Kanye West Will Return to Bonnaroo After 2008 Debacle
Six years ago, Bonnaroo concertgoers began waiting at 8:45 p.m. for Kanye West’s scheduled headlining performance at the Tennessee festival. At 4:45 in the morning, West finally appeared onstage — two hours after his already rescheduled time — to perform what was, to many, a tumultuous and below-average performance.
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Nine days later, West took to his blog to pen a 773-word explanation, excoriating festival organizers for giving him a sun-drenched time slot that ran counter to the rapper’s nighttime-themed Glow in the Dark tour.
“WE WERE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH FUCKING IDIOTS WHO DIDN’T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY PUT ON THIS SHOW PROPERLY,” wrote West. “THEY TRIED 2 GIVE ME A TIME SLOT WHERE IT WAS STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE … I HAVE A FUCKING LIGHT SHOW DUMB ASS, IT’S NOT CALLED GLOW IN THE DARK FOR NO REASON SQUID BRAINS!”
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West wrote that numerous problems hindered the show, from co-headliners Pearl Jam ending their set one hour late to onstage liquid from thrown water bottles to the idea that West’s mammoth stage show may have been too big to fit on Bonnaroo’s stage.
“I’M SORRY TO EVERYONE THAT I DIDN’T HAVE THE ABILITY 2 GIVE THE PERFORMANCE I WANTED TO,” West continued. “I’M SORRY… SOMETIMES I GO 2, 3 DAYS W/O SLEEP WORKING ON MY PERFORMANCE… I HAVE TO ICE MY KNEES AFTER EVERY SHOW AND THEY HURT WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE AIRPORT… HAVING AN EXPENSIVE STAGE CUTS MY PAYDAY IN HALF… CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL!!!”
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In the six years since the show, West and festival organizers have apparently made amends, as the rapper will headline the 2014 festival alongside Elton John, Jack White, Lionel Richie and Vampire Weekend. West is currently finishing up the North American leg of his Yeezus tour, which started last October in Seattle and is scheduled for a five-city run in Australia this May.
No word yet on what time the rapper’s Bonnaroo set is scheduled to begin.