Bob? Lessons? HA!!!

somewhere there are 6 sixteen girls crying in unison.

matt friction's a total asswipe. i had a spat with him over the time he stole a release from my record label a couple years back (a features/slack 7-inch; long story), and the pink spiders' massive, ongoing failure has been a continual source of amusement for me (especially after matt believed his hype so much that he told me they'd be "the next beatles" -- ya just don't say that). so i was looking forward to reading this post...until i got to the point about how shittily he's treated his bandmates, and how they're really the ones who are suffering. i mean, i understand him being an asshole to "competitors" in the industry, but guys on his own fucking team? that's low. living off 30 grand for three years while that ego-tripping little bitch is living the good life off of his label's biggest blunder of the century? friction truly has no shame. i can't wait till his new lackeys and fools realize they're also being taken for a ride, and turn on him as well. maybe we'll all get lucky and one of them will administer the ass-kicking the little snot so sorely needs.

how can anyone judge when they don't know all the details of what really happened? i'm beginning to hate this site, it's turning into garbage.

Wah wah don't feed the trolls.

mr./mrs. dove: as far as this post goes, i don't feel any judgment has been passed. the details presented here were quoted directly from those involved. if there's any way i haven't been objective or haven't presented both sides of the story in a fair and equal light, point this out to me and i'll correct it.

as far as any judgments made in subsequent comments, i'm afraid this site has no control over those.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but...If the drummer and guitarist didn't write the song, why would they deserve any payment for the song? Being a member of the band got them $30,000/year to play the songs that Matt wrote. Maybe the actual record deal should have been negotiated differently, but publishing is separate.

"Every band" does not split publishing unless they write the songs as a band. Music Biz 101. Example... All of the Weezer songs on Pinkerton were written by Rivers Cuomo. Another: All Wallflowers songs on "Breach" (1996) were written by Jakob Dylan and so on and so on. Happens all of the time.

publishing: those bands toured enough to make a living. i can't see being a pink spider as being the most profitable touring option.

even if their names aren't on the contract as writers, the songs creation is inevitably affected by those who will be playing it. too bad, seems like a shtty thing for all involved.

Let me first say that I am no Pink Spiders sympathizer. I am not a hater or nuthin, but I don't know any of them personally, and I haven't really heard their music.

In my experience it is pretty uncommon for bands to fully split publishing due mostly to the fact that it is quite unfair to give someone(s) rights to your own creation when they did nothing to directly contribute. If a band plays a show, they can split the dough since they all "performed" equally, but if you actually birth a song, you don't just hand over 2/3 of it automatically - that's ridiculous. You should feel fortunate to be in a band, backing up someone that can actually right songs that generate pub money, so that you can get booked better gigs and get paid for WHAT YOU DO, which is play live, and not WHAT YOU DON'T DO, which is contribute to songwriting! They don't call it intellectual property for nothing! You have to intellectually and creatively participate. If you can't, too bad - if you are not allowed, change their mind!! Look what Dave Grohl did in Nirvana. He wrote songs, showed em to Kurt, and for the most part, he hated them. He maybe recorded a few at best as b-sides. Of course, Grohl's time in Nirvana was a huge catalyst for Foo Fighters. You can argue that FF was good enough to not need that buzz, but I don't see how you can seperate it. Same goes for Hole.

Yet, it can and has totally worked and ease certain problems to split pub, and there has to be some frustration behind either being a band member who is not a songwriter or who is not allow to be a songwriter. Don't know which applies here, but it can't just all be about the money can it? Yeah, in this case, it probably can.

The #1 stated reason that U2 have stayed together for so long is that they split everything evenly.

...I would buy the hell out of a Features/Slack 7".

