Charley Crockett has offered a new explanation for why Twin Temple were removed from a pair of his shows earlier this summer, now claiming the Satanic doo-wop outfit were dropped because of production concerns and their stage presentation rather than their religious beliefs.
The controversy began in July when Twin Temple announced that they had been removed from two of Crockett’s upcoming shows. At the time, the band claimed they had been ejected specifically because of their Satanic imagery and said they were disappointed that their performances had been canceled.
The band stated:
“Today we were informed that Charley Crockett has decided to remove Twin Temple from his upcoming shows next week due to our Satanic imagery.
Unfortunately, that means we will not be able to perform for you next week as planned. We are really disappointed as we were looking forward to getting back out and seeing you, and also what it meant as far as bringing different types of people and music lovers together. We are sorry to everyone who was planning to see us. We’re grateful for your support, not only of Twin Temple, but more importantly of artistic freedom. HAIL SATAN! 93/93”
Crockett appeared to address the situation shortly afterward when he told Rolling Stone, “I thought they were like Black Sabbath but they ain’t. Not today Satan.”
Now, more than a month later, Crockett has provided his own account of what happened. In a social media statement posted August 18th, he denied that Twin Temple were removed because of their Satanic beliefs and instead pointed to their production requirements and concerns over their live presentation.
Crockett wrote:
“I gotta clear this up right quick. I never dropped that band from those 2 shows for ‘Satanic Imagery’, they made it up and dragged me by a rope real good. It all started about a month before those shows while we were off in Wyoming. Their production requests raised eyebrows simply because we couldn’t accommodate them physically. Then I noticed some of the things they’d been doing on stage and after thinking about it for a couple days I decided to cut em loose.”
According to Crockett, his team ultimately told the band that their performance was not suitable for an all-ages audience, while also claiming that Twin Temple were paid in full.
“We told em the vibe just wasn’t right for an all ages audience, and we paid em in full. They got together with their business folks and plotted for days before finally making their public statement, designed for effect.”
Crockett went on to accuse Twin Temple of deliberately framing the situation as a dispute over religious and creative freedom, arguing that the controversy benefited the band as they prepared to promote new music and an upcoming headline tour.
He also criticized the media coverage surrounding the incident, claiming that much of the reporting failed to present what he considers the full story.
The country musician additionally took aim at Jack White, who invited Twin Temple to open for him shortly after their removal from Crockett’s shows. Crockett accused White of using the controversy to help sell tickets and said the situation had caused him to lose respect for the former White Stripes frontman.
The latest comments add another layer to an unusual dispute that initially appeared to center on Twin Temple’s Satanic imagery. Twin Temple have maintained their original account, while Crockett now says production limitations and concerns over their stage presentation were the actual reasons behind the decision.
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