14 DAY TRIAL // Marine park SeaWorld Orlando has a Bands, Brew & BBQ event scheduled for February, 2014. Judging by how things are going, odds are the park will soon have to change the event's name to just Brew & BBQ.
Thus, rock band Heart has recently announced that, despite previously agreeing to play at this event, it has changed its mind and will find something else to do this coming February.
The band guitarist, Nancy Wilson, took to Twitter to explain why Heart has decided to cancel its SeaWorld performance.
Long story short, it appears that both Nancy Wilson and the band's other members have had the chance to watch documentary film Blackfish, and were not in the least thrilled to learn about the abuses that marine mammals, and especially orcas, suffer at the hands of employees of this marine park.
“The Sea World show was planned long ago as an Orlando show. Had we known, we'd have said no then. We said no today. Love you all,” Nancy posted on Twitter.
“I am a big Orca fan.I hosted a nature documentary once called Baby Wild all about Orcas.I'm happy to stand w/all of u to protect our animals,” she later added.
Heart's announcement was welcomed by animal rights activists and especially green group PETA, whose members have long been trying to make SeaWorld cancel its animal shows and free the orcas, dolphins and other marine creatures it keeps captive.
“Thank you for taking a stand against animal abuse! The orcas thank you XOXO,” PETA responded to Nancy Wilson's Twitter posts.
According to Ecorazzi, Heart is not the first band to cancel a SeaWorld performance and say that documentary film Blackfish is to thank for its decision. Thus, not very long ago, Canadian rock band The Barenaked Ladies did the very same thing.
What's more, it was last week when singer Willie Nelson announced that he too was to drop out of SeaWorld Orlando's Band, Brew & BBQ event. Willie Nelson said he was forced to cancel this performance due to “conflicting schedules,” but animal rights activists like to think that Blackfish had also had a say in the matter.