Willie Leaves Concert Appearance -

[packman]

Willie Nelson walked slowly onto the stage, picked up his guitar, set the guitar back down, curtly whipped his cowboy hat into the crowd, then shuffled back off-stage

Country Music Hall of Famer Willie Nelson came to Charlotte's PNC Music Pavilion on Saturday night specifically to headline his Outlaw Music Festival, then left without ever playing or singing a single note — leaving fans confused, angry and disappointed

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/article212023149.html#storylink=cpy

Hope all is well with Willie - but, time is ruthless and the bard is 85 years into his rich life. May God be kind to him. He will always have my respect and admiration for his talent and his life-style.

[Jake Stern]

1. Wow

Doesn't seem like his style at all.

[bigtree]

2. he's 85 and obviously feeling his age

Last edited Sun May 27, 2018, 02:28 PM - Edit history (1)

...where's the mystery?

True fans will understand.

I've been to several Willie Nelson shows (at least three headliners) and he played an exhausting, almost continuous set.

[Iggo]

11. Fans, schmans. Right-thinking humans will understand.

[eShirl]

3. hope his health is alright

[Uncle Joe]

18. +1

[Totally Tunsie]

20. Ditto,

[Demovictory9]

4. at 85, he's earned the right "shuffle" off stage if he doesn't feel right. hope its nothing serious

[oberliner]

6. No, he hasn't

People paid a lot of money for these tickets.

[Demovictory9]

8. refund?

[oberliner]

23. It's unclear if they've offered refunds.

Live Nation asked fans to hold on to their tickets for a new concert date. It’s unclear if they’ve offered refunds.

http://www.tmz.com/2018/05/27/willie-nelson-walks-off-stage-illness/

[MagickMuffin]

14. From the article

Live Nation issued a press release after 11 p.m. Saturday night, saying, simply: "Due to illness, Willie Nelson was unable to play tonight at the Outlaw Music Festival at PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte. Fans are asked to please hold on to their tickets until the new date is announced."


He didn't just leave because he wanted to, he wasn't feeling well, and who wants to play music if they aren't feeling well!

[oberliner]

24. He literally walked off stage

If he wasn't feeling well, he should've cancelled the show beforehand.

[Dennis Donovan]

34. Did you consider that maybe he felt like shit *moments* before climbing up on stage?

[gabeana]

42. are you serious?

The man is 85 yrs old, we don't know how he felt at that moment
but all he has given his fans throughout the years with his thousands of performances
I'll give the man the benefit of the doubt.

[backtoblue]

17. Dude, tickets can be refunded

Willie is a treasure and at 85 years old he can walk off whenever he feels the need.

[oberliner]

25. That's not necessarily true

They have said there would be a re-scheduled date, not that there would be refunds.

Also, would the refunds include the cost of getting to the venue? Driving? Parking?

It's not cool to walk offstage once the audience is already there.

If not feeling well, cancel the show beforehand - even that morning.

[backtoblue]

29. Shows are cancelled all the time by celebrities

And for various reasons. Im sure it will work out in the end for all the ticket holders. Willie's a great performer as well as person, and I hope whatever ails him, he makes a speedy recovery.

[tonedevil]

41. You express the most despicable...

of human reactions to things every time you post. A Willie Nelson concert comes with a definite possibility of him being unable to continue due to things that happen to an 85 year old human. I can hear you booing as his lifeless body is taken from the stage by EMTs.

[Miles Archer]

32. Lemmy from Motorhead

This man was dying from cancer and was still touring.

The band was three songs into the set and he couldn't do it.

You can watch the clip and hear what he said to the audience.

The crowd chanted in support as he left. No riots, no anger. I'm sure there was disappointment but they were aware of the fact that he was in a state of decline, and because he offered an apology and an explanation, the TRUE Motorhead fans...some of the most faithful in the world...understood and were more concerned about his health than the fact that they paid for tickets.

That's all it takes. "Sorry, can't do this." A couple of seconds of respect for the fans who respect you enough to sustain your careeer,

I like Willie, and I do hope he is OK. Silently pitching your hat into the crowd isn't the way to do it.

[uponit7771]

33. Yeah, he should be jailed before he dies and stuff :rolleyes:

[Nevernose]

35. I paid a lot of money for his cancelled Vegas show

In January. Got a full refund, too.

The guy’s 85 fucking years old. It’s a stroke of good luck for everyone if he doesn’t keel over right on stage.

