Carlos Santana is challenging the NFL to feature live music performances during the Super Bowl halftime show after six straight years of pop music acts accompanied by accusations of lip syncing.
The guitar icon – who was featured momentarily during Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 broadcast – took to Facebook to thank the companies for his inclusion before suggesting a local Bay Area lineup could have delivered "real live" entertainment for fans on site and tuned in around the world.
“Dear NFL/CBS, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you both for including me as a part of your Super Bowl entertainment,” Santana writes. “I do feel compelled to point out to you that the Halftime Show should have included some of the local iconic bands that the World would have loved to see perform. Bands like Metallica, Steve Miller, Journey and yours truly. We would have rocked the Half Time Show and done the SF Bay Area proud.
“This is just an invitation for you to consider iconic bands as part of your Half Time entertainment. Real live music, real live vocals, and give the audience real live chills.”
“Thank You Carlos,” added Journey, who shared the guitarist’s note on their own Facebook page, “and yes we would have all Rocked it!”
Metallica did headline a Super Bowl eve concert in San Francisco on Saturday, which they billed as “Too Heavy For Halftime.”
The Super Bowl hasn’t seen live rock music during halftime since 2010, when The Who performed at the 44th event in Miami, FL.
A lengthy list of pop acts have been booked since – some twice – including The Black Eyed Peas (2011), Madonna (2012), Beyonce (2013), Bruno Mars (2014), Katy Perry (2015) and Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyonce this past weekend in Santa Clara, CA.
All six halftime shows have been directed by Hamish Hamilton and produced by Ricky Kirshner – the son of US music industry legend Don Kirshner.
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea admitted the band mimed their 2014 appearance with Bruno Mars at the demand of the NFL.
“When we were asked by the NFL and Bruno to play our song Give It Away at the Super Bowl, it was made clear to us that the vocals would be live, but the bass, drums, and guitar would be pre-recorded,” posted Flea days after the event. “I understand the NFL's stance on this, given they only have a few minutes to set up the stage, there a zillion things that could go wrong and ruin the sound for the folks watching in the stadium and the t.v. viewers. There was not any room for argument on this, the NFL does not want to risk their show being botched by bad sound, period.”
As for Santana, he is teaming up with Journey to perform three shows this spring to help launch “Santana IV”, a reunion record featuring members of both bands.
Due April 15, the project sees Journey guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Gregg Rolie regroup with Carlos Santana and drummer Michael Shrieve.
Schon and Rolie were members of the band before leaving in 1972 to form Journey alongside former Santana manager Herbie Herbert.
See also:
Journey and Santana announce spring concert dates
Carlos Santana receives 2013 Kennedy Center Honors
Carlos Santana uninjured in Las Vegas car crash
Carlos Santana to receive 2013 Kennedy Center Honors
Search Santana at hennemusic
