Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo has claimed that he was only paid an average of $745 per show in 2011, and bandmates Tom Araya and Kerry King only got $1266 for each appearance – even though concerts were bringing in around $49,000 per night.
After examining the band’s accounts, he concluded that the musicians only received $400,000 out of the $4.4m they’d generated that year. His notes led to the argument that led to his fired in 2013.
Lombardo insists he did everything he could to persuade his colleagues they were all entitled to a better deal, not just him – but alleges the management made extra payments to Araya and King to let the issue drop.
Lambgoat reports a video interview in which Lombardo said: “I knew something was up and I tried my best to work it out with the guys. I had Tom in a hotel room with me, talking to my attorney, telling him everything their management company had been doing to them for the past 30 years.
“Tom got bought out. Management flipped him a couple of hundred grand – who knows how much? – and Kerry as well, to keep quiet. They turned their backs on me.”
He says he “held his breath” for longer than he’d wanted to, before finally confronting his colleagues at the end of 2012. He told them: “‘Out of $4.4m the band gets $400,000. Where’s the four million? Lawyers, accountant and the manager.’
“I just said, ‘Guys, look at this – it came from your accountant.’ I made $67,000. Kerry and Tom, that was about $114,000. Let’s say about 90 shows per year; you break that up per show. It’s disgusting.”
Slayer are working on their first album since the death of guitarist Jeff Hanneman, while Lombardo is concentrating on his former side-project Philm. He says: “My schedule is open; I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.”
source: classicrockmagazine.com
23 Responses
Oh” don’t forget Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley cut.
Is there any way we can somehow blame Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons for Dave Lombardo leaving Slayer?….
Say what u want about paul/gene…their management isnt screwing them over..lol
No, they have that covered themselves. They are the screw-ers, not the screw-ees.
Classic stupidity, they never looked at the contracts, it was spelled out: you guys get the 10% after expenses and the rip. Give the two a few hundred grand, sign some stuff not to go after the big loot. Don’t feel too bad, Quiet Riot grossed tens of millions but were broke later, they got Pasha’d. 50K a night and Lombardo is getting $745….a total idiot. He should have quit after the first check.
Wow that sucks if true. A band like a layer has been around forever and still sells our large venues. If they can’t get a bigger cut that’s just sad. I mean 114,000 is nothing to laugh at but they are practically legends at this point.
They can suck it