Latest on Algoma University College's Matthew Good furor

For the third time in as many days, Matthew Good has spoken out this morning on the firestorm surrounding his controversial reception earlier this week at Algoma University College.

In an item posted at 11:11 a.m. on his official website, the Canadian rock icon said his decision to no longer visit Sault Ste. Marie, announced yesterday, was solely provoked by allegations made against him by Amanda Osborne, AUC's student centre coordinator. "I’ve played everything from arenas to huge festivals, small clubs to coffee houses, with The Who, Aerosmith, and countless others," Good wrote this morning.

"I know how to keep an audience directed, after 14 years it’s something you simply know how to do, and anyone who has been to any of the shows on this tour can vouch for that. But that does not make me an ‘entertainer.’ I’d also like to say that this was in response to the comment left by Osborne as a representative of the school .... Had she not left that comment, I would have bothered with this entry at all." Good added this morning that he feels defamed by Osborne's accusations, which she posted on her personal blog as well as on Good's website and on SooToday.com's News Response forum.

In an e-mail to SooToday.com news, Osborne described her statement as an "AUC rebuttal."

On Good's website, she called it "the university response."

"If the crowd ultimately wasn't impressed by the performance, don't take it out on them - perhaps it's time to face the fact that you might not be Matt Good, but Matt Average," Osborne wrote.

Good denies that he disparaged the Sault or the university in any way.

In a blog item posted yesterday, Good cautioned Osborne that "hearsay is a dangerous road to put your cart on. In the case of damaging the reputation of an artist, libelous statements are not something taken lightly. In this case I can assure you that they won’t be."

Osborne removed the contested allegations from her Blogspot.com page yesterday afternoon, adding a new statement: "I feel like Jesus. People apparently care what I say! I just don't understand it - let's all calm down and hug each other. How can you react to something so strongly? I understand if I'm raping babies and lighting kittens on fire, but this? Ok, but seriously, I'm pretty ok with just letting it go."

Osborne did not attend Good's concert on Monday night at the AUC Speakeasy.

SooToday.com's Donna Hopper did, reporting that "many members of the crowd seemed to barely notice, making it clear that conversation with their beer buddies was more important than enjoying the undeniable talents of the Canadian icon they'd paid good money to see."

SooToday.com videographer Tyler Simpson was also there.

To see his video of the event, please click here.

"Good ignored the lack of audience reaction at the conclusion of his set and returned to perform a four-song encore," Hopper reported. Algoma University College is an affiliated college of Laurentian University in Sudbury.

AUC's board and administration have been vigorously lobbying Chris Bentley, Ontario's minister of training, colleges and universities, to be chartered as a fully independent university.

Earlier SooToday.com coverage of this story

Local yokels greet Matthew Good (not so good) Matthew and his fans are talking about us tonight Algoma University responds to Matthew Good Matthew Good boycotts Sault, blames Algoma U