REM and Coldplay also split royalties evenly. A more common arrangement, though, would be the songwriter gets 40-50 percent and the rest is split between band and management. The thing is, people need to stand up for themselves. If you think you deserve credit on a song for one reason or another, you really need to say so before it's released. I'm going to hope that the departed spiders tried to re-negotiate either for royalties or for fee for service playing before they bailed, but I bet they didn't. I wonder if Matt Friction even knew that the other guys weren't getting paid. I can't imagine anybody being that much of an asswipe. Then again, the Pink Spiders pretty much made it clear from the beginning that this project was plain and simple, soul-less opportunism. This may be an example of reaping what one has sown.

matt "friction" bell sucks. everyone in this town knows that and has known that. ask the silent friction kids. if you don't take care of your own and keep it all for yourself, that speaks for itself to me. personally, i would much rather listen to dixie whiskey anyways... atleast the band is not a nearly thirty something man still writing about 15 year old girls and their angst. 'tis all.

I for one think it is benefit enough to be in a band with a writer who penned songs that make dough. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. I'd rather be a drummer for a band with a successful songwriter, cuz it would mean that we'd get better and better gigs, and so much supplemental income can come from that. What's assholish is to demand someone fork over part of their property simply because you play drums on the records and live. If you contributed songwriting credit, then great - make sure you get paid, but don't make the mistake of thinking that it is owed to you automatically because you are in the rhythm section - C'MON! I understand it works for U2, and that is fine. It is the songwriter's choice to relenquish their earnings to keep the peace, but it is not damnable to do otherwise for crying out loud! It's silly to think that the Ringo deserves the same amount of profit as McCartney and Lennon, if McCartney and Lennon are the ones who did the hard and brilliant work it took to write "Hey Jude". Ringo may have even been on vacation for all we know, but McCartney and Lennon did the work, and whether or not Ringo "could" or "cound not" have helped write it is irrevelant. If McCartney somehow thinks that Ringo will be bitter about it, he can give him some of his share, but isn't that is silly reason to do so? To keep people from whining? The songwriter(s)/bandleaders inhearantly get "more" of everything, whether it's money or attention, unless, again, they relenquish it to appease the rest of the band. Clearly Pink Spiders' drummer wanted to get a piece of what the singer accomplished, and the singer was not about it. Whether the singer is a prick or not has nothing to do with it, since it does not make you a prick to want to keep the fruits of your labor and not dole it out to people who did not participate.

I've had the publishing discussion before several times, and it's always a little tense. In the past, I've thought the writer should get 100% of publishing, but my view on that has changed a lot. I do tend to think that when a song is "portable", meaning that whoever wrote could unplug it from one project and plug it in to another project or just play it solo, then it's enough of its own entity to warrant the writer getting most of the publishing. On my solo record, I got all the publishing, except for on a couple of songs that were previously released where publishing was split. But I also didn't have a band at the time and the players on my record were mostly hired hands.

However, in my former band, even though I wrote and demoed most of the songs myself, there was an agreement reached that we would split the publishing. I would get around 40% depending upon the song, and then the other three would split the difference. Of course, we never made any money, so the point is sort of moot. But I will say that if you like and plan on keeping the band members that you currently have, then it would be a good idea to include them in publishing. However, I'd argue that the writer probably shouldn't split everything EVENLY in MOST cases because while band members may end up leaving you, your songs will not. You don't want to give up 25% of a song's value to someone you play in a band with for a year or so who may have not had their heart all the way in it. I think the 40-20-20-20 or 50-25-25 or something like that works best in the long run as long as you're interested in holding on to the trust of your friends. If they write their own parts anyway, shouldn't that be considered intellectual property too? After all, what's a salad without salad dressing?

The reason that U2 and REM split publishing is that they both write as a band. In the case of U2, you could argue that Bono and Edge do most of the heavy lifting, but if you've read anything about them, you know that every single one of their songs has come from playing in a room together, hashing out arrangements for hours on end. Yes, splitting publishing helps promote band unity, but it only works when everyone contributes to the process.

songwriting and publishing are two separate items; songwriters deserve the songwriter shares, publishing might be dealt with like an equity stake in the group....split amongst the principals in the big picture to reward sweat equity. there isn't really a one-size-fits all template though and usually the one paying attention to detail (Robbie Robertson) makes out like a bandit.

