Falling in Reverse backed out of their Sept. 24 performance at WIIL Rock Fest 2022 in Illinois after the laptops they use for their set went missing, as lead singer Ronnie Radke explained in a video.
Subsequently, some responded by criticizing the reason for the rock band’s cancellation in the comments. Falling in Reverse were second billed at WILL Rock Fest beneath the headliners Shinedown.
95 WIIL Rock, the Wisconsin-based radio station behind the one-day music festival in Grayslake, Illinois, posted the filmed message from Radke on social media the night before the event (Sept. 23). It has a watermark from the Falling in Reverse singer’s verified TikTok account. However, the clip does not currently appear there.
Watch the video down towards the bottom of this post.
“WIIL Rock, I regret to inform you that we have to cancel,” Radke says in the clip (as transcribed by Loudwire). “We have no other option. I’m really — I’m sorry. And I never make videos like this. But I feel like I owe it to you guys.”
The musician explains, “We walk into rehearsals, and our laptops are missing, that we run all of our show on and stuff. And as a band in 2022, you need your laptops, you know? It’s like driving a car without an engine . It’s really unfortunate. Supposedly they are lost. Blame it on our crew, I guess. I don’t know how that happened. That’s never happened before. Pretty upset about it. They were brand new laptops. … I’m very sorry , guys.”
WIIL Rock’s video caption stated, “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. This really sucks! The show will go on!”
Some comments on the post belittled Falling in Reverse’s reliance on technology. “Can’t you just play your instruments and sing,” a Facebook user named Holli Hollins replied. “If you need a laptop to perform, YOU’RE NOT A BAND!!!” another named Al Medley added.
In the past, rockers such as Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Wolfgang Van Halen (Mammoth WVH) and Sebastian Bach (ex-Skid Row) have denounced the practice of rock and metal bands using backing tracks — the pre-recorded music that sometimes accompanies the live musicians in a group.
Falling in Reverse recently released the singles “Voices in My Head” and “Zombified.” Both songs are slated to appear on the band’s upcoming album Neon Zombie EP, which has no release date yet.
Ronnie Radke WIIL Fest Video Message – Sept. 23, 2022
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