J.O. Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I was talking with Dave a few months ago about his United experience -- not pleasant at all. I quite enjoyed the video though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I just posted this about 2 minutes before you did, LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CD Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 'Smashed to smithereens' Sons of Maxwell’s guitar destroyed by airline staff By JEFFREY SIMPSON Staff Reporter Wed. Jul 8 - 4:46 AM Dave Carroll is hoping for a smash hit with his critical song about United Airlines. Mr. Carroll, half of the Halifax band Sons of Maxwell, released his latest video online Tuesday and quickly began hearing from sympathetic people wanting to share their own flying experiences. The video garnered more than 131,000 views as of Wednesday afternoon. United Breaks Guitars was inspired by a trip Mr. Carroll took with the airline last year on his way to a tour in Nebraska. While changing planes in Chicago, another passenger watching the baggage handlers on the tarmac shouted words no musician wants to hear. "Oh my God, they’re throwing guitars outside," Mr. Carroll recalled her saying. "So it was noticeable enough to a passenger that she felt compelled to scream it out." A member of the Sons of Maxwell backing band looked out the window in time to see his bass flying through the air, which had followed Mr. Carroll’s $3,500 Taylor acoustic. "Bass guitars are pretty indestructible but acoustic guitars aren’t," Mr. Carroll said. He tried to speak with three different United employees in Chicago to complain and was told to take it up with staff in Omaha. When he arrived in that city, it was late and no United employees were around, so he went with his band to the hotel and slept. Tour promoters picked them up early the next morning, so he didn’t check out the damage until later. "At the first show, I opened up the case and there was my guitar smashed to smithereens on the bottom," Mr. Carroll said. "I had two guitars so I finished the tour, and as soon as I got back to Omaha I spoke to a person, trying to open up a claim and show them the damage, and they wouldn’t look at it. They said I had to go back to the airport I started the whole thing with." That kicked off a frustrating ordeal that lasted months as Mr. Carroll sought to be reimbursed in flight vouchers for the $1,200 it cost to repair his guitar. He’d started his trip in Halifax, but United has no staff in the city. Instead, Air Canada acts as its partner. One of that airline’s employees examined the damage and opened a claim but didn’t want to pay, Mr. Carroll said. Air Canada told him to call United. He reached a call centre in India and was directed to staff in Chicago and then New York. "The lady seemed interested to do something in New York and said to call back," he said. "When I did, the number had been disconnected and I got sent back to Chicago, and they said, ‘Just bring the guitar into O’Hare and we’ll look at it.’ " After following up with several more phone calls and emails to other United representatives, Mr. Carroll reached a woman who told him the airline wouldn’t accept responsibility. So, inspired by the crusading filmmaker Michael Moore, Mr. Carroll told her that he intended to write a series of three songs about United Airlines, make videos and put them on YouTube.com to share his story with people around the world. "I sent her an email this morning inviting her to help me reach my goal of one million views on YouTube.com and to tell all her friends to view the video," Mr. Carroll said late Tuesday afternoon. The video, which is also featured on the Sons of Maxwell website (sonsofmaxwell.com), features Mr. Carroll recounting his tale through the twangy song, strumming a broken instrument while orange-clad baggage handlers toss around guitar cases. "It started as a way to release a little frustration but it’s actually been a really enjoyable experience as a songwriter trying to write three unique songs about the same thing," Mr. Carroll said. "I’ve been doing that in all my live shows for a long time and it goes over like gangbusters." He’s already written the second song and how the third one turns out could depend on United itself. "They have a golden opportunity here to determine how Song 3 turns out," he said. "They can take an active part and if they want to turn this into a happy ending, they can." Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based United, said late Tuesday afternoon that the airline has changed its course and wants to speak with Mr. Carroll today to settle the matter. She declined to comment further until she spoke to him. "This has struck a chord with us," she said. "We’re going to contact him directly." Full article here... Sons of Maxwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thebean Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I'm surprised there isn't video evidence. Considering 99% of the travelling public are packing Cell Phones, with video cameras. They...do...come in handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrlupin Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Strangely enough, that song is going to put this band in the spotlight.... 168000 hits so far!! Hilarious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 388,000 as of this morning and he was on the CTV morning news show. This is going to definately place them in the spotlight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAT3DUAL Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 If I were UNITED, I would cut this guy a cheque ASAP. The odds of him being on the TONIGHTSHOW or SNL singing this little song are growing. Talk about putting their feet to the purverbial fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 7:11 pm EST 642,000 views. It would have been cheaper to give this guy the $3500.00. TV appearances and one of the largest public media outlets going today (you tube) and he is making his point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manwest Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 THe fellow was just on CBC news at six and he has been asked to go on CNN with Wolf Blitzer this evening and Fox news want to fly him to New York this weekend. Suggest UA to settle asap. *come fly the friendly skies.* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Couldn't UAL just sue him foe libel/slander and shut him up PDQ. He admitted he didn't check the guitar until showtime so it sat around unattended for a day. Who is to say it was busted then? The case wasn't crushed when he picked it up from UAL or he would have stated that. How do we know it wasn't already busted when he checked it in. I hope he got the name of that guitar throwing witness. I worked with some folks who would buy the top of the line Nikes, wear them for 6 months and then return them to nike for a (kid you not) loose thread, slight rubber delam, any excuse they could find. Nike's policy was to send them a new or better pair, no questions asked. Those guys didn't buy shoes for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 And what's with that melody? I've heard enough C & W music that the melody sounds awfully familiar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 And what's with that melody? I've heard enough C & W music that the melody sounds awfully familiar? Don't you know there are only seven country songs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 ...and when played backwards you get married, find your dog and your truck starts workin'!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Don't you know there are only seven country songs? What are you saying - I've got the same tune 37 times? Does that include Dolly's Stairway to Heaven? Oh well - I suppose we should all be thankful it wasn't KD Lang's Guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Dolly did Stairway to Heaven? ....don't think I ever want to hear that! He's got over 1.3 million views now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thebean Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 And what's with that melody? I've heard enough C & W music that the melody sounds awfully familiar? It is somewhat reminiscent of REM's "Don't go back to Rockville". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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