OMG I'm like, SO PISSED OFF about this. You guys, they were like my favorite band of all time. Even more than My Chemical Romance! Tish told me about this at the mall and I just started crying and ruined my Forever 21 eyeliner. And then that bitch Cassandra was like, all laughing at me and then I was like, fuck you, you cuntbag! I mean EVERYBODY knows she fucked Jimmy. That's so gross! Ugh!

But anyways, the Pink Spiders were like, the best band of all time. Ever since I saw them on the Warped Tour last summer I bought everything they have! I even have the baby doll shirt and matching panties! Like, I'm their superfan. I didn't have enough money to get the pink tampons they were selling because my asshole father won't give me more money. I mean SERIOUSLY, I drive a 2007 Volvo, the LEAST he could do is give me money so I can make myself not LOOK poor.

I totally understand where their drummer Bob is coming from. $30,000 a year isn't even enough for me to buy all the clothes and xanax I want, not even considering like, gas prices on my dad's credit card and stuff. I just wish they weren't leaving the band! *sob sob* It's never gonna be the same like, ever again. They're gonna sound totally different now, and I'm gonna lose my favorite band in the world! And now my makeup's running again! Life is soooooo hard, you guys.

I'm gonna go get a vanilla soy frap to make me feel better. Extra whipped cream. OMG I'm gonna be so fat.

Is anyone really surprised by this? Scroll back to the top, and take a long hard look at that promo picture. Seriously?

I'm just stoked that there is one less gimmicky band in Nashville. One down, twenty more to go...

Good luck with your future careers at Hot Topic!

So I guess the girls-on-rollerskates thing didn't really work out did it?

Pancho, I'm not sure you understand how the music industry works. All publishing income is derived from songwriting. Every single bit of it.

...as replacable as the parts to a lawnmower...

ha! "heaven knows..."

or even better

"i'd rather be famous/than righteous or holy/any day any day/any dayyy"

Replaceable? Hardly. I thought the whole point of the band was the three different dynamics, since that is how it was promoted, meaning Friction was not the "star" per say. (Although I'm sure in his mind he was/is) The three personalities sold tickets to shows because the songs clearly weren't a goldmine.. or they would have been a bigger deal on radio. If Friction's rumored 1/2 a million dollar publishing deal really happened, I don't think it would have killed him to have split it up at bit: 25, 25, 50 (or something like that) with the others. And if not, they should have been paid as touring musicians on a salary. Should have been dealt with by the other members at the beginning but still... no class, no class from Matt.

Was this group not a THREE PIECE to begin with? Something else I do not understand. If you can't pay your own band why bring other players on tour with you? WRITE FOR A THREE PIECE IF YOU ARE A THREE PIECE. Bottom line. If that doen't show poor songwriting for your own band, I don't know what else does. Not to mention carelessness and greed. (People comparing this band to the Beatles is a joke, McCartney could write fucking circles around this joke of a songwriter. I don't see how the other members were "lucky" to be in his shit band at all.)

This is a classic tale, happens everyday. I still feel bad for the bass player and drummer though. I wish I wasn't biast but Friction is a total fuck that got lucky and ruined it all with idiocy and believing his hype that has clearly gone down the drain. I hope someone video tapes that arrogant, selfish, no talent whiny little bitch when his sinking ship is fully submerged. If you do, I'll pay you to watch.

I think Jim is as confused as Pancho about how this whole thing works....the comparisons to the Beatles were clearly not qualitative, but they used a well-known songwriter to illustrate how ownership of intellectual property works. Jim missed the point completely, unfortunately. Writing for a "3-piece" (which would amount to more "arranging" for a 3-piece has nothing to do with writing a song in and of itself and is irrelevant to this entire scenario. The rhythm section, as cool as they may be are highly replaceable in this scenario (they've already been replaced, at least temporarily). That's not meant to be mean, but there are a million people who can play drums, but few who can write songs that get play. I am not saying the songs are good per se, but if they are making money, you are light years ahead of many "good" artists out there who aren't catching on.

quixote is confused as well. why hire people? writing or arranging or doing what ever else you want to call it should have been done for a three piece. where do their songs get play anymore? this is not 2005. the band is over. regardless of who gets hired. if ringo or george left the band fans would have been pissed. stop with the beatles.