[Codeine]

40. I have purchased tickets for Morrissey shows

on over twenty occasions. Just over half of those ended up with an actual non-cancelled show. America’s hillbillies will survive the good Mr. Nelson skipping a single concert, refund or no.

[onethatcares]

5. agreed with the above post

Willie has written music that spans a decade, he can take a night off. Geez, I can't picture being 85 let alone working at that age.

[oberliner]

7. Take a night off?

Cancel the concert then.

[BannonsLiver]

9. Another AWFUL hot take

Do you think this stuff through or just start typing?

[msongs]

10. he took their $ by promising a concert and failed to deliver. a refund is correct nt

[BannonsLiver]

12. Refunds/re-scheds are SOP

Only someone who has no fucking idea what they’re talking about would say otherwise. The callous, un-empathetic tone from a supposed progressive is what I was reacting to.

[Adrahil]

44. Refund of the ticket is only one piece....

Some folks drive several hours to get there. Some might even come from farther away and stay in a hotel. I've done both to see some performers. Then there's food, and parking.

It seem to me he wanted to perform. No doubt all those things were in his head. But for some folks, they are just plain out of pocket and will not get reimbursed.

[BannonsLiver]

45. When you buy tickets to see an 85 year old performer

It’s always a bit of a gamble. One must be willing to assume some risk.

[oberliner]

26. Awful?

It's not easy for people to get to a concert. Usually involves spending money driving, parking, what have you.

If an artist isn't feeling well, they ought to cancel ahead of time - at least before the concertgoers arrived.

I don't see what is so awful about that perspective.

[Cha]

43. ++++++++++++++++

[MagickMuffin]

15. From the article

Live Nation issued a press release after 11 p.m. Saturday night, saying, simply: "Due to illness, Willie Nelson was unable to play tonight at the Outlaw Music Festival at PNC Music Pavilion Charlotte. Fans are asked to please hold on to their tickets until the new date is announced."


He didn't just leave because he wanted to, he wasn't feeling well, and who wants to play music if they aren't feeling well!

[oberliner]

27. So cancel ahead of time is what I am saying

Or perhaps speak to the audience and inform them that you are too ill to perform rather than just walking on and then walking off stage? These concerts aren't cheap.

[mantis49]

22. A decade?

How about at least six decades?

Did you mean millennium?

I sure hope he gets well!

[Iggo]

28. It could be read as his songs, played end-to-end, could span a decade.

But that's a stretch.

[Solly Mack]

13. Maybe he saw something in the crowd he didn't like?

Nelson was quite rowdy in his younger days. Barroom brawls and everything - because he hates stupid.

He still hates stupid.

[lpbk2713]

16. Willie has donated time, talent and money to Farm-Aid since 1985.

It's unfortunate that this audience didn't get what they paid for but I won't obsess about it.
Personally I think it is commendable that an 85 yo person can walk across the room.

[kentuck]

19. Willie has not been in good health.

I'm sure he will offer a refund to anyone that requests it.

He was not trying to rip anyone off, I am sure.

[backtoblue]

30. +1 nt

[treestar]

21. Age age 85

retire. He surely has the money.

[leftyladyfrommo]

31. Sounds to me like he tried to be there but realized

that he just couldn't do it.

Better to walk off than collapse on stage.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

36. Love Willie, but, he's not doing well... saw him a few years ago, his voice was shot then...

and he sang horribly off tune. Maybe it was an "off night," but I wouldn't bet on that. Might be time for ole Willie to hang up his "spurs"... sorry (and sad) to say.

[kurtcagle]

37. Saw him in concert last year

There was a considerable interval between the warm-up act and Nelson's house musicians, and Willie didn't show up himself until the third set. The performance was good, but I couldn't help but think that he wouldn't be doing many more of these. He was visibly worn out by the end of the show.

I think his fans understand. He is a legend, and the fact that he is still performing is incredible, especially once you start realizing how very many people who have preceded him to the grave. I hope he gets to feeling better.

[Lunabell]

38. Oh man

My best to Willie. 85 ain't young. I hope his "fans" understand.

[argyl]

39. I was fortunate to have been living in Austin when Willie busted out of Nashville in 1972.

And Waylon came down in '73. Those were some great times.

At the Armadillo World Headquarters you'd be as apt to see Willie or Waylon smoking a joint in the crowd as performing onstage.

Willie especially.