Ghostin entisen kokoonpanon jäsenet tulivat julkisuuteen: syyttävät Papa Emeritusta yrityksestä muuttaa yhtye omaksi soolobändikseen
Ghost-yhtyeen entiset jäsenet kommentoivat jättämäänsä oikeushaastetta, jonka he ovat nostaneet bändin laulajaa ja perustajaa Tobias Forgea vastaan. Entisten soittajien nelikko syyttää Papa Emeritus -taiteilijanimellä esiintyvän laulajan huijanneen muita yhtyeen jäseniä levynmyynti- ja kiertuepalkkioiden maksussa, ja väittää saaneensa liian vähän heille kuuluvasta osasta.
– Laulajamme ja entinen ystävämme yrittää hienovaraisesti ja häpeilemättä tehdä Ghostista ”sooloprojektiaan” palkatuilla soittajilla.
Kanteen mukaan Forge kontrolloi yksin bändin bisnessuhteita ilman muiden bändin jäsenten osallistumista, hoitaen samalla myös managerin työt. Nelikko pyytää oikeutta määräämään Forgea julkaisemaan bändin tulot ja menot vuosilta 2011-2016 sekä paljastamaan yhtiön omaisuuden vuoden 2016 lopussa.
Jos Forge ei toimi vaatimusten mukaisesti, muusikot pyytävät oikeutta pakottamaan Forgen maksamaan noin 22 000 dollaria tai summan, jonka oikeus katsoo sopivaksi.
Nostettu kanne väittää Forgen keränneen kaikki oheistuotteiden ja levyjen myynnistä kertyneet tulot itselleen siitä saakka, kun bändi aloitti vuonna 2010, ja väittäneen, ettei ”yhtiö” ollut vielä tuottoisa kuitenkaan suostumatta paljastamaan tilinpäätöksiä.
Tilanne kärjistyi vuonna 2012, kun bändin jäsenet eivät saaneet minkäänlaista korvausta. Forgea painostettiin maksamaan muille, mutta tämä maksoi satunnaisesti väittäen edelleen bändin olevan varaton.
Vuonna 2016 Forge tarjosi neljälle entiselle bändin jäsenelle kahta erilaista sopimusehdotusta, jotka nelikko kuitenkin torjui sanoen niitä ”orjasopimuksiksi”. Tämä saattoi johtaa koko nelikon erottamiseen vuoden 2016 lopussa.
Ruotsalainen kitaristi Martin Persner ei ole yksi kanteen nostaneista muusikoista, vaikka paljastikin olleensa Ghostin kitaristi viime vuoden heinäkuun loppuun asti.
Forge ei ole kommentoinut syytettä, mutta kertoo lakimiehensä vastaavan haasteeseen piakkoin.
Voit lukea yhtyeen jäsenten julkaiseman virallisen tiedotteen aiheesta tästä:
”As of yesterday, we, four signatories from the band GHOST, have filed a lawsuit with the Linköping District Court. We are suing Tobias Forge (’Papa Emeritus’) – the band’s lead singer who has also been responsible for the finances of the band since its founding.
”As of the filing of this lawsuit we are requesting that the court, under penalty, oblige Tobias Forge to declare the incomes as well as expenses of the band concerning the years between 2011 and 2016.
”Throughout all the years we have been on tour with GHOST (between 2011- 2016 some of us have performed something like 500 shows with the band) and throughout the band’s album recordings, we have neither been allowed to share in the profits of the band, nor have we seen any of the incomes accounted for. The only thing we have received have been minimal advance payments to allow the band to keep going. This despite the fact that we had an agreement that any profits should be shared fairly between the members of the band.
”When we have attempted to raise the issue of the band’s finances with Tobias Forge his sole response has been that there are so far no profits to be share, but that everyone will be generously compensated once the band turns a profit.
”The reason that this lawsuit is now being filed is a contract dispute that has escalated during the previous year (2016). Over the last year we have received multiple proposed contracts from Tobias Forge in which he seeks to redefine his role in the band.
”Since the conception of GHOST, our common understanding and agreement has been that we are a band on equal terms, but that Tobias will act as band leader and manage the band’s finances through his own companies.
”Through contracts received from Tobias and his lawyers during 2016, Tobias has attempted to make us sign an agreement that implies we are merely consultants working for his company, an agreement also stating that we would receive less that a minimal wage for our contributions to the band. According to this proposal, furthermore we would renounce any and all rights to music royalties. All above despite the fact that some of us have been members of the band since its foundation, investing all of our time in the band during the past five years, with as much right to the recordings and trademark of the band GHOST as that of Tobias Forge.
”Our vocalist and former friend is now attempting to, in an underhanded and shameless way, transform GHOST from a band into a solo project with hired musicians. Naturally, this is not something we can accept.
”When, in connection with the 2016 United States tour, approached a lawyer in order to sort out the situation of the contracts, we were informed that Tobias Forge no longer wanted us to participate in upcoming tours. Thus, Tobias Forge is now going ahead with the tour, which started March 24 2017 and is set to end in the U.K. on August 12, on his own together with rented musicians who have replaced all other band members. Tobias Forge has chosen this path of action without any permission from us to carry out the tour on his own. This under the name GHOST, which we regard as our commonly owned trademark.
”The actions of Tobias Forge amount to nothing less than unabashed dishonesty, greed, and darkness. Not the darkness of which GHOST sings, but a darkness that pushes a person to betray his best friends when fame and fortune appear within reach.
”We are terribly sorry that this afflicts the fans of the band as well, and that they too should suffer because of this betrayal and greed.
”We who are suing Tobias Forge are:
Simon Söderberg (Alpha) – member of GHOST since 2010
Mauro Rubino (Air) – member of GHOST since 2011
Henrik Palm (Eather) – member of GHOST since 2015
Martin Hjertstedt (Earth) – member of GHOST since 2014”The Nameless Ghouls”
Ghost nähdään Suomessa 30.4. Helsingin Jäähallissa.