It's true, I'll always be confused by the music business. But let's say I retain 100% of the writers' share of each composition, but split the publishing share equally with my 'mates....in other words frontguy is credited as the songwriter (cause he wrote the music and lyric), but the publishing income gets split amongst the group's members (cuz they pitch in for the rehearsal space, load in gear, go broke for the greater good etc). Or am I confused?

I think some people are a little confused here... I think Bob said he was paid $30,000 OVER THREE YEARS, which is only $10,000 per year, which is considerably harder to live on than $30,000 per year. To be honest, if I could make $30,000 a year playing music... I'd sell shit on ebay every once in a while on the side and call it a day. Someone should seriously give me $30,000 a year to play music. Oh what the hell, I'll even take the $10,000.

Fuck all of you people.

this is what matt gets for stealing weezer songs for his own. it was bad in silent friction and got worse in the pink spiders.
HEY DENNIS - HILARIOUS POST!!

Matt's always been cool to me.

Right on cue, Keith with the kiss-ass.

It's the only way I'll ever get in the Pink Spiders.

The value of a person who can write the songs will always eclipse that of the supporting band members. The drummer and bass player from PS are absolutely replaceable - in a mili-second! They are about as stock as you can get - cookie cutter. Sure Geffen has dropped alot of dough promoting them as a 3-piece, but if Bell quit, it would obviously be the end of the Spiders since he is presumably the sole creator of the songs. If it was a 3-way songwriting effort, that is a different story, but I doubt they would be complaining about getting stiffed if that was true. They are clearly disgruntled side-men who want a slice and aren't getting it. I too would be darn happy to make 10K/yr on the road having a blast, getting all the free booze I want! But, yes, envy would set it if one of my bandmates did more work than me, and thus got paid accordingly.

Bob Ferrari can read?

As stated earlier,anyone who has had any dealings with "Matt Friction" know this guy is a total assclown.I am originally from Nashville but I work in a club in another city that this band has performed. This guy walks in like he's Mick Jagger his sister's pants on turning his nose up @ everybody complaining about the complimentary spread of food we had for the bands and we were like is this some kinda joke?He was a complete dick to everyone? After that I can't imagine how he treats the people he works with regularly.I'm really suprised he made it out of the club unscathed that night? I wonder if the other members have any kind of leg to stand on in a lawsuit against this dip? I know Bob said he formed the band, if they came up with some of the concepts I'm sure they do. Maybe a legal fund can be started for a lawsuit to take care of this prick?

AU! has always split publishing equally. Fortunately, $300 is pretty easy to split three ways.

his sister's pants,ha ha ha ha!!!!!

did anyone over 17 take them seriously anyway? another nashville band makes it "big" but then label/money/business complicates things and they fade away. except this time, the band kinda sucked anyway.

can't wait til the new album drops!

Does anybody know if Bob Ferrari's drum lessons come with personal grooming tips and/or custom tattoo design?

I have to totally agree that no adults took this band seriously anyway.It sucks that the singer ripped the other two off and not to trivialize that but maybe its all for the best,how much longer could they pull this off anyway?It was like a lamo male version of Gem and the Holograms.It sucks that there are so many hard working bands in Nashville that struggle to keep their music going and this lame wanna-be teeny-bop pop bullshit got picked up by a major anyway.I for one think that the bassist and drummer are better off working on their other project.

Gem & The Holgrams!? TRULY OUTRAGEOUS!!!

I think if Bob Ferrari and Matt Friction scheduled a fight at the end for 10 a tic it would gross more money than the Pink Spiders current tour without Bob and Joe.If I were a gamblin gal I would put my money on Bob,he seems really mean when hungry.

Poor Matt Friction is going to be walking around town now in his girl jeans all alone with no friends and paranoid as hell.

What is publishing?

I'm pretty sure it means that Matt owns the rights to all the music and all the merchandising.

Bob and Jon got $30,000 as an advance from Geffen by the way. They never got ANY money from touring. Besides free shit and the occasional couple hundred. It all sounds like fun and games except for one thing... they were supposed to be getting paid. Friction SUCKS. Enough about the publishing b/c not getting paid for being in a band that used to make fair amounts of money is what sucks for B and J.

also Leon... haha.. i think friction has been doing that his whole life... walking around in girl jeans paranoid, with no friends. cocaine will do that.

