Bill Ward Responds To Geezer Butler’s Recent Black Sabbath Statement
The Black Sabbath reunion breakdown between the band and drummer Bill Ward continues to spill out in public. A new statement posted below via Billward.com finds Ward responding to bassist Geezer Butler‘s recent statement.
In case you missed it, the band played the first show of this latest reunion run with drummer Tommy Clufetos earlier this weekend.
“Dear Sabbath Fans and Musicians,
I have read Geezer’s statement of May 19, 2012 titled “Heavy Heart.” Out of respect for the Birmingham gig, I wanted to wait 24 hours before releasing this statement. There are some points he brought up which I want to respond to.
1) I had indeed notified Ozzy, Tony and Geezer, well before my first public statement, that I was having contractual difficulties.
2) I came out into a public forum to be accountable to the fans primarily, and to say at a public level there’s a problem. The band members stopped talking and corresponding with me some time ago, with the exception of a nice letter from Tony on my birthday. Prior to that, Geezer and I were corresponding, but that stopped abruptly in late February after I emailed a specific question to him.
3) In my statement of May 15, I clearly stated I would play Birmingham for free. That was not a problem – charity or otherwise.
4) My Download fee was not an extravagant amount. Originally, when Download was part of a full tour, I had asked for a decent fee. More recently, as we were negotiating just Download/Birmingham and Lollapalooza, I told my attorney that I would accept the proposed small Download fee, but there were other parts of the offer that were unsatisfactory.
I will continue to be honest and respectful towards the band and our fans. I will also confront any untruths about me, and any fault finding missions aimed at me that come to my attention.
I hope the band and the fans had a good gig in Brum.
Stay safe/stay strong.
Bill Ward“
COMMENTS
Meanwhile at the Hall Of Justice…
I really respect Bill Ward for being up-front and honest about all this. He deserves a one-fourth share.
Give him the fair contract he deserves and get him behind the kit.
The crux of the matter here is how big the fee actually was, something we will never know. If it is as big as Geezer is saying, then Ward is in the wrong. But even if we knew the amount, we ourselves probably wouldn’t know how to gauge what a reasonable amount is in the first place. In short: this is a clusterfuck of a situation, and I wish it didn’t have to happen.
Can someone explain why Ward should get less than the other three? That he’s not been involved in writing the new album seems irrelevant to me: a show fee is a show fee.
Probably because Tony and Ozzy are taking 75%. Just a guess. One has a huge head and the other is the founder of the band and the only member to stay in the band for the entire run. Again, just a guess.
I’m sure the twat with the even bigger head, whom big head is married to has a big hand it in as well.
Without “big head” there would be no show. It would be just Heaven and Hell minus Dio because he’s dead. And without his wife “big head” would have withered away into a bottle back in the 80′s. He’s the biggest name in metal if he wants to have his head up his ass he’s earned the right.
Geor, feel free to continue parroting the same shit that you’ve heard about Sharon over and over again; that doesn’t make it any more true. You’re the only twat here.
I love how everyone seems so sure of exactly what’s going on between the lines here. Fact of the matter is, no one knows who’s in the right and wrong here. Hell! There may NOT BE a hero or villain here. But, by all means, you dipshits keep squalking like you’re fucking tmz.
Eh, put a sock in it and let people voice their stupid opinions, chief.
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