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The Roots pull out of ‘#Bitchass’ Bowie tribute gigs

The Roots, Bilal and Kimbra won't be in New York for 'The Music of David Bowie' tonight or tomorrow because of a row over kit

By IQ on 31 Mar 2016

Questlove, The Roots, Daniel Incandela

Questlove DJing in 2012


image © Daniel Incandela

The Roots have pulled out of tonight and tomorrow’s David Bowie tribute concerts in New York after a dispute over equipment.

The Roots’ drummer and co-frontman Questlove announced on Instagram yesterday that his band, Bilal and Kimbra would no longer performing at tonight’s gig in Carnegie Hall and tomorrow’s in Radio City Music Hall because an unnamed musician had not allowed him to use their equipment. “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) [and]  it angers me when the same courtesy is not reciprocated,” he wrote.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDmJTNiwa8N/

“We have patience,” he continued. “But we do NOT have patience for the #Bitchassness.”

The Music of David Bowie concerts will feature performers including Pixies, Michael Stipe, Blondie, The Flaming Lips, Cyndi Lauper, Cat Power, Jakob Dylan and Robyn Hitchcock. Organiser Michael Dorf announced on Tuesday that the shows will be live-streamed over Skype for those unable to attend.