Dave Lombardo has been making headlines lately! We already know he's basically never coming back to Slayer. He's slung his fair share of mud at his former bandmates, but recently seemed to come to terms with his ousting.
In a new video from a recent Northern Ireland drum clinic, Lombardo continued to express his frustration, including giving hard numbers on his salary for the year of 2011. Here is an excerpt:
"I did my best to try to keep it together, but I couldn't go on, man," Dave said. "I had to step out, because you can't be shackled like that; nobody can take advantage of another person like that anymore. I did it for too many years, and I held my breath. Red flags kept going on in my books. It's, like, 'Really? I'm supposed to make more money? Why am I on the same salary? I'm making the exact same thing I've been making the past two years. And this is back in 2004. So I knew something was up. And I tried my best to work it out with the guys. I brought Tom into the picture. I had Tom in a hotel room with me talking to my attorney, and my attorney was telling him everything their management company had been doing to them for the past 30 freakin' years. And we had an accountant, a forensic accountant, ready to go in there and look at the stuff.""Tom got bought out. Management flipped him over a couple of hundred grand — who knows how much? — and Kerry [King, guitar] as well, to keep quiet and go against Lombardo. So they turned their backs on me. And on the last day, when I'm at rehearsal with them — and I saved it all the way until the end — I said, 'Guys, we need a new business plan. You guys have been on the same business plan after 30 years. Now I'm an income participant. In other words, I 'm a percentage holder.' So if you're a percentage holder, you know, you have the right, and you're contracted as a percentage holder, you have the right to see where all the expenses are going. Because here you are getting paid off of net, and then out of 4.4 million dollars, the band gets 400 thousand dollars. Where's the four million? And that's just 2011. [It goes to] lawyers, accountant and the manager."For the past 30 years, they were doing that to the guys. And they took my information… I'll never forget the day, I just said, 'Guys, look at this. This came from your accountant.' And it showed all the money. It wasn't showing where the money was going, it was just showing 'gross,' 'expenses,' 'net.' And out of that net, I made, on tour, in 2011, 67 thousand dollars. Kerry and Tom, that was about 114 thousand dollars they made on tour. So if you did about 60 shows, divide that up between 60 shows… Anybody have a calculator? No, not 60… Let's say about 90 shows per year: 30 in the spring, 30 in the summer and 30 shows in the winter, in the fall. So you break that up per show… Really? It's disgusting. I'm not gonna… I bust my ass up there playing drums. I mean, I am just sweating, I'm beat. And for the guy in the Hollywood Hills, for his facials, his manicures… No, I'm not gonna play for that. No."So, guys, I did everything I could. All I can say, right now my schedule is open. I can do whatever I want whenever I want. I can go over to Europe, do some clinics, hang out with you guys."
Look, $67,000 is not a lot for a touring musician in one of the biggest metal bands in the world. If he truly was shortchanged like this then his frustration is warranted…
BUT!
…and this is a huge but! MetalSucks contributer DX Ferris and author of Slayer 66 2/3: The Jeff & Dave Years, recently chimed in and questioned the validity of those numbers:
It’s unlikely that Lombardo only made $67k from touring in 2011. According to Ferris’ book, divorce papers filed after Lombardo split with his then-wife, Teresa, state that “Dave must continue to support Teresa at a level which she is accustomed to” — about $100,000 annually. The papers claim that Lombardo was averaging a salary of $200,000 per year towards the end of his tenure with Slayer. Writes Ferris: “Lombardo divorce records signed by Lombardo’s attorney (but not Lombardo) revealed that Slayer had owed Lombardo $194,027″ for 2012. How much of this income was from touring as opposed to, say, merch (of which Lombardo was definitely getting a cut), but it seems fair to assume that Lombardo’s figures are off. Original story follows below.
That's QUITE the discrepancy. Once we start talking about money, things get really messy so we're not about to take a side here, but as you can see, once money is involved.
[via Lambgoat]
