Wednesday-Night

This is such a great story of consumer revenge. And to think that it originates with a mild-mannered Canadian! We can see a whole new career field opening up for songwriters who can tell sad consumer stories that name and shame the behemoth companies whose customer service departments don’t quite get it. Bravo, Dave Carroll!

A new riff on the United guitar song story
Another airline, another guitar smashed. This time, a happy ending
There’s never a good time to have your guitar smashed by an airline, but as Toronto musician Kevin Fox found out, this summer is probably as good as it’ll ever get. And he has Halifax musician Dave Carroll to thank.
11 July
United Airlines gives to charity in guitar gaffe
The airline’s change of heart came after “United Breaks Guitars” appeared on YouTube this week, gathering 1.5 million hits by Friday night and coverage on CNN.
United Airlines, the company whose customer service prompted the musician to write a song that’s garnered worldwide attention, has agreed to … donate $3,000 to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz for music education for kids. Carroll had requested that United direct any compensation to charity (class act, Dave Carroll - but United should be doing a lot better than $3000)
10 July
Broken guitar song hits high note with musicians
Airline protest song makes Halifax songwriter ‘a hero’ to travelling bands
Dave Carroll, whose song about United Airlines damaging his guitar has become an internet sensation, is a hero to Canadian musicians’ association AFM Canada. His humorous video, is highlighting an issue the Canadian branch of the American Federation of Musicians has been battling for years. “He accomplished with his one song more than all the lawyers and lobbyists and union officials in North America for the past eight years,” Bill Skolnik, vice-president of the organization representing 17,000 Canadian musicians, said Friday.
Taylor Guitars responds with help and advice
How will United Airlines respond? - good advice.
Guitarist and United dickering, video viewers snickering [Updated]
(LA Times Travel) This just in on the case of United Airlines, a busted guitar and a wicked YouTube song: While Dave Carroll, aggrieved customer and wicked songwriter, was playing a gig Tuesday night in Picou, Nova Scotia, his July 6 video, “United Breaks Guitars,” was passing 100,000 views and United airlines was laying plans to make nice. But there’s no happy ending just yet. (Some funny comments and good advice, e.g. get royalties if United uses it as a training video))
10 July
Songwriter overwhelmed with success of ‘United Breaks Guitars’
Video for song about broken instrument garners more than 600,000 hits on YouTube
(Globe & Mail) A broken guitar is turning out to be a major break for Halifax musician Dave Carroll.
Mr. Carroll has become an Internet sensation after posting a revenge song on YouTube about United Airlines’ baggage handlers breaking his guitar during a flight in the United States.
The catchy song recounts his year-long struggle to get compensation for what he calls “a vicious act of malice” at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago last year.
Mr. Carroll was flying between Halifax and Nebraska when he switched planes in Chicago. The passenger next to him noticed baggage handlers tossing guitar cases outside the plane.
Initially, Mr. Carroll thought his Taylor guitar was destroyed. Even after paying $1,400 in repairs, he said, it still doesn’t play the way it used to but he keeps it for sentimental reasons. He played it on all eight of his band’s albums.
He spent the past year trying to get compensation from United Airlines. When the airline refused to take responsibility, the songwriter made the humorous music video and posted it online.
Robin Urbanski Janikowski, a spokeswoman for United, said on Thursday in an email that Mr. Carroll’s story “has struck a chord with us.”
“While we mutually agree that this should have been fixed much sooner, Dave Carroll’s excellent video provides United with a unique learning opportunity that we would like to use for training purposes to ensure all customers receive better service from us.”

Dave of “United Breaks Guitars” appears on CBS Early Show
(CBS) The song, which only hit YouTube on Monday, now has 1,384,878 views as of 11:10 a.m. CDT. Carroll told CBS that he hasn’t spoken to United officials since the video came out, although he understands they are now interested in compensating him.

Canadian’s song about United Airlines a hit
(AP) — A Canadian musician has become an Internet sensation after posting a song on YouTube about United Airlines breaking his guitar.

La chanson d’un Canadien sur United Airlines trouve écho
Le succès d’une chanson qui dénonce la mauvaise manutention d’une guitare par les bagagistes de la compagnie aérienne United Airlines mise en ligne dans internet réjouit son auteur, mais aussi une association de musiciens, qui déplore que le problème est beaucoup trop répandu.

Busted guitar blues is sweet YouTube revenge
(The Star) Dave Carroll’s ode to a broken guitar has turned into an Internet tempest and become a cause célèbre for any musician who has ever had a maddening flight experience.
The Halifax-based singer-songwriter’s music video “United Breaks Guitars” – an overnight hit on YouTube – chronicles his year-long battle for compensation after a United Airlines baggage handler broke his guitar.
But there’s one woman who isn’t tapping her toes to the 4 1/2-minute folk ballad – and that’s because she is named in the second verse.
“I am not pleased with that. I did my job and upheld company policy,” the now notorious Ms. Irlweg said from an airline office in Illinois. (She asked that her first name not to be used for fear she might be bombarded with hostile calls.) “I know Mr. Carroll wasn’t happy with the outcome, but that wasn’t the way (to go about it),” she said. We disagree; in our opinion, he did exactly the right thing.