If there’s one thing Sticky Fingers are good at, besides making great tunes, it’s stirring controversy and making headlines. Sometimes they don’t even have to try, like when they sold out a tour without even announcing it.
They’ve also managed to have a few run-ins with Johnny Law over the years. Like when their frontman was tackled by a security guard after being mistaken for a fan or when the cops decided to raid their backstage area.
Considering their reputation, it comes as no surprise their fans are always on their toes whenever the band are being a little elusive and that’s definitely one way of describing their social media activity over the last couple of days.
Earlier this week the band shared a photo of what appeared to be guitarist Seamus Coyle under arrest by two NSW police officers. In the photo, Coyle is on the ground with a cigarette still in his mouth as the two coppers keep him on the ground with their knees.
The image was posted without explanation and captioned with just a single word: “Pathetic.” Many fans expressed outrage at the apparent display of police brutality, whilst others poked fun at the fact that Coyle still had a cigarette in his mouth.
Other still, however, pointed out the fact that the coppers were, well, a little too scruffy-looking. With visible stubble, long hair, Doc Martens, and according to one fan, epaulettes that are in the “wrong position”, many fans were doubtful these were actual police officers.
Sticky Fingers followed up the post with a meme depicting Coyle and the hashtag #FreeSeamus, kicking off a wave of speculation about just what is going on in the Sticky Fingers camp. Many believed the meme related to Coyle’s apparent arrest.
Pathetic.
Posted by Sticky Fingers onTuesday, March 8, 2016
“He would be out on bail. This is a publicity stunt,” one fan wrote. Other fans were agreement, such as one follower who commented, “Smells like a publicity stunt… Cops in previous pic don’t look like real cops.” Others on the case think they have the whole thing figured out.
“The lead up to their new video clip/song I reckon,” wrote Gold Coast fan Kait Foote. And there may be something to that, seeing as the band have been busy posting “behind the scenes” snaps and clips on their Instagram account for a couple days now.
It remains to be seen just what the arrest photo has to do with the band’s new music video, but you’ve gotta hand it to Sticky Fingers, they sure know how to drum up publicity, no matter what they happen to be up to.
