A pair of star-studded New York tribute concerts to legend David Bowie was marred Thursday as one act, The Roots, abruptly pulled out.
The jazzy hip-hop band’s main member, Questlove, accused unnamed other performers of jealously guarding their equipment.
“I’ve never been so insecure or petty as to deny a fellow musician use of ANY of my equipment,” he wrote on Instagram, adding: “It angers me when the same courtesy is not reciprocated.”
“We have patience. But we do NOT have patience for #Bitchassness. Enjoy your precious equipment,” he wrote.
But Questlove, a drummer also known for the in-house band on the nightly “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, acknowledged that he often has trouble “keeping a level head.”
Leading US artists including Cyndi Lauper, former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe,Blondie and Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell are taking part in the shows Thursday and Friday.
The first show, at Carnegie Hall, was announced just as the shocking news came out of Bowie’s death on January 10 from an undisclosed battle with cancer.
Designed to raise money for charities that support music education in schools, the concerts were transformed into tributes to Bowie, one of the most influential artists in pop history.
A second show was added for Friday at Radio City Music Hall, another leading venue in Bowie’s adopted home of New York.
Other performers include alternative rock greats the Pixies and The Flaming Lips as well as grunge godfather J. Mascis or Dinosaur Jr.
Concerts with multiple performers often encourage artists to share equipment to minimize pauses, in contrast to festivals where crews routinely take 20 minutes or more to set up for each act.
