Depending on the audience, there are some songs you shouldn’t sing. “God Bless America” probably doesn’t warm the hearts of terrorists gathered around an al-Qaeda campfire, and “One Bourbon, One Shot & One Beer” is hardly the best music for an AA convention. Just ask Pete Doherty.
The Babyshambles singer was booed off the on3 music festival stage in Munich, Germany, Saturday after performing “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,” a little ditty that served as that country’s national anthem during the days of the Third Reich and hasn’t been played in Germany since the end of WWII.
Actually only the first verse – “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” – hasn’t been sung since 1945 because of its Nazi connections. The entire piece, written by Joseph Haydn in 1797, is called “Deutschlandlied.” The song’s third verse is Germany’s current national anthem.
Although the festival aired live on Bavarian radio, broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk managed to cut the broadcast as soon as Doherty, who appeared as a surprise guest, began singing the song.
Even though the booing began before Doherty finished the tune, the singer managed to complete five other numbers before festival organizers pulled him from the stage, according to London’s Telegraph newspaper.
According to Reuters, a “moderator” asked Doherty to leave the stage, resulting in the singer throwing a microphone at her. That resulted in Bayerishcher Rundfunk demanding that the Brit apologize.
Which he did. Sort of. Britain’s Sky News ran a statement issued by Doherty’s publicist saying “He was unaware of the controversy surrounding the German national anthem and he deeply apologizes if he has caused any offence.”
Click here for the complete Telegraph article.
Click here to read the Reuters article.