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IT’S the story that has put Australia’s summer festival scene on the worldwide map and Garbage singer Shirley Manson did her best to put a bow on it yesterday.
This viral sensation of a rock yarn started at the Melbourne leg of the travelling festival on Friday when Mason verbally attacked punter Ben O’Brien, a long-term Garbage fan, for waving around an inflated beach ball. Previous bands on the bill had thrown out inflatable toys.
“Oh, you’re getting rid of the balloon now, you big fuckin’ douche,” Manson, 59 said from the stage.
“It’s disrespectful, and musicians (have) had enough. And we’re fed up not getting paid properly, and fed up having to play for douchebags like you.
“You’re a fuckin middle-aged man, in a fuckin’ ridiculous hat, and you’re a fuckin’ fuckface. I want to ask people to punch you in the fuckin’ face. But you know what, I’m a lady, so I won’t. But, truly, I would love to send my crew over to fuckin’ mess you up.
“And you know what, I won’t, because I pity you cause you’re a small man with a small dick.”
The tirade seemed almost inexplicable to most readers – a beach ball? But Manson doubled down on social media, saying: “I make NO APOLOGIES whatsoever for getting annoyed at beach balls at shows.
“I joined a band because I HATED THE FUCKING BEACH. I joined a band because I wanted to listen to Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure and be dark and beautiful.”
“I love the musical community and I want to respect their artistry. I am so tired of folks taking music for free and treating us all like circus performers.”
Of course what happened the following day in Brisbane was that EVERYONE brought a beachball to the Garbage show – and Manson ignored them. Then, in Brisbane on Sunday, she had this to say: “I just have to address your glorious beach balls, they’re very impressive! And not only are they impressive but they are very, very big.
“The only thing that kind of shocks me a little is there’s been more fuss made about me offending beach balls than there has about 20,000 Palestinian kids who are now fucking under the dirt.
“So whilst the Brits are busy cooking up some kind of crazy, like, antichrist rhetoric, I would just like to remind you all what’s actually important in this life.
“And maybe a beach ball brings you joy and for that I apologise. If I upset you about your blessed beach balls, I humbly apologise.
“However, I would really like it if the governments of the day apologised for what the fuck is happening in Palestine.”
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