Would Rob Halford like to be in the ‘Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’? No… He’d LOVE to. Proof:

“I would love to be in the Hall Of Fame.” – Rob Halford

Full interview here.

I’m not one of those guys who criticizes award shows or other ceremonies for giving or not giving awards or honors. But let’s just say there are a lot of bands in the Hall of Fame that don’t deserve to be there before Priest.

Not that it matters too much, I don’t think you have anything to gain by being there, but a lot of people see it as a rite of passage of sorts so why not?

If you ever asked yourself where you could see a wax figure of Dimebag, you’re in luck. Apparently someone made on and it’s on display at this museum in Niagara Falls.

I never really understood the point of wax statues, to be honest with you. They almost never look like the real version, they always have something off, and they’re fucking creepy. That’s not to say I wouldn’t like to see this one if I lived near that museum, but I know people who go to wax museums and took shitloads of photos with their ‘favorite celebrities.’ Why?

You might as well Photoshop yourself next to a celebrity if you want a photo with him/her that badly, it’s the same thing.

Tell you what, $10 says this wax figure plays guitar better than anyone in nu-metal.

17 years ago he was smearing feces all over himself in a music video, as Metallica were reinventing themselves as artsy fartsy softer rock guys. Now things aren’t any better, as Jason would probably prefer smearing shit again all over himself for Metallica, rather than be thrown off the stage by a crazy fan.

Happens at around 3:08

It’s not like Jason isn’t used to falling during concerts, though.

Cash Money Records is a hip-hop label, yo. Wesside. Lil’ Wayne, for instance, is signed there. And say what you will about him as a rapper, but he kills this guitar solo. His thumb picking lead guitar work has influenced thousands of Down Syndrome kids around the world.

Anyway, they also welcomed Limp Bizkit on that label, trying to prove that talent isn’t really necessary to be signed to them. But now they have a brand new artist signed, and when I say artist, I’m using the term very loosely.

That’s right, folks. I’m talking about Paris Hilton. The original ‘famous for no reason whatsoever’ chick who proved two things to the world. 1. Kids don’t really need any colors in their porn videos to masturbate, green nightvision will do just fine.  2. The only talent you need in this business is the talent required to suck a dick right after pressing the REC button.

Now what does this have to do with metal? Nothing, but we’ve made it a tradition to laugh at nu-metal here, and I just wanted to show you that there is a label out there for talented folks such as Fred, Lil’ Wayne, and Paris Hilton. Well done, guys. Can’t wait to illegally download your new records, just for the chance of sending those files to the TRASH instantly.

On this exact day in 1996, the world (and especially diehard Metallica fans) said “WHAT THE FUCK!!???” as Tallica released their video for “Until It Sleeps.”

Don’t get me wrong, I like this song way better than I like a lot of other Load tracks. But the video is full of weird imagery inspired by a Dutch painter and a completely different band. Haircuts, eyeliner, Lars’ nipple ring, Jason smearing feces all over his body, all of this was pretty fucked up.

All the eyeliner and artsy fartsy crap came from Lars and Kirk, apparently James hated all of it. This begs the question, why did he go along with it? I guess we’ll never know, all we know is, 17 years later, another ‘different’ video from Metallica debuts. It’s the trailer for their new IMAX movie.

Go watch it on their official site, or after the jump.

Continuing their downward spiral, the sellout band Ghost (or Ghost B.C. as they go by these days) just released their first official video, for the previously released track “Secular Haze.”

I remember those good old days of almost 13 months ago, when when this band made simple, catchy, 70′s sounding stony doom music and gave me credibility on obscure metal forums, but suddenly it feels like they’ve been making all the wrong moves. The new song is simple, catchy, 70′s sounding stony doom, and I guess it’s still pretty good, but I don’t feel as comfortable with it as I did all those moons ago. Fuck this band.

Also:

The premise of Nu Metal always seemed like a good idea on paper. However, when put into practice, the results were not brilliant. A lot of metalheads took offense to the borrowing of the term ‘Metal’ for music which is actually closer to the Rock genre and well, the music also sucked, let’s be honest. Whiny middle class white kids, with minimal talent, rapping with an incompetent flow about how much their lives suck, backed by horrendous instrumentals.

Above is a different take on the genre though. The band Hacktivist have taken music that is closer to the sounds of artists like Tesseract, Meshuggah and Between the Buried and Me and have decided to rap over it. Nu-Djent? Progressive New Nu Metal, with actual Metal? Yeah, I have no idea what kind of labels kids are slapping on this stuff, but it’s a lot better than half the bands I listened to in school (*cough* Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit).

