DANKO JONES Says American Audiences Sometimes Don't 'Give The Opening Band Even A Chance To Play'

October 30, 2019

Canadian rocker Danko Jones says United States audiences are hostile to support acts in a way not seen anywhere else in the world.

Speaking on the latest episode of the "White Line Fever" podcast, Jones says other bands agree with him that audiences in the U.S. are the rudest to opening bands.

"The only time it does get a little, not intimidating but rather annoying is… We've been on tour with bands where the crowd — and this happens mainly in America — where the crowd doesn't give the opening band even a chance to play," he said. "They're ready to just boo them.

"It's weird. And I've had this same conversation with a lot of other bands in the same situation. And it's only in America. In other places, they at least listen and try to decide for themselves. In America, it's more, like, 'If you're not the headlining band, then we don't wanna see you.'

"It's weird. It's a real closed-minded way of listening and taking in music."

The frontman of his namesake group revealed that he and his bandmates John Calabrese and Rich Knox have even confronted hecklers after their shows.

“I've bitten back," he said. "It always bites you back, though. You can't go up against two thousand people. I've screamed back, but then two thousand people will just start booing or chanting or anything.

"But it's only in America. And that's such a weird situation. I find it a very closed-minded way to take in music.

"And it's funny, too, 'cause it's happened where we've actually confronted some of the people who were booing us in the crowd, after the show, and they're suddenly so timid — not scared, but timid and shy and almost sorry for doing it.

"It's this weird mob mentality there that I don't see anywhere else in the world. It's just so weird."

DANKO JONES's latest album, "A Rock Supreme", was released in April. The disc was produced by Garth "Gggarth" Richardson (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, RISE AGAINST, BIFFY CLYRO).

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