Tacoma's Girl Trouble Versus Gorilla Music
This story started making the rounds earlier this week and we were asked about the details, so here’s what we know:
Tacoma garage band legends Girl Trouble have been requested to “Quit It.” The band’s members have been sued by Gorilla Music, a Cleveland, Ohio company that assists “young bands” with the details of booking gigs – for a fee. Girl Trouble has drawn the ire of Gorilla due to various remarks made by drummer Bon Von Wheelie on his her website www.neverpaytoplay.com. The nature of the neverpaytoplay site is apparently seen to be excessively critical of the Gorilla business model, as the suit demands it be shut down immediately (in addition to renumeration). For details on the suit, read The Weekly Volcano coverage from earlier this week.
For an even more interesting time, check out the lawsuit itself. We really like all the Search Engine Optimization talk …
The band has retained the legal services of Wade Neal (guitarist of local stalwarts Seaweed). Neal explained to Exit133 that Washington state law may regard a suit of this nature as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). Legislation intended to prevent the “chilling” of public participation and free speech was passed in Washington in 1989, with various revisions taking effect this year (summary here). According to Neal, no similar legislation exists in Ohio, the state in which the suit is filed.
The band contends that Gorilla doesn’t have jurisdiction over Girl Trouble, but they have to make that argument in Ohio. In any event, they are confident that all speech on the Never Pay to Play site is protected speech and is not defamatory.
We will be sure to follow this story as it develops. We will also cease and desist the use of Girl Trouble record titles in ham-fisted jokes.
More information on Girl Trouble at wig-out.com
Filed under: General
8 comments
K Kevin April 23, 2010
“Bon Von Wheelie on his website” … His?
T Tracy April 23, 2010
Thanks for spreading the word about this. FYI-Bon Von Wheelie is FEMALE.
C captiveyak April 23, 2010
Hey Captiveyak! I always knew you’d embarass your father by poorly researching a blog post!
I apologize for that mistake. With enough alcohol, I’m sure I’ll live it down somehow. Is it even worse to confess I’ve never heard a Girl Trouble song?
It is not too much for me to ask to get genders straight in a story.
R RR Anderson April 23, 2010
hmm. Perhaps a fair and balanced Tacomic is in order.
R RR Anderson April 23, 2010
Girl Trouble your life is about to change… underground political cartoon style!
T Trashtown April 24, 2010
These companies are scams to steal money from young kids, and it needs to be illegal.
B Bill Barnett April 25, 2010
Bon Von Wheelie’s website is a great resource for young musicians bands.
I’m a little upset that Gorilla music has not approached the Bill Barnett trio or any of it’s permutations.
I’m also a little upset that there is no Gorilla Tacoma. We aren’t good enough for scammers?
T Trashtown April 25, 2010
There used to be ALOT of companies like gorilla scammin’ in Tacoma, but the bands here caught on, most likely because of what Bon has been doing. However, now there are no all-ages venues around anymore so even if a company wanted to scam tacoma again, there would be no where to do it…