So, will I listen to Hacktivist again? Perhaps not, as I prefer my vocals to either be screaming or singing, but I still find it interesting the different styles and approaches that people are taking with music. And if you think the band are bad, I dare you to try and listen to the new Linkin Park album. I know which I would rather listen to….

I have to admit, I was kinda rooting for the apocalypse theory. Not that I’m depressed or anything, but I do hate a lot of people, so I’d give my life if it meant everyone else would go down with me.

But that didn’t happen, so I guess we still have to live in this dirty and polluted world and pretend we don’t hate all the assholes around us.

On that positive note, happy new year, motherfuckers! I know we haven’t been writing much, but we were hoping the apocalypse would show its fat face.

Happy holidays!

We haven’t had a post here since October, and this is really not our fault. It’s not easy being a slob, you know? Being lazy takes a lot of talent and dedication, so next time you accuse any of us for not writing on this site, at least learn to appreciate how hard it is to be as bad as us.

Having said that, I had to jump on the 12/12/12 bandwagon and acknowledge this kickass date. The last time we’ll have such a nice date. Sure, we’ll have 11/12/13 next year, but it’s not gonna be the same.

Will the world end this year? God, I hope so. I really do. Unfortunately I’m not 6, so I can’t believe in superstitious crap like the horoscope, religion, prophecies about the apocalypse, Dave Mustaine being over the Metallica feud, those kinds of things. So no, it won’t happen. But do I want it to happen? Hell yes.

Today is a German national holiday, the German unity day. As an American, listening to the German national anthem, you might think to yourself “FUCKING NAZIS,” but as a German I’m pretty proud right now.

No, I’m not. I honestly couldn’t care less. But I might aswell use this holiday as an excuse to post about German metal.

So, without further ado, make the jump to listen to some quality metal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR7xBj0bDD8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCst0ZdvLog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ_VFJn2kJM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwDm4EOAOjQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_DoeDsyor0

I’ve been playing guitar for over 10 years, and frankly, it wasn’t easy getting started. I had a lot of misconceptions about guitar playing and about why I would want to play guitar in the first place, some of which turned into disappointments. It took me a while to understand it all, and hopefully you’ll be able to learn a thing or two from my ups and downs.

There are many great sites and videos about the technical side of playing guitar, but very few focus on the attitude and mentality you should have about starting to play an instrument. I’m gonna try to leave all the music stuff to the teachers and the pros, and just focus on what goes on inside your head, not on what your hands are supposed to do.

Most of these things apply to any other instruments as well, but I play guitar and figured I’d write this article around my own experience, making it a bit more personal and not just generic.

I am not a professional guitarist, by the way, so keep that in mind while reading this article, and take it for what it is — just some guy’s opinion.

The tips start after the jump!

1. Be honest with yourself

Why do you want to play guitar? This may seem like a dumb question, but you’d be surprised how many reasons there are for picking up the guitar, and how different people’s motives are. So ask yourself honestly, why do you want to do it? Is it because a girl you like might be impressed by it? Is it because you think it will just get you laid anywhere? Is it because you want your Facebook profile to have a photo of you and a guitar in it?

If any of those answers ring true to you, then I’ve got bad news for you: You just think guitars are cool, and want to do it for your image. You have to be honest with yourself and realize you will probably never become a great guitar player, you’ll probably just learn “Wonderwall” by Oasis and spam your Facebook friends with photos of you and a guitar with a scenic background.

That’s pretty lame in my opinion, but to each his own. Maybe some people start appreciating the instrument more as time goes by, but most will just use their guitars as accessories, and that’s it.

However, if the answer is: “I don’t know, I’ve seen <insert guitarist here> and I just want to do what he does.” That, my friend, is the correct answer. Congratulations, you may just actually learn to play guitar some day.

2. Find your purpose

Do you want to play guitar just as a hobby, or do it for a living? Again, it may seem like a weird question to ask, but there are two types of guitarists in the world: Those who play for their own sake, or in some local tribute band, and those who want to make a living out of it. Personally, I’m just doing it as a hobby, I’ve never been in a band, I just play my acoustic daily for my own sanity, and plug in my electric every other day and jam with myself through a loop pedal and drum machine. If that sounds like what you might be like in a few years, relax, it’s not a bad thing.

