Image Credit: Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com
It’s hard being the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is currently a game and a half out of first place in Major League Baseball’s toughest division, but they play in a terrible stadium that nobody really goes to anyway. And now, they’ve got an Avril problem.
On Saturday (May 28), after the team took a late-game thumping from the Cleveland Indians, the crowd was treated to a concert by Ms. Lavigne as a part of their summer concert series, which also features the likes of Miranda Lambert, Miranda Cosgrove, Goo Goo Dolls and REO Speedwagon.
Apparently, there were some technical difficulties at the top of the show, which lead to Lavigne dropping the F-bomb and several other choice words on a live microphone in front of an all-ages crowd, some of whom were reportedly booing in response to the sound difficulties. You can check out the NSFW audio after the jump.
Of course, Lavigne’s music isn’t exactly squeaky-clean to begin with (her current single “Smile” opens with the line “You know that I’m a crazy b—-”; later she declares she’s “f—ing crazy rock and roll”), so the crowd shouldn’t have been entirely surprised that she slipped in a little sailor language to vent her frustration. She even apologized for it towards the end of her set, which you can see below.
Still, the team was embarrassed enough to issue a formal apology: “The Rays demand profanity-free performances from all of our concert performers, and we are extremely disappointed by the language used in last night’s show,” Rays spokesman Rick (Not “Wild Thing”) Vaughn said in a statement. “It is not consistent with the family-friendly atmosphere that Tropicana Field is known for.”
That last line is key, because for anybody who has been to Tropicana Field knows, it’s about the mildest place in the country to watch a baseball game. Had this incident occurred in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or St. Louis—all heavy baseball enclaves full of potty-mouthed denizens constantly inventing new curse words to express their frustration over Albert Pujols‘ inability to hit home runs—it wouldn’t be as big a deal.
Were you there? And do you expect a similar incident when the Wiggles play the venue next month? Let us know in the comments below.
Read more from EW.com:
Avril Lavigne’s acoustic cover of Ke$ha’s ‘TiK ToK’: Watch it here
Review: Avril Lavigne, Goodbye Lullaby
Avril Lavigne ditches her man to be a bad girl in ‘What the Hell’ video: Watch here
ATTENTION WH!RE
Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait – The Wiggles are touring?!! Where can I find the dates?
HaHa:
“spokesman Rick (Not “Wild Thing”) Vaughn “
What’s an Avril Lavigne? It sounds like something you find at a state fair.
To be fair, the sound at those concerts is HORRIBLE. You might as well be listening to the performer from underwater.
no class.
i agree, the people of tampa have no class or respect for the performers!
Those Wiggles are apesh*t, man. You’ll be bleeding from the ears from the f-bombs and blasphemy. And the nudity! Family friendly my a**.
I remember hearing about Avril playing after the game and thinking that it was interesting. I guess it sounded like a good idea to someone.
Oh no! Someone said a naughty word! All those lives ruined!
Wait until you have kids of your own, tough guy….
stfu douche.
Odd and wrong for you to lump Pittsburgh in with those other cities. We go see the Cubs there at least once a year and it always seems mild and family friendly.
It didn’t seem that bad to me. I can understand though anyone being upset with her swearing since there are children present.
New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. It’s like that Sesame Street which one of these things is not like the other. It’s clearly Pittsburgh.
F—- this stupid news item!
You’r a moron…..world,
“Had this incident occurred in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or St. Louis—all heavy baseball enclaves full of potty-mouthed denizens constantly inventing new curse words to express their frustration over Albert Pujols‘ inability to hit home runs”
………………………
This makes no sense. First, why as a Pirates fan would I be swearing because a player from the other team didn’t hit a home run? Second, Pittsburgh hasn’t been a “heavy baseball enclave” for some time. It’s more of a hockey and football town. PNC Park is a wonderful place to catch a game. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe next time check on things before you type them. Am I supposed to think St. Louis fans are potty-mouthed because you said so? I’m sure they’d disagree as well.
I agree. I am St. Louis fan and attend Cards games regularly, and I don’t even know where this “potty-mouthed” accusation comes from. If anything, I’ve heard the opposite from visitors to our stadium. Seriously, EW…just stick to entertainment and leave the sports-related comments alone.
As if the little darlings didn’t here the drunken slop yelling profanties to the umps in the late innings.
It’s funny that the writer calls the audio clip “not safe for work” and yet seems to be making fun of the Ray’s organization for being offended and releasing an apology. If you think it’s inappropriate for work (where presumably everyone is over 18 years old), why would you think it’s appropriate for a venue that has families with kids? Just wondering…
P.S. The Trop may have it’s problems, but we NEVER have to worry about rain delays and inclimate weather
Agree – EW writers love to play it fast and loose, and then they play CYA. Bunch of chickens!
OK, Puritans. Why are you so afraid of a WORD?