Darling...it's just interesting that Bob would mention "publishing" as what bands "live off of" (keep in mind, he's the one who brought it up as the point of contention...). I doubt that they did not get paid to tour, but if that is true, Bob's rant would have been easier to sympathize with, since not getting paid for touring is quite heinous, as to where not getting paid for publishing you did not earn or do not own is not. Also, if they did not get paid to tour, was that really Friction's fault or their own for getting blinded by a $30K advance without thinking past it and making sure they negotiate that they at least get paid for live performance. I am not saying Friction is not a douche, but I am saying that personal responsibility has to account for A LOT of this situation...

When Matt Friction is forty is he going to be doing the same thing,writing songs and dressing to impress 14 year olds?Is this guy serious even comparing himself to the Beatles he needs his ninety pound ass whipped for even thinking something like that?Anybody can write a little commercial sounding jingle for little kids.What a speckle of crap he is for treating his bandmates this way.You are probably right that they were most likely blinded by the advance from Geffen but that doesn't excuse anything,it was the pink spiders not matt friction and the pink spiders, they deserved a fair share.I hope this dinghole falls flat on his face very hard!

Friction thinks he's Mick Jagger and he can't even fill up a 300 capacity venue.What a dickwipe!

matt's band is still making more money than YOUR BAND.

Matt is that you?Why are you going by the name regardless now?Can I have a job as your sideman,I'm almost 30 but I can put on a pink bandana and tights and smile for thirteen year old girls,just as long as you write all the lame songs and spend on the money on girl jeans.

did all these jerks appear on this board? does it make you feel good to dis on people who are doing something with music? kkkkkkarma

It makes me feel better to dis on people who are DESTROYING music, personally.

when, most of the people on this board make music or love it dearly i would assume. fuck off. matt BELL (i'm sick of that stupid friction shit) makes hack music for children. a bunch of weezer and cheap trick rip offs. fag.

i just can't believe he is still touring under the same name. surprised he didn't title it MATT FRICTION AND THE TURDS so he could see his name in lights.

so self-righteous! who gave you the final say on what music is good and what isn't? and who gave you the imperative from on high to be such an asshole to people who you think are "destroying music"?

matt's band still does better than your band in every single way. i'd like to see you say all this shit to his face. if you had any balls about it you'd post under your real name if you really feel so strongly about it.

in other words, i'm very sorry to hear you haven't gotten laid recently.

Hey Jimmy are we supposed to be scared of you and Matt.Me and most people on here would be glad to say any of this shit to Matt's face?Maybe we aren't assholes but this dipshit just brings out the "asshole"in a lot of people,makes you think huh Jimmy?Why don't you set up a place and time to meet you and Matt after he gets off his rollerrink tour and I'll be glad to meet you wussies and say it to your faces if you wanna act like some badass on here,I'll bet your just a little punk with a mouth thats bigger than you are.

damn sid, i didn't know they had wireless at the Chute.

Are you a homophobic little redneck too?This just gets better and better?still running that mouth like a bitch?All you gotta do is post the time and date,but my guess is you are a little bitch.Thats my point,you wanna call people out and say they are scared to say shit to someone's face?either do it or don't say anything,I think you are just a little big mouth bitch?

so like did your dick just type all that?

GOOD one, jimmy.

Jimmy don't you think its a little strange that your calling people gay on here and you like a band that is marketed toward 15 year old girls?

No I didn't type that with it Jimmy,I couldn't put my dick in your mouth and type with it at the same time now could I.

look sid, i don't know what your problem is, and even if i did you probably couldn't spell it. ok? you can put your head back in your ass now.

ok dude, you win.

out of all the nashville music blog arguments over the years.. i can't think of another one that escalated to the point of, "put my dick in your mouth".

30k is jack shit. I jerk off bulls for artificial insemination for more dough than that.

Friction sucks cock.

/Go rhythm