Not every person who plays guitar was born to be on stage, just like not every person with a dSLR camera was born to be a professional photographer. You will become a guitar prosumer, friends will see you as a guitarist, but guitarists will see you as an amateur. Even if you’re technically better than them, or your guitar is more expensive than their car. Musicians feel like they pay their dues by playing shitty clubs for little money, so even if they suck, they think they’re better than you. Fuck ‘em.

However, if you want to change the world with your guitar, that’s awesome. Just remember, you’ve got a lot of work to do, and a lot of sacrifices and compromises ahead of you. It’s not easy, and not everyone is gifted enough to become the next Dimebag Darrell. Which brings me to my next point…

3. Be realistic

When one of my best friends started playing guitar, he was really annoying. He could barely play an E chord, but he was telling me stuff like “In two months, I’ll be able to play Master of Puppets” or “This time next year, I’ll play the Crazy Train solo perfectly!” or even “In a few years, I’m gonna be just like Steve Vai!”. I kept bringing him back to Earth and telling him he should focus on the small stuff first, and see where it takes him. He didn’t like that, he told me I was discouraging him. I told him he was just obnoxious about his new-found love for guitar.

Then I remembered I was just like him when I started. Granted, I was much younger, but still, same attitude. Instead of getting good at the small stuff I could barely play, I was thinking of playing Kirk’s “One” solo and estimating when I’ll be able to pull it off. That was so wrong, don’t make the same mistake.

Just take it slowly. Chances are you won’t be able to play at blistering speeds in just a few months. Unless you’re really talented and practice 8 hours a day (which if you do, congratulations), it will take time for you to even get the basic stuff down, let alone be as fast and as precise as professional guitarists who have been doing this for decades.

Be realistic, guitarists like Steve Vai worked A LOT to get to where they are today, you are not gonna be able to cheat your way through it in a few weeks or months. And even if you do get good, remember, not everyone is Steve Vai.

4. Find your strumming hand

If you’re right-handed, congratulations. You’re ‘normal,’ and you will be able to play any guitar you find anywhere, and just enjoy life like the normal son of a bitch that you are.

If you’re a lefty, bad news, guitar playing will be a bit more frustrating than usual.

As a southpaw myself, the first time I tired to play guitar, I just got my dad’s right-handed acoustic and started watching video lessons. It was so frustrating, and I didn’t understand why. Especially since I figured out that the hand doing all the complex work would be my dominant hand, which meant I had an advantage as a lefty, fretting with my left.

Wrong, I didn’t, and only after I read an article about it, I realized that strumming with your dominant hand is important, because you’ve got your rhythm in it.

Play air guitar for a second. Which hand is doing the ‘air strumming’? Whichever it is, that’s the one you need to strum with on real guitar, so keep that in mind.

Michael Angelo Batio is a lefty who plays guitar ‘normally.’ He can play really, really fast. But he’s an exception, because he also plays guitar left-handed, and he says that even though he has more speed doing it the normal way, whenever he plays as a lefty, it feels normal to him. So if even one of the fastest shredders in the world feels he should have learned it the other way around, that’s enough evidence for you.

The downside to being a lefty is guitar models are limited, and usually hard to find in medium or small guitar shops. Once you get good enough and want more guitars, the limited choice will be very annoying. But it’s the price you have to pay for being a freak.

Okay, now you’re ready to buy the appropriate guitar, but…

5. Don’t spend too much

We humans have a weakness for shiny, beautiful things. It’s what keeps the economy going, and it’s why we spend so much money on smartphones, tablets, shiny laptops and other crap we don’t really need. Guitar playing is no different. In fact, it’s worse. Guitars are really attractive, and so are amps and pedals. You could blow through $10,000 instantly in a guitar shop, and still want more. It’s a sickness, it even has a name (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).

If you are rich and a few grand is not that much to you, sure, go nuts, it will probably motivate you. But if you’re a normal person with normal income, don’t waste it. Buy as you go along.

I started out with a very cheap Strat replica, an old pedal my dad had (which sucked), and an old Russian amplifier my dad had (which sucked even more). So what? It got me through the motions. If you have friends with old gear they don’t need, borrow it or buy it cheaply. Start modest, and don’t spend a lot until you’re certain you’re serious about it. But remember, a $1,000 guitar will not make you a better guitarist.

The good side of having GAS is that instruments kinda sell well even after years. It’s not like an iPad which becomes ancient after 2 years. If you take care of your guitars, they will look and sound great even after decades, so that’s an upside to spending money on gear. But do it smartly. You don’t need a powerful Marshall amp and a Gibson Les Paul when you’re a noob.

