The group had played the gala twice before to little controversy for President Obama and signed a contract for this year's gig in 2013, long before the presidential nominees were decided. But this year was different.
"As time went by, the complexity of the situation became real immense and intense," Forte tells
Rolling Stone. "The band was caught in a hurricane. We didn't see this coming, of course."
Steven Van Zandt, the group's outspoken guitarist,
tweeted of the B-Street Band, "Nice guys. Met them. I wouldn't say right or wrong. Up to them. But it's naive to think one can separate Art and Politics. Art IS Politics."
"The republic is under siege by a moron," Springsteen says in excerpts from upcoming Rolling Stone feature. "It's a tragedy for our democracy"
Forte agrees. "All this stuff made it clear to us that this event is not worth it," he says. "It's just a job to us. We're just trying to hold up a contract. We're not trying to prove anything. We're just a fun band!
"When I started this band 37 years ago, it was only about performing and making people happy," he adds. "I never thought the distortion of what we do as a band would've been so intense. I wish it never would've happened. We would've never got involved in this if I knew how this would turn out. I would trade in all the support and publicity just to go back to where we were four months ago. I don't think they'll ever be a cover band of our size in the history of music that will get the attention of something this big."
Speaking to
Rolling Stone last week, Forte made it clear that both music and contractual obligations took precedence over politics.
