Questlove announced on Instagram yesterday (March 30) that The Roots, Bilal and Kimbra will not be participating in the David Bowie tribute concerts slated for today (March 31) and tomorrow (April 1) in New York.
The drummer posted an image of Puff Daddy and explained the reason he was pulling the group out of the shows, which are set to take place at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.
“I’ve never been so insecure or petty as to deny a fellow musician use of ANY of my equipment (or my band’s equipment—-or resources or contacts or knowledge or ANYTHING) it angers me when that same courtesy is not reciprocated,” he writes. “(Believe you me I was about to get #TomPetty or #PettyWap or #PetRockAndCLSmooth or #BlackPetty or however you wanna roll wit it)—keeping a level head and not being self destructive is a weak point I’m working on. But I’m also keeping it true: The Roots/Bilal/Kimbra (w/ Wendy Melvoin, DD Jackson & Ray Angry) pulled out of these Bowie gigs. We have patience. But we do NOT have patience for the #Bitchassness. Enjoy your precious equipment.”
Questlove’s Okayplayer is is the exclusive media partner for the concerts, per Pitchfork.
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Performers scheduled for the tribute concerts are Michael Stipe, Pixies, Cat Power, Blondie, Perry Farrell, Jakob Dylan, and Ann and Nancy Wilson.
David Bowie passed away in January. The revered singer-actor-entertainer had been diagnosed with cancer in 2014.
“David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime…I pray for his friends and family,” Kanye West wrote in two separate tweets after learning of Bowie’s death.
