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Donald Trump definitely rejected “legendary group” from inauguration party for charging too much

By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 19 January 2017

Donald Trump’s inauguration is tomorrow. It’s finally here! And across all of the many parties and balls in his honour, there will be musicians performing, despite what you’ve been claiming. Oh, what? You’re still slightly underwhelmed by the line-ups? Yeah, well, they could have booked a big name rock band that you would have heard of, they just decided not to. FOR CHARITY.

Yeah, so, in a vague story definitely not leaked by Trump’s team as an attempt to save face, TMZ reports that negotiations reached a reasonably advanced stage with a “legendary group” to perform at some inauguration event or other (they’re not clear which). However, that band wanted more than $1 million to perform. And that was just too much. Every penny spent on talent for the show is a penny not donated to charity.

The Inauguration Committee has apparently received more than $90 million in donations to make sure Donald Trump is welcomed in the humble manner he desires. Whatever is left over at the end will be donated to a charity or charities unnamed. So really, asking for such a high fee makes the band look bad. However, even after Trump himself pleaded with them to drop their price, they refused and he told the committee to move on.

It is claimed that the group are in the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame, so you can have a guess at who it might have been by casting your eye over the list here. I reckon it was Abba, for sure. Or maybe Beastie Boys. Green Day? Wait, it must be Guns N Roses. And you know they’d probably turn up late anyway. Oh, NWA were inducted last year, weren’t they?

It’s not Garth Brooks, if that’s what you’re thinking. He’s not a group, nor is he in the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame. Legendary? Well, let’s just leave it. All you need to know is that, despite speculation, he’s not performing for Trump. And this week he explained why.

Although there were some discussions about him playing, Brooks told fans in a Facebook Live chat on Monday, he ultimately “left it up to karma”, whatever that means. And then, would you bloody believe it, he ended up having a load of tour dates booked in Cincinnati starting this weekend making a trip to Washington tomorrow impractical.

Brooks answered the question because, during the video broadcast, his team informed him that around 75% of comments were related to the inauguration. And many of those weren’t appeased by his explanation. Ah well. Closing off, Brooks said: “Can’t thank you Obamas enough for serving this country, and may God hold Trump’s hand in the decisions that he makes in this country’s name”.

One artist who will be performing for Trump is former Motown singer Chrisette Michele, who will reportedly play at the official inauguration party. However, she’s apparently asked for this to be kept a “big secret”, according to New York Daily News, due to fears of a backlash. These fears grew after Jennifer Holliday decided to pull out of the event following anger from her fanbase. So make sure you don’t tell anyone about this. Even on the night if she does play.

Also performing for Trump are Audioslave, who are reuniting for an inauguration ball. I say “for” Trump, it’s more against Trump, as they’ll be playing Prophets Of Rage’s Anti-Inaugural Ball in LA tomorrow night.

The band formed in 2002 by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, and Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell have not performed together for eleven years. Also on the bill will be the more recent post-RATM band Prophets Of Rage, plus Vic Mensa, Jackson Browne, Jack Black and the Los Angeles Freedom Choir.

“The Anti-Inaugural Ball is a celebration of resistance”, said Morello in a statement announcing the show. “Resistance to racism. Resistance to sexism. Resistance to homophobia. Resistance to bullying. Resistance to environmental devastation. Resistance to fascism. Resistance to Donald Trump. We are staring down the barrel of a dystopian nightmare unless we act now, unless we fight back now”.