Summary
- Daft Punk's failed appearance shocked fans when they canceled last minute due to a contract issue with MTV.
- Colbert's brilliant handling of the cancellation included dancing to "Get Lucky" with a slew of stars.
- Stephen Colbert and Daft Punk's potential collaboration was cut short but added to Daft Punk's mystique.
Stephen Colbert is a TV veteran who has encountered virtually everything while hosting successful shows. He has left his audiences shocked, has had amazing conversations with some of the most fascinating stars on the planet, and has done so while making millions laugh each week.
For the most part, things seem to go well on the show, but sometimes, production is thrown a curve ball. Case in point, Daft Punk's failed appearance on the show. It was an event that had people buzzing, as the reclusive duo aren't known for making many appearances. Sadly, they never appeared on the show, and it was all due to something small.
Colbert and his team handled it brilliantly, but fans were left wondering what could have been all those years ago.
Stephen Colbert Failed To Get Daft Punk On His Show Thanks To A Contract Snafu
Did anyone have this on their Bingo card?
In 2013, Daft Punk was the hottest group around following the smashing success of what became their final studio album, Random Access Memories. During that time, fans of both Stephen Colbert and Daft Punk were on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating what could have been a phenomenal collaboration.
Colbert had announced that the enigmatic electronic duo, Daft Punk, would be making a rare television appearance on his show, The Colbert Report. However, the excitement came to an abrupt halt when Daft Punk abruptly canceled their appearance on The Colbert Report. It was a massive blow to the show, and something that greatly disappointed fans.
"Here’s the story: it’s a true story. We booked click and clack over here about a month ago. This network is owned by Viacom, which is also the owner of MTV… Apparently, Daft Punk are going to make a surprise appearance on the MTV Video Music Awards. Don’t tell anyone, because fun fact: no one told me until two o’clock yesterday," Colbert said, per Consequence.
The cancelation was reportedly due to contractual obligations with MTV, which prevented Daft Punk from making any other televised appearances around the same time. It was a move that left both Colbert and his audience disappointed, as the potential for a unique and memorable collaboration between Colbert and Daft Punk had seemed within reach.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of potential left on the table.
Their Segment Had A Ton Of Potential, According To Colbert
Colbert dished on what he had in mind for the group's segment, saying, "We had already booked Daft Punk to come on the show, and we were pretty excited because they don’t do TV and they don’t talk. We thought “Oh great, they’ll come on and talk into a [fog] and this’ll be a real coup.” And then they said, “Well, they don’t wanna talk.” So I said, “Oh I can get around them not talking. We can figure out something.” And then the next week they called and said, “Oh, and they also don’t wanna do the song.”
This posed an interesting challenge, but one that Colbert was up for.
"And I looked up at my board, and we don’t do a lot of actors or performers on the show, but for whatever reason, we had more than our normal raft of people. Like that night I had Jeff Bridges, and next week I had Matt Damon, and the next week I had Hugh Laurie, and I thought, “Oh, we got some people up here we can talk to.” And so I said, “What if tonight I just dance with Jeff Bridges?” Because I had the image immediately of Lebowski dancing on the big steps in the dream sequence from [The] Big Lebowski. I said, “Oh, what if we played their song, and it’s me trying to convince Daft Punk that their song is so catchy? Like maybe they forgot just what a deep hook that song has?” That’s the first thing we shot,' he added.
Ultimately, with the group not appearing on the show, "Colbert danced along to “Get Lucky” with a cavalcade of celebrities, including Matt Damon, Jimmy Fallon, Henry Kissinger, the cast of Breaking Bad, Jeff Daniels, and more, before bringing out Robin Thicke to perform the “new song of the summer,” “Blurred Lines," Consequence of Sound reported about the incident.
In the end, while the collaboration between Stephen Colbert and Daft Punk didn't materialize as planned, it left an indelible mark on the memories of fans and added another layer to the mystique surrounding Daft Punk's rare public appearances. As Colbert moved forward, the incident showed that he and his team are able to make something out of nothing.