UPDATE: UNIFY Gathering Pulls I Killed The Prom Queen From 2019 Lineup, Following Backlash
ORIGINAL STORY: Metalcore identity Michael Crafter has apologised, after some gross comments he made back in 2016 resurfaced and sparked backlash against his announcement as part of I Killed The Prom Queen‘s one-night-only When Goodbye Means Forever… lineup reunion at UNIFY Gathering 2019.
Screenshots of the ex-Big Brother contestant’s troll-like Facebook comments began circulating online after UNIFY’s lineup dropped this morning, showing the frontman weighing in on 2016’s gender diversity issue with the vom-worthy quip: “End of the day a festival is about getting cunt [sic] to shows. Not giving someone a go cause it’s feel sorry for women in bands week.
“I’m sure there’s enough girls get [sic] finger banged in the tents to be happy enough about the festival,” he continued, adding: “Women want to be equal… get fucking better at being in a band.”
Yeah. Obviously some pretty heinous shit right there, and Crafter says he now recognises that and regrets it.
Taking to social media this arvo, he owned up to his past self’s extreme douchebaggery and apologised, writing:
“Two years ago and plenty of time years previously, I said a lot of dumb stuff online to troll, cause drama and bait people to piss them off. Things I said then are not a reflection of who I am today, as two years is a long time. I completely understand why people are pissed off, and I am sorry and I really regret it. I want women to succeed in music, my daughter included if that’s the path she chooses. I’m massive on being positive and pushing yourself and think my life nowadays is a reflection on that… Seeya at unify 2019”
But the apology hasn’t been enough to satiate some of his most vocal detractors, including members of the band Camp Cope, who interestingly work with the same PR agency as Crafter’s old band, Confession.
Camp Cope’s drummer Sarah Thompson labelled his apology “bullshit”, dubbing Crafter the “biggest cunt on the internet”:
it’s a good day when you get blocked by the biggest cunt on the internet, michael crafter. it’s also great to post a (bullshit) apology, but not really when you delete and block anyone who doesn’t praise you for it, you garbage bin human.
— Sarah Thompson (@slthomthom) August 9, 2018
Like Crafter, I Killed The Prom Queen guitarist and leader Jona Weinhofen has also condemned the vocalist’s past comments in a Twitter thread with Camp Cope singer, Georgia Maq, agreeing that they were “utterly idiotic, misogynistic and not at all any representation of the beliefs of the permanent members of the band I killed the prom queen”.
“[But] at least I can acknowledge when someone publicly apologises for a 2 year old comment instead of gripping to drama,” he added.
https://twitter.com/jonaweinhofen/status/1027393106449063937
I think it’s important to end this ugly story on a positive note, and point out how many kickass up-and-coming heavy female musicians the UNIFY peeps have booked on their lineup this year!
Seriously, if you’ve never had your mind blown by the black metal disco of Pagan, the sassy pop-punk of Yours Truly and Stand Atlantic, the melodic metalcore force of Drown This City, or the punk party vibes of Clowns or WAAX then you are in for a fkn TREAT next Jan.
Check the full lineup for UNIFY Gathering 2019 right here.
