Thanks to Take Cover and Shoot for the image to the left. It is from Pensacola at the Handlebar. Watch out for the freight tracks about 30 yards from the front door .

I am just covering bases here. Riotgod is now my former band.

After two 2012 tours, not as lucrative as even basically imagined, shall we say, I had some quick thinking to do.

Bob, the band’s drummer and as it seems ad hoc manager, months before, had signed up for a May tour, with a booking agent I still am not certain of the name of. True information… as it stood with Riotgod was so rare, everything was a secret.

Well, regardless, my decision was made. I did not have to have ANYONE influence me about responsibility and the ability to adapt.

I could not afford to go out on a scheduled month long May tour. Simple.

After some back and forth where:

1. I was labeled an “expense” because a scheme had been concocted to portion me more end-game money than the 3 other members, a situation I did not ask for.
2. I was offered the possibility of a different job when I came back from the tour, a job that was at the get-go iffy, certainly would not afford me benefits ( at least right away ) AND it entailed a pay cut. I could not do that. Can’t.

• I explained my life situation here, responsibilities and what affected my decision, suggested options for the band I thought would be more gainful or reasonable, leaving me less stressed.
• We could still play regionally. It would incur less expense and all sorts of other who-cares-at-this-point aspects that were rejected. People had asked, ” Why don’t you guys play your home state?”

It was stressed that this tour was paramount. I was asked – are you in or are you out? I was made to appear ungrateful. I asked for copies of the contract, “Why hasn’t anyone seen it?”

“We offered you more pay and a job and that still wasn’t good enough for you.”

Well that was awesome to hear. It was staggering to me, the revealed dysfunctions I had always knew existed, trust issues, true benevolence ( lack of ), how they reacted under stress.

In an e-mail I was informed that the band would move on without me. The tour was of great importance and the fact that I would not possibly sacrifice, placing my residence, job/benefits on the line for this tour, demanded their ultimate action.

And now a group of ridiculous energy vampires, liars and ingrates on one side of the issue, rejoice that I have finally been ousted from the band. On the other side of the coin stand the people whom feel that I am an integral ( or was ) part of the band, whom without my participation, will not be the same band.

To those haters, you will always be my enemy. You are nothing, talentless wastes of time. Pathetic creatures. Go ahead, create your fantastic stories, spread your vitriol, be a__holes. It seems your destiny.

To those that simply dig my vocals and care about what I do, I appreciate your support and interest with a great deal of humility and thanks.

To my former bandmates, good luck with whomever you find to sing the lyrics I worked on and melodies that were such fun to create.

It was a frustrating time over all in retrospect, the consumate Riotgod experience, always being tethered to Monster Magnet. When touring was possible for me, we could not owing to some responsibility that was in the way, some other band obligation.

Now, one tour is deemed so important that is CANNOT be rescheduled. That is bullshit.

One tour — that to this day I see little mention of on the web — except via deep Google searches — EXACTLY WHAT WENT DOWN ON THE FIRST ( -$ ) 2012 U.S. Tour. No promotion, no nothing!

So make up some list of  weird shit that comforts you in your decision, say I did this or did that, justifying my dismissal, hang out with that Wormtongue Coven who can drink a big cup of fk off, as they spew their negativity with a classlessness unrivaled, go on and do it all.

Yes I could not afford it, this tour. But you know what, no one knows about the rigid control over creativity I had to silently endure. That sucked and that is on my list of things to justify my comfort with this “dismissal”

• Boilerplate album art.
• An incomprehensible association to Masonic symbolism that I had to get quite creative to “explain” when it was never, EVER so fascinating to me that I agreed to it being put first and foremost as the identifying visual language we should project as a band.
• Not being able to hear any mixes and if suggestions were called for, having them ignored anyway.
• Song ideas dying on the vine if not accepted by the Generalissimo.
• Never selling merch on the web.
• Overall secrecy.
• Artificial sense of distress created as the method of working, justifying “deadline” decisions, when in reality had things been shared and planned over time, quality results might be the norm, rather than the exception.

I put this out there to get it off my chest. I realize NOTHING will ever sway the sh_tbirds who say all their beat things.

I look forward to making new music free of restrictions I until now I too readily accepted.