6. Stay away from the chords

Unless you’re a nerd and want to approach guitar playing like you’d approach your physics project, chances are you just want to play your favorite songs and don’t care about theory.

So don’t learn chords, learn songs. They will naturally take you towards chords, because at one point you will get tired of the intro to “Come as you are” and you’ll just want to go into more complex territory. But don’t make the mistake I made at first, and don’t start with chords on an acoustic guitar, it’s very frustrating and sounds like shit. I quit after realizing I can’t press hard enough on an acoustic to hold the easiest chord in the world.

Then I got an electric guitar a few months after and just tried to learn a few songs I liked that seemed easy. I learned to read guitar tabs, and in the first day, I could already sort of play a few things after hours and hours of practice. I was so happy, it just motivated me to keep practicing. And a few months after, I was actually playing guitar. So that’s the way to go, in my honest opinion, cause hearing yourself play familiar stuff is very rewarding. Hearing a buzzing D chord is not.

I actually learned the basic chords because I wanted to learn “Time of Your Life” by Green Day. It taught me the G chord, then I took it from there and next thing you know, I knew C, D, E, and G effortlessly. Much, much easier for someone already sort of playing guitar, than for a complete beginner.

What about getting a teacher? Frankly, I’ve never had one, but they can’t hurt. My advice is to simply start on your own just to see if it’s for you, then take up lessons when you get a bit more comfortable around the instrument and want to learn it properly. It’s the same, if he forces theory down your throat when all you want to do is play your favorite riff, you’re better off without one. Just get one when you want to take it to the next level.

7. Don’t buy an acoustic just yet

Since this is a metal site, I’m assuming everyone reading this wants an electric. So it may not be an issue with most of my readers, but just in case, let me say this:

When I first wanted to play guitar, a few people told me I should start with an acoustic guitar, learn the basics, then get an electric. Seemed like the natural way to go about it, but I learned that it is not. And I learned it the hard way.

Because a lot of people play basic chords on acoustic guitars and stop there, many assume the acoustic is level 1 of playing, and the electric is the ‘next level’ for people taking it seriously. That might be the case when it comes to the music played, since acoustic players are usually limited, whereas electric players go for scales, complex riffs, etc…

However, the acoustic is much harder to play at first. The strings are hard, they will hurt your fingers, because you have to press them very hard in order to not hear any buzz. It’s a nightmare for first timers. And you have nothing to hide behind, like, say, distortion. Everything you do wrong can be heard.

Electric guitars are easier to play. From a physical point of view, that is. The strings are lighter, distortion helps you, you don’t have to press hard, it’s the way to go for any beginner. Save the acoustic guitar for when you get good enough.

I love the acoustic guitar, I really do, but it’s not something I recommend to anyone starting out.

8. Don’t be afraid to try other genres

Metalheads are very serious about their genre, and as a metalhead guitar player starting out, you might feel tempted to just go straight for thrash metal songs. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, but metal guitar playing is complex, so you might want to go for other songs, even songs you wouldn’t normally listen to.

I was never big on Nirvana. So what? My parents heard more “Come as You Are” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” coming out of my shitty amp than a lot of other songs I actually listened to. It’s all about learning to play coherently at first, as said at point 6, and that might mean being the devil’s advocate for a while.

9. Aim for the power chord

In my opinion, you are able to play guitar when you are able to hold a power chord properly, and move it all over the fretboard effortlessly. That’s when you can jam along to most songs, and play on your own. Sure, it’s still intermediate stuff at best, but you will be amazed at just how many famous songs use basic power chords.

Of course, this is not for your first days. Like I said, play songs first, then start with chords.  But when you get comfortable enough playing guitar, that’s what your aim should be. It all starts with the power chord.

10. Don’t worry about looking cool yet

One mistake I definitely made in my first year was worrying about what I looked like while playing. Does my strumming hand look okay? Is my guitar low enough?

It doesn’t matter, just play. Do what feels comfortable and natural to you and keep playing. If that means holding the pick in an unusual way, don’t worry, just do it. James Hetfield has a pretty unorthodox way of holding his pick, but his strumming hand is still precise and very fast, probably one of the best in heavy music. He picks that way because that’s what’s right to him, so do what’s right for you.

Don’t forget, musicians are showmen. They may do certain things or have certain habits because they’re pros, and they can do it, and it looks good on stage. It is definitely not the time to worry about that when starting out. No matter how geeky you look, just play and practice. Worry about looking cool AFTER you can play the instrument properly.

