"United Breaks Guitars"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I'll let Dave Carroll, one (fraternal) half of the Halifax, Nova Scotia-based band Sons of Maxwell, explain what happened (click on the link for a more detailed recap):

In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didn't deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say "no" to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway. United: Song 3 is coming. I promise.

Well, here's #1. It's been a huge success. And deservedly so. (It's a great song/video, and United certainly deserves the bad publicity.)