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The show must go on, even in times of grief. And DJ Shadow was prepared to do just that this past Friday at Mansion, the day America lost 20 innocent school children and six brave educators following the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.
“The challenge for any ‘entertainer’ working on this tragic day is to find a place to compartmentalize the sorrow in order to carry on,” Shadow (AKA Josh Davis) tweeted before the gig.
“That said,” he added, “tonight’s set in Miami WILL proceed as planned.”
However, his set didn’t proceed as planned. It was cut short by promoters.
UPDATE #2 DJ Shadow just released his “Infamous” Mansion set, asking: “Too hard? Too future? Or just too raw?”
See also:
–DJ Shadow Announces U.S. Mini-Tour, Reconstructed Retrospective Boxset
–Miami’s Mansion Nightclub Stops DJ Dennis Ferrer’s Set for Not Being “Commercial Enough”
–DJ Shadow at Mansion: The 43-photo Slideshow
According to Pigeons and Planes, Shadow was in the middle of spinning Krampfhaft’s “Spit Thunder” when a Mansion promoter whispered something into the DJ’s ear.
A half-smile later, Shadow picked up the microphone and informed the crowd that he’d been asked to stop.
“I’ve waited a long time to play here,” Shadow said. “But they said this shit’s too future for all of y’all.”
Audience members quickly started booing, triggering a one-person “fuck this shit” chant.
“I don’t care if I get kicked out of every rich kid club on the planet,” Shadow tweeted after the incident. “I will never sacrifice my integrity as a DJ…ever.”
A similar incident happened at Mansion in February, when promoters asked Dennis Ferrer to “play more commercial” music.
“I basically told them that one, I don’t play commercial!” Ferrer recalled for New Times after his set. “And two, even if I wanted to, I don’t have the records to do so.”
His set was also cut short.
We here at Crossfade have reached out to the Opium Group for comment on the DJ Shadow incident. Check back for updates.
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