At one point I felt more comfortable finger picking than using a pick. I didn’t know why, everyone I loved used a pick. But I kept playing and now I have my own style of finger picking which feels good to me. I can even do pinch harmonics without a pick, and my middle finger does some mean tremolo work. It just felt right to me, and I did it. Do the same.

Although one exception would be posture. If you’re sitting down, try not to have that bad habit of slouching over the guitar.

Final words…

Playing guitar has to be fun, but it is frustrating at first, so hopefully my tips above will help you get through (or avoid) some of the problems I’ve encountered starting out. Remember, be realistic, take your time, have patience, and try to practice because you want to, not because you have to.

The electric guitar is one of the finest inventions in this world, treat it with the respect it deserves.

Have fun!

Always suspected John of being a robot from another planet, this video just proves my theory. Here’s Satriani’s skills being stolen by John while playing live…

I’m not gonna pretend I know the ins and outs of the music industry, just because I run a metal blog. I don’t, but considering how hard the industry has fallen, it appears I’m not the only one.

But even though I may not be ‘in the know’ completely, in two years writing for this site, I have interacted with many PR people, and a lot of them have been helpful and polite, but a few of them have been downright unprofessional, and they were representing bigger bands. And I can’t help but wonder if musicians themselves know about it.

I actually prefer talking to musicians directly, two of my best interviews came from direct contact between myself and the musicians in question. Mainly because some press agents are simply not doing their job.

Now, I know, we’re not MetalSucks, maybe when you do run a big blog like that, things change. But in my opinion, professionalism is not about the size of the companies you work with, it’s about treating everyone with the same kind of respect, regardless of what they can do for you. I’ve been contacted by a bunch of shady companies offering us money for non-metal links and ads, or other similar stuff, and I never felt above answering with a very polite and mannered ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’ Which brings me to:

Advice #1: Reply to your email inquiries.

Even if you want to say no, say no. Don’t just leave the email hanging. Whenever I don’t get a reply, I start wondering if the person forgot, or never got the email, or got it in the spam folder. So I’m inclined to send it again after a while. Why not answer back and give a ‘no’? I’m a big boy.

Advice #2: Keep your promises

Without giving any agency or band name away, let me tell you a small story. In our months of running this site, we wanted to interview a band we liked. The band is big enough to matter, but not ‘Metallica big,’ so we figured we had a shot, regardless of our being pretty much at the beginning of our journalistic journey.

We got in contact with their press agent, who seemed enthusiastic about it, and even told us which band member we were gonna interview. We put together a pretty great email interview for him, and then the PR lady kept postponing.

“Next month, right now they’re on tour.”
“Wait, after the holidays, late January at the latest”
“In a month or two”

Then she stopped responding altogether. Now, was that really professional, considering the band she’s representing has been around since the 80s and is pretty respected? Do the musicians know which people represent their interest? Which leads me to my third and final advice:

Advice #3: Start doing some of the grunt work yourselves

Gone are the days when musicians were these delicate flowers, with teams of people working for them, and no way of communicating with the fans. It’s 2012, labels go bankrupt, bands earn way less, and fans expect direct interaction. There is no reason for a musician not to try and handle a few things himself/herself.

This is because I am convinced musicians don’t know how many missed opportunities for decent interviews and exposure might be missed by unanswered emails or promises that never come true. And they pay these people. Giving an interview requires little time, and little to no effort, they’re worth it. Doesn’t matter if it’s Rolling Stone or just some site out there. Why not get it out there?

Final words…

I am not bitching or anything. I really do this for fun so I don’t care too much about about the business side of things. Plus I realize we make fun of a lot of bands, which might turn off some people. But I really do expect professionalism from the people representing signed bands that have been out for a while, and I’m not seeing it as often as I should. Does this affect the artist himself? I don’t know, but it definitely doesn’t help.

When Steven Tyler joined American Idol, a lot of people were angry. Including Kid Rock. But no one was as angry as Tyler’s own band mate, guitarist Joe Perry.

Now that Steven is out of American Idol, you’d think they’d be over it within the band, and would just focus on the music… Right? Wrong. Just watch the video above (at around 1:40).

If you think about it, most bands break up because of the tension between certain band members. Usually between the singer and the guitar player. I’m guessing that happens because no matter what, the singer will always be the most important member of the band in people’s eyes, so he will develop an ego and think he’s bigger than the band itself. Also, the guitarist always gets a lot of attention too, enough to get him an ego, but not as much as the singer, making him jealous and insecure.

