FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH’s IVAN MOODY Says Memphis Onstage Meltdown Was ‘Humiliating’
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer Ivan Moody has denied that the band came close to breaking up after the group’s abbreviated performance last month in Memphis.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH reportedly played six songs at the Beale Street Music Festival on May 1 before the rest of the band left the stage while Moody stayed behind, rambling to fans.
Ivan told U.K.’s Metal Hammer magazine: “[FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer] Jeremy [Spencer] and I were talking backstage and we were both being human. It just sucked that I had my microphone in my hand. The saying is that you should wash your clothes at home.
“Unfortunately, there were 20,000 people watching while he and I had an argument. I really fucked up and I was so embarrassed. The fans didn’t have to see that.”
Moody added: “I’ll be honest, it hurt. I love the guy. He’s one of my best friends, and, yeah, we fucked up. It’s humiliating.”
Spencer recalled: “Our wireless packs were having all kinds of interference and we started getting a little frustrated with that. Then Ivan lost his cool completely and just started taking it out on everyone, including me. He and I got into a little scrap and it just wasn’t cool. We got through it, but it was pretty ugly and it was unprofessional.”
The drummer continued: “We’ve been together 10 years now, so it’s like a marriage — some days are better than others, but we love and respect each other.
“It was one night that wasn’t great, and hopefully we can make up for it. But life goes on, man, and we’re still a band.”
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Jason Hook recently blamed alcohol and lingering resentment over Spencer‘s book for the Memphis incident, telling the “Three Sides Of The Coin” webcast that “what happened, in my estimation, was that for whatever reason Ivan decided to get shitfaced drunk — I’m probably not supposed to be talking about this — but he started to lose his temper onstage towards, basically, the rest of us, being the band. And, you know there’s only so much of that we can handle… Jeremy decided that he had enough and he got up and left. Well, it’s pretty hard to play a concert without the drummer.”
Hook promised that, “That’s the first time that’s ever happened and that will be the last time that’s ever happens because we’ve talked about it quite a bit and that’s just unacceptable, and I think everyone understand that it’s never to happen again.”
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory, meanwhile, told The Pulse Of Radio the incident was blown out of proportion online by fans who felt the group was in trouble. “In 10 years, how many shows we’ve played, I have no idea, but way over 1,000, probably 2,000 shows,” he said. “We had one show when things weren’t going our way, and from this band that’s kind of a surprise… And the first time in history we had one of those and immediately it was like, people were like, ‘Omigod, they’re breaking up!’ Dude, it’s one show out of thousands and thousands… It’s rock ‘n’ roll, you know? Shit happens. And we had one of those, and because this band is so well known about being an absolute machine on stage, immediately the rumor was, ‘Omigod, I think they’re breaking up!'”
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH began a European run on May 30 at the Rockavaria festival in Munich, and will kick off a North American tour with PAPA ROACH on September 4 in Lexington, Kentucky. The group’s sixth album, “Got Your Six”, comes out August 28.
Blabbermouth
