Mark's "pieced together pawn shop band" Quote

[Bridge of Clay]

Inside scoop!

Quote: (Originally Posted by Gabriel on abb.net)

Yes, this quote was a direct shot at the band formerly known as Gone Blind. At least the members who were on stage performing with Stapp at the Nascar Awards, playing Creed songs.

Mark wanted me to come on here and give you fans a little history as well as an explanation of why he said this as it is unusual for him to take a shot at another band. Here is the scoop....

Back when Creed was together Mark had a friend named Kiki. Kiki started managing bands and one of the first bands he represented was Gone Blind. At the time Creed was playing large festival shows and Kiki asked Mark if he could help out and get Gone Blind added to the side stage at one of the shows. Mark said yes, asked the rest of the Creed, and everyone agreed. At that show, Kiki came running up to Mark and told him that Gone Blind had no food and asked him if they could have acess to Creed's catering. Mark said yes, even though the tour manager told him it would come out of Creed's tab. Gone Blind ended up playing more shows with Creed and Mark struck up a friendship with all of them, even giving their guitar player one of his signature model guitars to use on tour because he did not have enough money to buy one. He always did everything in his power to help that band out.

After Creed split up, Mark found out that Kiki(whom Mark had severed his freindship with) was working in some capacity for Stapp. Around this time Mark also found out that Gone Blind was working with Stapp on his solo cd. Was Mark angry? Not at all. He understood that the guys were just trying to make a name for themselves in a tough, dog eat dog business. All was cool.

Soon thereafter Stapp went on a promo tour for his new single that was on the Passion Of The Christ Soundtrack. It was just Stapp and the guitarist for Gone Blind. The two of them were performing acoustic songs for many radio stations across the country. They did not play Relearn Love, Scott's new single, once live as far as I know. They only played Creed songs on the entire promo tour. This got Mark pretty angry. He and Scott had a verbal agreement when they split that none of them would ever perform Creed songs unless the whole band was together again. Mark felt betrayed, not only by Stapp, whom he had an agreement with, but also by the guitarist for Gone Blind(who knew damn well that Mark would be mad about it). I mean, Mark gave this guy one of his own guitars and helped his career along as much as humanly possible. It was like a dagger in the back.

Later on, the drummer and bass player for Gone Blind came to an AB show. Mark voiced his displeasure with what was happening to the drummer. The drummer swore to him up and down that he did not want to play Creed songs. The drummer also told Mark that Stapp was planning on marketing himself as Creed part II and that he was planning on playing many Creed songs when he goes out to tour. At the end of the conversation the drummer told Mark that he would never play a Creed song on stage with Stapp, and also that the rest of Gone Blind felt that way too. The two of them shook hands and all was forgiven. Understand that Mark feels this way because he is fiercely proud of the songs he has written in the past. If 3 joe schmoes go up there and play Creed songs with Stapp, it is a different story. He'd stiil be angry with Stapp but Mark would figure the other guys were just trying to make a buck. With Gone Blind playing them, it hurt. He thought these guys were his friends.

Fast forward to the Nascar awards. Stapp played two Creed songs there, one of which was broadcast on national TV. The Gone Blind drummer, who swore to Mark he would not do this and shook his hand in friendship, was up on stage playing with the rest of Gone Blind, backing up Stapp. Mark had been lied to yet again.

So that is why Mark said the "pawn shop" quote. He is pissed about the whole thing and, if you know Mark, he does not suger coat things for the press. He tells it straight up, PC or not. In his view, Gone Blind, a band that he befriended and bent over backwards to help has knowingly and willingly backstabbed him.

[Dogstar]

Thanks for the info, Marcos. I was kind of wondering where all that came from.

[titan9]

Yeah, it all makes sense now. I really feel bad for Mark, now knowing what happened from his standpoint. That drummer should not have promised to not perform Creed songs when he probably knew that, as long as he stuck with Gone Blind and Stapp, he'd have to do those songs. To lie to Mark like that, man, that's just wrong and I definitely don't respect Gone Blind after this.

I've said from the beginning that I do not like the idea of Stapp performing the Creed songs and I stand by that. It's really sad that Stapp would disrespect Mark in that way. Granted, Mark has not been kind to Stapp in all the interviews since the break-up, but if Stapp wanted to show that he's the more mature man, that he's willing to make peace with Mark, Brian and Flip, he's definitely failed.

But I still laugh when I read that quote.

[The Lithium]

Assholes!

No Titan, Mark haven't been a nice guy when it comes to Stapp. But there's a lot of reasons, this is just one!

[tremonti4life04]

Sounds like i was pissed at stapp for the same reason tremonti is. It comes from a musical standpoint, and common sense. If you write a song with someone, and you share a copyright under one band name, its wrong to assume that one band member can go out and do the songs to keep their name alive. I respect alter bridge for that, Myles Kennedy isnt doing Mayfield Four songs, Tremonti doesnt play creed songs out, thats how it should be.

[Dogstar]

Exactly. Unless they came to some sort of agreement, that stuff should be played only by Creed, all of Creed.

[titan9]

Quote: (Originally Posted by The Lithium)

Assholes!

No Titan, Mark haven't been a nice guy when it comes to Stapp. But there's a lot of reasons, this is just one!

Oh yeah, if he's said those things for the right reasons, I can't really fault Mark. That would stink to have a guy who was once one of your best friends just betray his promise to you. That's pretty much how it is in this situation. If everything Mark said is true(and I'm beginning to believe it is), then Stapp has betrayed his promise to Mark to not perform Creed songs. I'm a big Stapp fan, but even I can't defend him in this situation.

[tremonti4life04]

Stapp is trying to keep his name alive, thats all there is to it. If i wrote a song with a band, i know i certainly wouldnt want an ex member of that band playing it out and making money off of it. The ONLY creed song that Stapp should be able to play out still is With Arms Wide Open, that was for his son, and from being a father as well as a musician i can say that it would be fair. I whole heartedly agree with everything that was said in the interview with tremonti tho, whole heartedly. Crucify me if you want, its been my opinion from the get-go.

[Higher_Desire]

Dang. I've been out of the loop for a while. What was the "pawn shop" quote? Ehh, maybe I'll find it somewhere. It sucks that Mark has been being used like that (if that was indeed the case). Since I don't know all the details, I can't make a clear-cut decision, but if there was an agreement between Scott and Mark that neither of them would play Creed songs, Scott should have stuck to it.


H-D

[Bridge of Clay]

Colin, it's on the new GuitarOne article.

[TeriB19]

Wow, with friends like those............

Thanks for the info Marcos!

[aussiecreeder]

reason # 9832 stapp is a douchebag.........


i don't care if stapp plays creed songs on tour ( in fact i'ld probably like to hear him play with arms wide open considering what its about and its personal meaning to him) but he should have kept the verbal agreement. furthermore he is making a gigantic fool of himself but saying creed are going to get back together when it would take a near miracle for that to occur in the next 10 years.

[Xterminator27]

Creed who?

[tremonti4life04]

Tremonti and the boys are having too much fun with Alter Bridge, and doing the style they've wanted and they have the freedom to do whatever they wish. I think that I would be highly disappointed if i did see creed get back together. I love creed, and that band will always have a ton of meaning to whatever i do with music, but its over, they are all going to realize that creed was a great thing, but their separate bands are gonna do them a lot better in the long run.

[Anna1011]

how can stapp really believe that they are gonna get back together its just rediculous
as my mum would say hes got a screw loose