Following Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo’s report that he had been asked to leave the band over financial disagreements, the band issued a joint statement today that disputes Lombardo’s claims that their tour revenue was being divided unfairly as he suggested in a Facebook post (in full below) that 90 percent went to management, while Slayer were left with the leftovers.

The band confirmed that they had met with the drummer last week to talk finances, but have a much different view of what transpired:

“As regards Dave Lombardo’s Facebook post, Slayer does not agree with Mr. Lombardo’s substance or the timeline of the events, except to acknowledge that Mr. Lombardo came to the band less than a week before their scheduled departure for Australia to present an entirely new set of terms for his engagement that were contrary to those that had been previously agreed upon,” they wrote, adding, “The band was unable to reach an agreement on these new demands in the short amount of time available prior to leaving for Australia.”

Slayer also confirmed that Lombardo is being replaced on their trip to Australia, which starts tomorrow in Brisbane. The fill-in is drummer Jon Dette, who had played with Slayer for a stretch in the ’90s. No statement has been officially made regarding whether Jeff Hanneman, who suffered a near fatal spider bite, will be on the stage or not. Slayer’s tour schedule is here.

Slayer concluded that “there is more to the account than what Mr. Lombardo has offered, but out of respect to him, Slayer will not be commenting further.”

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Statement From Dave Lombardo Regarding Slayer Australian Tour 2013

I want to personally apologize to all of our fans in Australia who have bought tickets for the tour expecting to see me in my usual place on the drums.

So that you all know the truth, as of the end of the business day on February 14th, I was notified that I would not be drumming for the tour in Australia. I’m saddened, and to be honest I am shocked by the situation.

Last year, I discovered 90% of Slayer’s tour income was being deducted as expenses including the professional fees paid to management, costing the band millions of dollars and leaving 10% or less to split amongst the four of us. In my opinion, this is not the way a band’s business should operate. I tried rectifying it by letting my band mates know, and Tom and I hired auditors to figure out what happened, but I was denied access to detailed information and the necessary back up documents.

I spent the Christmas and New Year holidays realizing I had toured all over the world in 2012, but yet, had not been paid (except a small advance) or provided a proper accounting for a full year’s sweat and blood. On top of this, I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a long form contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order.

Last Monday, I sat down with Kerry and Tom to rehearse for Australia and to propose a new business model that I felt was the best way forward for Slayer to confidently protect itself so we could do what we do best . . . play for the fans. Kerry made it clear he wasn’t interested in making changes and said if I wanted to argue the point, he would find another drummer. On Thursday, I arrived at rehearsals at 1 pm as scheduled, but Kerry did not show. Rather, at 6:24 pm I received an email from the lawyers saying I was being replaced for the Australian dates.

I remain hopeful that we can resolve our issues. But once again, I sincerely apologize to all of our fans in Australia who spent their money expecting to see the 3 of us original Slayer members.

I look forward to seeing you in the future.

Sincerely,

Dave Lombardo

Tags: 2013