Over the weekend, the Battle & Treaty had been initially slated to play a charity occasion for a nonprofit firm known as Equestrian Connection, and as an alternative ended up becoming a member of Zach Bryan for “Hey Driver” at his Michigan Stadium live performance, which broke the file for the highest-attended ticketed live performance in America. After receiving public backlash from Equestrian Connection, the duo has made an announcement about their choice.
Per their web site, Equestrian Connection makes use of horses as remedy to “positively impression the lives of hundreds of mentally, emotionally and bodily challenged kids and adults.” They declare the Battle & Treaty dropped out of their scheduled efficiency at Marty’s Barn Social gathering in Lake Forest, IL three hours earlier than, whereas the Battle & Treaty assert it was 5. “Making an attempt to not choose however laborious to know why the band would cancel their paid dedication or a minimum of give us ample prior discover,” EC wrote on Fb. “Nonetheless making an attempt to course of the dearth of empathy.”
Based on Billboard, occasion organizer Diana Finley Schnell shared her account of the state of affairs:
They mentioned they gained’t be right here now as a result of they bought a greater supply for a tour. I’ve by no means seen such a tragic show of unprofessionalism in my life…. How are you going to affirm the day earlier than after which to not present up and even contact the occasion to inform them. We nonetheless wouldn’t know if we hadn’t known as their agent…If I ever see them at a present and have the prospect I’m doing one thing to destroy their present.
Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter gave their account to Billboard, saying they had been invited on Friday evening by Bryan’s father to sing the Nationwide Anthem on the nation star’s live performance, however the formal invitation arrived Saturday morning after they bought to Chicago. They consulted their administration and reserving company and determined to go to Ann Arbor however didn’t instantly notify Marty’s Barn Social gathering organizers.
“We by no means checked into the lodge, we by no means went to the venue, by no means ate any meals, by no means did any of that,” Michael Trotter defined. “[The event organizer] is on the market saying we stole their cash, ate their meals, checked into resorts, all these things about us that’s simply not true.” He mentioned the $50,000 efficiency charge was refunded, they usually made a $5,000 donation and a video apologizing and explaining their absence.
The Battle & Treaty mentioned they selected to affix Bryan due to their shut friendship and the significance of their collaboration “Hey Driver.” Right here’s what Michael Trotter mentioned:
Whereas we had been [on stage] I used to be retaining in thoughts the occasions once I was standing on helipads in Iraq, standing on the banks of the Euphrates River being shot at…the place I believed I wasn’t going to have the ability to do that dream of mine to be a musician and recording artist. I by no means imagined being in a stadium of 112,000 people-plus singing a track that Zach Bryan and the Battle and Treaty have executed collectively. With the ability to characterize the U.S. Military — all my battle buddies, all of the veterans — [and] characterize my metropolis, Albion, within the state of Michigan, with my spouse and our buddy and partaking in his success and being a part of that…we needed to do it.
He continued, “In hindsight I want that Zach would’ve requested us lots earlier, however, I imply, it’s Michigan and it’s the most important live performance in U.S. historical past. You don’t actually get that chance many occasions in your life.”
“Was it the very best choice we’ve ever made and the way we did it?” Tanya Trotter added. “No, however once I look again at our journey and every thing we’ve gone via and the banner he waves and we wave as a pair that battled disabilities, for me it was one thing that was rewarding to expertise.”