Cheap Trick Being Sued By Drummer Bun E. Carlos
Cheap Trick Being Sued By Drummer Bun E. Carlos
July 28, 2013
Cheap Trick’s disaffected drummer and its former manager claim in court that the three other band members owe them hundreds of thousands of dollars in tour proceeds and unpaid loans, reports Courthousenews.com.
David Frey, Silent Partner Management, drummer Brad Carlson aka Bun Carlos and Cheap Trick Unlimited Inc., sued Richard Nielson, Thomas Peterson and Robin Zander in Cook County Court.
“Plaintiffs Carlos and Frey are, respectively, the drummer and manager for the world-renowned rock band Cheap Trick,” the complaint begins. “Plaintiffs are forced to bring this action against the three defendants (who are the other members of the band) due to defendants’ outright refusal to account for, or pay, hundreds of thousands of dollars which are owed to each of the plaintiffs, or to otherwise comply with their obligations to plaintiffs.”
Cheap Trick, from Rockford, Illinois, has had a string of hits, including “Surrender”, “I Want You To Want Me”, “Dream Police”, and “The Flame”.
The lawsuit claims that according to consent agreements signed by all four members of the band, “Carlos is no longer required to participate in live performances by the band, but remains a full member of the band, and is entitled to ‘continue to receive all remuneration due to him under the [Cheap Trick Companies’] Agreements (including, without limitation, all remuneration that would have been paid to him had he fully performed at all of the Live Performances) without delay, penalty or offset.”
Carlos claims the other members of the band have failed to honor the agreement, and owe him hundreds of thousands of dollars “by, among other things, refusing to allow Carlos to participate in any of the activities of the band (including the recording of a new studio album), entering into numerous contracts on behalf of the Cheap Trick Companies without Carlos’s consent, and otherwise preventing Carlos from participating in the management and operations of the Cheap Trick Companies.”
In June 2012, the three other band members also “purported to terminate Frey as the band’s manager,” the complaint states. “However, pursuant to the terms of the unanimous consent agreement, this purported termination is null and void because Carlos did not consent to it. Further, at the time of this purported termination, the band owed Frey and SPM $160,000 in deferred compensation, which defendants have improperly refused to pay.”
Frey and Carlos seek an accounting and punitive damages for breach of contract, trademark infringement, false designation of origin, false advertising, unfair competition and breach of fiduciary duty. For more details on the case visit Courthousenews.com.
Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com