The Strokes
The Strokes | Image: Supplied

The Strokes Invite Fan Onstage To Perform Song, Judge Her Performance

The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas delivered some tongue-in-cheek criticism to a fan who joined the band onstage to perform their track ‘Ode To The Mets’. As Stereogum reports, the incident took place at the band’s appearance during the Lytham Festival in England on Friday, 8th July.

According to video of the performance that was shared online, the unnamed fan was brought up on stage after holding up a sign requesting the chance to perform the track. Casablancas agreed, only to note that he would “be peeved if she sings it better than I do”.

The Strokes let a fan sing ‘Ode To The Mets’

Casablancas soon exited the stage, claiming he was going to “do some blow”, and left the fan in the hands of his bandmates to perform the track. After the performance, Casablancas returned and asked his bandmates for their opinion of the guest spot.

Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti were encouraging in their feedback, but Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr. were a little more harsh. “She gets an E for effort,” Fraiture noted, while Valensi’s “no comment” response saw him dub himself “the Simon Cowell of the group”.

“Should I mention that she’s German? Does that make a difference?” Casablancas asked the crowd as he also shared his opinions. “Unfortunately she doesn’t make it, she doesn’t make it, but we love her forever, and we will have the memory.”

The fan-led performance of ‘Ode To The Mets’ occurred a few days after The Strokes included a cover of Clairo’s ‘Sofia’ during a performance in Portugal. The gesture came after Clairo was forced to cancel her appearance at the same festival due to transportation issues.

Further Reading

Hear A Sneaky Preview Of The Strokes’ New Song ‘Starting Again’

Watch The Strokes Reopen New York City’s Irving Plaza

The Strokes’ Frontman Julian Casablancas Is Curating His Own Radio Station On GTA Online

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