiming, “This next song is called, ‘The War on Drugs Can Suck My F*cking D*ck.'”
After battling sound issues, Kozelek put down his Portuguese guitar and stood from his chair to perform “Gustavo” while throwing a few more shots towards the War on Drugs, humorously referring to them as “John Cougar Mellencamp.” (Via)
What a low blow. The War on Drugs responded on Twitter, writing, “Can anyone confirm that mark kozelek was talking shit on us during his set in Ottawa last night? Cuz we obviously booked the schedule….wf” and “Seems like it might have been at least partially in jest so whatever. Just upsetting to me as a fan that’s all. We’re just doin’ what we do.” Kozelek then released a statement on his website:
To War On Drugs from Mark Kozelek in regards to Ottawa:
I had never heard of your band prior to taking the stage in Ottawa the other night. But to give you an idea of how bad the bleed was, my drummer said that it would have been easier for him to play along to your set than ours. It could have been any band’s music blaring from over the hill, and I still would have made jokes.
I hope to catch your set someday when it’s not drowning out my own. The schedule wasn’t your fault—I get it. That was my third rodeo with The Ottawa “Bleed” Fest. They’re still figuring things out over there. I hope they get it together someday.
Peace and all the best,
-Mark Kozelek
Followed by ANOTHER statement under the headline, “I DID NOT APOLOGIZE TO WAR ON DRUGS AND I CHALLENGE THEM TO HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR OCTOBER 6TH AT THE FILLMORE.” I don’t really need to copy and paste that one — you get the idea. The CHALLENGE was apparently not accepted, because yesterday, Kozelek released a new song, “War on Drugs: Suck My C*ck.”
They’re playing the Fillmore tonight, and it’s sold out
Bridge-and-tunnel people are people too, this is their big night out
They smoke a joint with their buddies on their way in their cars
They’re gonna rock out tonight to some good commercial lead guitarBridge-and-tunnel people love them some War on Drugs (x8)
War on Drugs, suck my c*ck/War on Drugs, beer commercial rock (x2)
War on Drugs loves Fleetwood Mac
War on Drugs loves Mellencamp
War on Drugs, let’s give ’em a cheer
War on Drugs, to make three albums took ’em nine f*cking years (Via)
I want to get married again so my first dance can be to that song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjDwit8ryEA
