Band.RttP{Byzantine}

OK. Just so everyone knows exactly what is going on with us, here is why we are not doing the IEMF tour. We were screwed by Jeffrey Churchwell at Digger International. There we no internal problems with the band. Yes, OJ had a death in the family. That’s not the issue. No, no one in the band is addicted to anything. We were fully prepared to do this tour. We have signed contracts with the venues. We just ordered new merchandise. We were in the process of securing more reliable transportation for the tour. In short, we have been taking all the steps necessary to do this tour. I will state this again clearly: We were screwed by Jeffrey Churchwell at Digger International. That is why we’re not on the tour. Stating that there were “circumstances beyond our control” is nothing but PC horseshit.
We did two tours previously for Jeffrey. This first was with Gizmachi prior to their Ozzfest tour. It was crap. It was originally going to be with Six Feet Under as a headliner, but Chris Barnes is a dick and didn’t want to tour with us or Gizmachi. So he dropped it and took another tour. Since Jeffrey already had the shows booked, he sent us out anyway. Only he didn’t send new contracts. That’s right, Byzantine and our boys in Gizmachi did an entire US tour with void contracts. Naturally, he never bothered to tell us this until we were already on the road.

The second tour was the one we completed yesterday with our new friends Hell Within. Now we did our homework and budgeted and new full well that this was a bullshit tour. We’re talking horrible routing, very low guarantees, and no headliner. There was no way we were going to be able to afford to do it. But, Jeffrey told Byzantine that if we didn’t do it, he would kick us off the IEMF tour. He essentially held us hostage and made us do a shitty tour in order to for us to be on IEMF.

Driving home two days after completing the shows he booked (he routed us to Portland and let us figure out how to drive 2500 miles home with no money), he tells us we’re kicked off of the IEMF tour. The kicker is that he gave us no reason. He just said we’re off. We held up our end of the bargain and did these shit tours and then he screwed us.

Now we don’t know if there was some sort of political pissing match going on somewhere that caused this and we don’t care. We got hosed and I, for one, am hungry for payback. If you’re reading this, take the time to repost it anywhere and everywhere. Fuck Jeffrey Churchwell and Fuck Digger International! If you happen to live in the Chicago area (where Digger is based) and have a baseball bat……….. And if you happen to know anyone in the music industry who understands the word “ethics” (I know that might be stretch), please give them our CD.

Sincerely, Tony Rohrobugh Byzantine

PS If you want to tell him to FUCK OFF email him at Diggernet@aol.com

FUCK YOU JEFF CHURCHWELL!!!!"

No matter what I write or how I respond to the posting from the band BYZANTINE, it's going to be viewed as 'I said, they said' format. I have no interest in this type of exchange. I believe it is best to keep it short, stick to the facts, and move on.

"The posting from BYZANTINE in regards to myself and to Digger International is very condemning and the damage is already done. To refute it now gives it further credence and only justifies the accusation. It goes without saying I disagree with the inferences and much of it is just out right embittered bullshit from an upset band member.

"I did end whatever relationship their was between I/Digger and the band BYZANTINE and the end result was their replacement on the IEMF tour. Everything else, including their accusations, beyond that is crap and hearsay. Whatever the rumor mill is grinding away at, or what the 'real reason' is, the simple fact is whatever belief I had in the band had already been stamped out and it was time to move on. Anything else I'd offer on the subject in regard to my view of the band, their actions, would be personal and the Internet isn't a place to vent these type of issues. They should have considered this before their posting. They chose the forumn — I didn't.

"I wish the band the best of luck and success.

"The issue in regards to the band BYZANTINE and this company is closed. No matter what is posted, written, suggested or otherwise, I will not re-visit it again.

"This goes out to Tony and the [rest of the] band BYZANTINE as I assume they were aware of the posting.

"You can say anything you want about me, my business, as long as its business and not personal. What few boundaries there [exist] in the music business you abhorrently crossed when you inferred in your e-mail to bring physical harm (baseball bat) to me, my person, and even worse, to my home, where I live with my family, to any person willing to do the deed. You did so in an open public forum — the Internet, no less — that crosses all borders. Did you really think you could do something like this — threaten me; even worse in my home where I live with my family — and I would do nothing about it?

"Here is the short story: I didn't really pay any mind to the posting, but someone very close to me read the positing and it upset her greatly as it affected her home. Your posting on the Internet in reference to me and bringing me physical harm to me in my home is not only incredibly uncool, it is illegal. The posting on the Internet crosses state and national borders.

"I documented the entire file with the local coppers, who in turn recorded it as an 'official threat' via the Internet. No big deal, right? Wrong. I'm a handicap, [and] that makes me a minority and you're posting a hate crime. Now what happens next is up to you. You can admit you made a mistake and went beyond business and [that] posting such a threat, open invitation, was wrong, and illegal, and remove your threat to me on your posting on your site. Ya don't, and the same files I have recorded with the locals will then go to state, federal and international authorities. Forget ever crossing any borders to tour in another country.

"Think I am harsh, or I am a dick? You have no idea.

"Make no mistake: dis my business or whatever fine, but threaten me personally or my home, where I reside with family and make no mistake, I will be relentless.

"Are there people out there reading this think I am overreacting? Ask yourself this: if someone threatened you, your home, and in turn your family, would you not strike back with everything in your power to protect those things you love? Did we all not just recently see the horrible tragedy of a crazed fan on a stage in Columbus, Ohio go horribly wrong? Some people act on crazy stuff like this and I am not allowing this to go any further. It's over!

"P.S.: You want friends in the music business? Do yourself a favor — buy a dog."

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