As a misanthropic piece of shit myself, I can definitely understand calling it quits when you’re forced to work with people you dislike. At one point, no money, fame, or critical acclaim can make you stand certain assholes any longer, especially ones that act like little divas. So I’m not above hating someone, I definitely understand it. But at least be manly about it.

Get into a fist fight, challenge each other to gun duels, don’t just go running to the press to talk shit about the other guy. That’s what girls do, man. Just be a man and hate your band member and former friend like a man.

Now back to Aerosmith, it is pretty obvious that these guys cannot stand each other, but somehow they made it work. Which would be respectable, I guess, if they didn’t act like gossipy little brats. Not only do they dress and fight like chicks, but they both talk like they came straight out of “Mean Girls.”

- Like, I was totally like, feeling that American Idol gig and certain people were jealous of me
- Nuh-uh, girl, speak for yourself, I wasn’t jealous at all.
- Bitch!!!!

Grow up, guys. You’re older than the American dollar, time to stop these petty catfights in the press.

Maybe you’ve heard of the Kim Kardashian charity scandal (hardly a scandal, but suitable as an example) earlier this year. If you haven’t, and if you’re too lazy to check the link above, let me break it down to you. Kim Kardashian has sold some of her clothes via Ebay, under the banner “Charity Auction Supporting the Dream Foundation.” In the end only 10% were actually donated and she has kept the rest to herself.

What does this have to do with metal, and especially with Chuck Schuldiner (pictured above)? Well, we might think that something like that couldn’t happen in our perfect metal world. After all, metal musicians seem less money hungry than women who’re only famous for getting fucked by some R’n'B singer. But we’re wrong to assume that.

Beth Schuldiner, Chuck Schuldiner’s sister, has now spoken about the Sick Drummer Magazine/Death To All Tour debacle. Again, to break it down for you, Sick Drummer Magazine has helped organize the Death To All/Chuck Schuldiner tribute tour earlier this year. The earnings of said tour were partly supposed to go to the Sweet Relief charity, which had also helped Chuck when he was dying from cancer. Now Death’s management has claimed that the owners of Sick Drummer Magazine has not paid musicians, charity, booking agents, crews or Death’s management, Perseverance Holdings Ltd., despite the tour being a success.

Those are some very strong accusations and to further fuel the fire, Beth Schuldiner has now spoken out about it, and you can read that after the jump.

I’m not going to pick sides myself, because I hardly know all of the details of this story, but I’d like to point out how incredibly weak it is to make thousands of dollars in the name of charity, and then not even give 1% to that charity. Even Kim Kardashian knew better.

I have to step in here. I am Beth Schuldiner, Chuck’s sister. I was at the New York show and all of the guys were UNBELIEVABLE!!!! AND, so were the fans! NO ONE can take this away from them!

 

Ian and Anton of Sick Drummer approached us, my family and Eric with this idea to do a small tour and aside from getting the band members together, a percentage of the proceeds would benefit the charity Sweet Relief; a charity which helps musicians and who did in fact help Chuck.

 

I was initially concerned, as ‘benefits’ have been done in Chuck’s name before, while Chuck was alive and still struggling to survive and the monies were stolen. I was assured by many that this would not and could not happen. You be the judges.

 

Fact: Our mother, Jane, is contacted each and every day by fans who have to this day NOT received refunds for cancelled shows. Fact: The charity, Sweet Relief has received NOTHING!!! Not ONE CENT! And, the charity’s name was used in ALL advertising of the DTA tour; the fans, many of them, wrote to me prior to the show stating that they were thrilled to be a part of the show and that some of their money was going to help this charity.

 

Fact: Ian and Anton (Sick Drummer) have still given NO FULL ACCOUNTING of the tour which was required of them on their own contract signed by them! Fact: All anyone has are promissory notes signed by them with a promise to pay the charity????!!!

 

Fact: None of the band members were involved in collecting money or disbursing any money-they simply played and played their asses off they did! Chuck would have been both AMAZED and so very proud of ALL of them! Fact: Eric Greif went on the tour, but was REFUSED open access to see the accounting and OVER & OVER again was reassured by Ian and Anton that all was well. ONLY Ian and Anton had access to the money and the accounting.

 

Again: all of you be the judge. Sold out shows, no money for the charity. Mmmm… I don’t know who ‘Project Genesis’ on this forum is, but I can only assume he is either mislead OR a party to Ian and Anton somehow. There must be laws against this and I have contacted the fraud department of the New York Attorney general’s office to see what recourse we have.

Source: Gun Shy Assassin