Matchbox 20 star Rob Thomas under fire for comment at Melbourne concert

MATCHBOX 20 star Rob Thomas — who is set to play at Clipsal 500 — has apologised for saying “I keep drinking until I think I’m a black Australian” at his Melbourne concert.

USA singer songwriter Rob Thomas at the Park Hyatt Hotel, The Rocks, Sydney to launch his solo tour.

MATCHBOX 20 star Rob Thomas — who is set to play at Clipsal 500 next month — is under fire for saying “I keep drinking until I think I’m a black Australian” at his concert at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne last night.

The comments, which came during a technical glitch at the show, related to Thomas’ apparent cure for jet lag after he made the trip from New York to Melbourne.

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Thomas, who is set to play at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 on Sunday March 6, told the crowd: “When you get on the plane, on your way here, you start drinking. I keep drinking until I think I’m Australian. And then I keep drinking until I think I’m a black Australian.”

Troy Cassar-Daley, an award-winning country singer who is part Aboriginal, said on Twitter today: “Rob Thomas always came across as a smart bloke to me, I guess I was wrong.”

But his Matchbox 20 collaborator, drummer Paul Doucette, leapt to Thomas’ defence, posting on Twitter: “I can 100% assure you that @ThisIsRobThomas is not racist in any way & that no harm was meant. I can also assure you that he is devastated.”

Thomas, a renowned hit machine with songs including Smooth, 3AM, Real World and Push, apologised on his Facebook page early today.

Thomas posted: “After the show in Melbourne tonight while backstage with some of my Australian friends, it was brought to my attention that I said something that is racist and insensitive.

“Please understand that although it is no excuse, I was completely unaware that in Australia there is a polarising social issue happening right now involving indigenous people and alcohol.

“When I was made aware of it, the ground fell out beneath me, and I realised that people may now see me as the exact opposite of who I am.

“I’m sitting here in my hotel room completely gutted that a joke that I made was much more relevant to the times in Australia than I realised,” Thomas said.

“I know that words are just words, but to those I offended, I deeply, DEEPLY apologise!

“Everyone who knows me is aware that for the past 20 years I have been a fervent supporter of civil rights, so I am incredibly embarrassed by my ignorance.

“I feel like a fool and apologise to all Australians.”

Music journalist Paul Cashmere, who attended the show, wrote on his Noise11 website: “The fans were not impressed. Most booed, some laughed.”

“It was a stupid thing for Rob Thomas, a frequent visitor to Australia, to say. He is not a first time visitor who should be ignorant of Australian history and culture.”

But Koori woman Belina, who was at the concert said she wasn’t offended.

“I am a Koori woman.

“He was not being racist, it is only a very small number that took this in a negative light. This has been taken too far. Rob Thomas has since apologised as he had not meant it the way people have taken it,” she said.

Faithful fan Lynette Wilson, who was also at his concert, said she thought he meant something entirely different by the remark.

“I personally think he was simply referring to being a true blue Aussie ... One unknowingly inappropriate comment does not make someone a racist,” she said.

“The poor guy was trying to keep a packed crowd entertained during a technical glitch.

“He made up an off the cuff song including mention of his long haul flight from the US and how he avoided jet lag ... He had no clue about how the comment would be referenced in Australia.”

Originally published as Matchbox 20 star Rob Thomas under fire for comment at Melbourne concert