It was Phineas T. Barnum, the great American showman of the 19th Century, who is credited with the saying that “there is no such thing as bad publicity”.
While even Barnum never did anything quite as crass as pull down his pants and relieve himself in the face of one of his fans, a woman who did just that is showing the truth of his maxim to the fullest extent.
Previously obscure rocker Sophia Urista of the band Brass Against has become known to tens of millions more people this week after her vulgar act onstage at a concert in Florida.
At a concert in Daytona Beach last Thursday, Urista complained to the crowd that she needed to pee. She called for a fan “volunteer” who then lay prostrate on the stage to receive his golden shower. Urista then pulled down her pants and relived herself in the man’s face.
The unusual performance was covered across America and around the world, eliciting shock and amusement in equal measure.
The New York Post, for instance, called the singer a “disgusting rocker”, and said – tongue-in-cheek – that she had “piss-poor judgement”.
However, the incident – and the ensuing furor in the media – has catapulted Urista and Brass Against to a new level of fame that the most ambitious publicist could never have dreamed of.
Now, Urista has decided to calm things down with an apology
“Hey everyone. I want to speak to my performance at Rockville metal festival in Daytona,” Urista wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday.
“I have always pushed the limited in music and on stage. That night, I pushed the limites too far. I love my family, the band, and the fans more than anything and I know that some were hurt or offended by what I did. I apologize to them and want them to know that I didn’t mean to hurt them. I am not a shock artist. I always want to put the music first. I’m grateful for all of your continued love and support.”
Brass Against, a band known for performing brass versions of rock songs, had itself issued an apology last Friday for lead singer Urista’s actions at the Welcome to Rockville concert in Daytona Beach the day before.
“We had a great time last night at Welcome to Rockville. Sophia got carried away,” the band’s tweet read. “That’s not something the rest of us expected, and it’s not something you’ll see again at our shows. Thanks for bringing it last night, Daytona.”
She is just nasty and nuts. But being a member of both the BIPOC and LGBT … XYZ, communities, she’s immuned to having this stunt ruin her career.