Rob Thomas issues two apologies for offensive comment in Melbourne

Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas has taken to social media to apologise for making a racist joke in Melbourne last Saturday.

Thomas is currently on a solo tour of Australia and was booed by the crowd at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena after an ill-conceived joke about Indigenous Australians. 

"And then I drink until I think I’m Australian, and I keep drinking until I think I’m a black Australian," he told the crowd.

Thomas was dealing with in-ear technical difficulties as he spoke onstage, going on to say: "And then I drink until I’m a pretty little girl. And then my wife starts to get worried about me. And then I stop drinking for a minute […] I’m just trying to talk until the buzz in my ear stops happening.”

:: Watch fan footage of Thomas’ concert on Facebook here

Thomas posted two apologies on Facebook early Sunday morning after the offensiveness of his joke was brought to his attention backstage after the show.

“Please understand that although it is no excuse, I was completely unaware that in Australia there is a polarizing social issue happening right now involving indigenous people and alcohol,” he said.

Thomas took to Facebook again on Sunday night to further explain his comment. 

"First, please understand that I did not intend to make a joke ABOUT race,” he said. “I have seen people comment that after coming here for so long I should know that there is a connection between the indigenous peoples of Australia and a stereotype involving drinking. Embarrassingly, I truly didn’t.”

Thomas said he cried when he found out exactly why his comment was deemed racist.

“I was so ignorant to the situation that when I heard people groan I actually thought THEY were being racist. I didn’t know until TODAY that just the phrase ‘black Australian’ was racist all on it’s own. I sat in my room and I cried when I found out.”

Thomas is in Australia to promote his new solo album, The Great Unknown. The record peaked at #4 on the ARIA chart last year.

Tomorrow night he performs Sydney’s Opera House, followed by a show at Sydney’s State Theatre on Friday and shows at A Day On The Green in Queensland and Victoria and at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide next month.