Guy Sebastian’s stance on vaccination campaign in question after Instagram post
Less than 24 hours after his peers in Australian live music lent their names to a pro-vaccination campaign, pop star Guy Sebastian has muddied the waters.
Less than 24 hours after hundreds of his peers in the Australian live music industry lent their names and voices to a pro-vaccination campaign named #VaxTheNation, pop singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian has muddied the waters by removing a Facebook post supporting the initiative.
“I’m sure that today some of you might have seen an industry call-out – with the best of intentions for our live music industry, which has been absolutely decimated – trying to find a pathway forward so that we can all assemble together again,” said Sebastian in a video posted to Instagram on Monday night.
The singer said that the campaign was posted to his Facebook page without his direct involvement, and he took issue with how the message was framed for his 837,000 followers on the platform.
“It is not my role to communicate in the way that that post was communicating,” he said. “I would never, ever tell people what to do when it comes to their personal health choices. I’m very sensitive of it, not only at a public level, but even in my personal life, with people who have circumstances that they have to consider when making these choices.
“I just want to say I’m really sorry,” said Sebastian. “It was not a post that communicated with love or compassion, which I feel is what’s needed when it comes to addressing things like vaccinations. I just wanted to clarify that, so that I could speak my truth, and people knew how I actually feel. Lots of love.”
Rather than clarifying, though, his late-night social media post has led to the perception that the popular artist no longer supports #VaxTheNation.
The Australian approached Sebastian’s management and his record label, Sony, on Tuesday morning for clarity on whether or not he supports the campaign.
In a statement received after midday, Sebastian told The Australian, “There is no confusion, I made the personal decision to be double vaccinated. I support the music industry initiatives to revive our industry, however, I personally don’t believe it is my place to deal in absolutes to tell people what to do in regards to their personal health choices. We need to remember to communicate with empathy and understanding. This has always been my goal.”
In an additional statement provided to the Daily Telegraph, the singer said, “It is important to consider that there are people in unique medical circumstances, including people in my own industry, and that having compassion towards them does not turn you into an anti-vaxxer.”
“I am not against the campaign,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “I put my name to it. I would just personally, when posting about it, I want to make sure I am not excluding the people that are facing genuine circumstances that they have to consider when it comes to vaccinations.”
Earlier on Tuesday, some of Sebastian’s industry peers were unimpressed by the tone of his apology video.
“Man, any musicians apologising for trying to get back to work by advocating for a safer audience is self defeating,” wrote hip-hop artist Adam Briggs on Twitter. “Unpack your spine ya goofballs. This also isn’t just about Guy. I see it all the time with artists, sportspeople, celebrities whatever. Scared of their audience.”
On Tuesday morning, Sydney radio presenter Ray Hadley told Sebastian to “get the splinters out of your arse, get off the fence”.
“Grow a set, Guy, and don’t let those who are perhaps on your website saying ‘I’ll never listen to you again, won’t buy your CDs, won’t go on Spotify ever again’. Grow a set, mate, you’re better than that,” said Hadley on his Morning Show program on 2GB.
“That was a weak-kneed, ordinary response when the vast bulk of people in your industry are desperate to get back to work and the only way they get back to work is through double vaccination,” said Hadley. “That was a really weak response.”
Among those who lent their names to the #VaxTheNation campaign launch on Monday are many of Australia’s leading tour promoters, music festivals and venues, as well as more than 220 artists including Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Marcia Hines, Amy Shark, Archie Roach and Midnight Oil.
The commercial is soundtracked by Powderfinger’s iconic song My Happiness, which the band donated for the 60 second spot.
Sebastian’s confusing Instagram video is another strange twist in public messaging for the singer, who in June last year appeared alongside Prime Minister Scott Morrison in an unpaid role to announce a $250 million emergency relief package for the arts sector.
What was intended to be a good-news story for the music industry instead became little more than a photo opportunity, as it became clear that the funds announced under that package were slow to arrive in the hands of arts workers.
In late July, Sebastian told The Herald Sun that he regretted his appearance with the Prime Minister.
“I was used as a prop by the Government to stand there and deliver an arts package but who is it helping?,” Sebastian told News Corp.
“I stood there because I genuinely thought something would happen. I’d rung all my muso friends, asked for their suggestions, and I relayed them on that Zoom call to the Prime Minister.”
“I’ve asked for updates, everything they gave me was about the RISE grant and things have been allocated to (music industry charity) Support Act,” he said. “But no one seems to have followed through on their words or had any plans for insurance for people putting on musicals or concerts. It’s not working, obviously.”
“I copped it, because I was trying to support something I believed would make a difference. And it hasn’t. So that’s on me, I made that decision, I’ll cop it, that’s fair enough. But it doesn’t mean I agree with how it’s been rolled out, I think it’s dismal.”
“I’m embarrassed that I was used as a prop to push something that to be honest they haven’t done the due diligence on to make sure it’s actually getting to the people that need it,” he said. “It was just a box that was ticked.”
In response to the widespread confusion regarding Sebastian’s position on Tuesday, the coalition of music industry companies behind the #VaxTheNation campaign provided a statement to The Australian.
“We all miss our loved ones – our friends, our family, and being able to gather again. We all want to get back to the magic of live events. #VaxTheNation is not a political campaign tied to any Government, and we welcome open conversation.”
“The campaign is self-funded by the industry and the position of the LIVE Alliance (Live Industry Venues and Entertainment Alliance) is that high vaccination rates are the only way to get the show back on the road,” said the campaign organisers. “We are encouraging people to seek professional health advice and make an informed choice.”
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