There's ONE!!! Now if we could at least convince some OTHERS of Stapp's fallability, the board would be a lot more pleasant. Titan, I agree with you, I'm still a Stapp fan and yes, I'd buy his CD (if it ever does come out) and there's no denying the man has talent. But you're right, Mark had good reason to finally come out and speak his mind. And it sounds like they are still holding back quite a bit of the story.

Yeah, see, before it just seemed like Mark was just bad-mouthing Stapp for the sake of bad-mouthing Stapp. I saw no reasoning behind it; no reason to kick a man while he's down. If everything Mark said is true, then yes, I'd be just as angry about it as Mark is. Would I bad-mouth the guy I'm angry with in the press? Perhaps. I guess it all depends on the personality and how angry you are with someone. I can't fault Mark for speaking his mind, even though I wish the dirty laundry wouldn't have been aired in public. But I still can't fault Mark for speaking the truth and letting the fans know what happened.

To all the Stapp fans out there who are thinking I'm bashing Stapp and that I'm no longer a fan of him, that's not the case. I still respect the heck out of the guy as a musician and I still like him the same as far as that's concerned. He still has my support, musically, as a fan. But with what's been said and if it's all true, no one can really defend Stapp, the person, for what has happened. It's really an awful thing to betray an agreement with a guy who was like a brother to you. And that's what I'm thinking about here. That's why I'm disappointed.

See I don't look at it as bad-mouthing. I look at it as the truth. Look, guys like Stapp put themselves in a public position where they get paid abnormal amoutns of money to do stuff that does absolutely nothing for the good of humanity. The guy working 9 to 5 does more for the progress of our race than Stapp, Tremonti, or the Beatles ever did. They are entertainers and get a whole heck of a lot of fame and fortune for doing basically NOTHING. One of the prices of that is publicity. If Stapp is being an all around idiot, the public should know that just as much as they knew when he was selling millions of records. He put himself in that position (and lied and cheated in an attempt to STAY in that position), and deserves all the bad rap he gets.

Tremonti gets asked questions about Stapp all the time, and nothing would make me think he should answer them with lies. A "No comment" maybe? Possibly, but everyone knows that a "no comment" is as good as a condemnation anyway.

Well, before it just seemed to me like Mark was really bitter about the whole thing and rather than taking the high road(i.e. not talking about the past, including Stapp), he chose to say less than flattering things about Stapp in the press. He had every right to say those things, but if it were me, I would not have said that stuff. I would have taken the high road and said "I prefer not to speak about the past. I'd rather focus on my new band." That's just me, though, and I guess it all depends on the person and the situation. Now that Mark has shed some more light on this whole thing, I can see why he'd feel the need to talk about Stapp. He obviously wants the fans to know what, from his perspective, is the truth. He's probably tired of what Stapp has said and probably thinks that everything Stapp has said are lies. I've tried to be unbiased in interpreting what both guys have said, and I think there is some truth to what both of them have said. Right now, though, Mark's story seems to be the more truthful one, but I do not think that everything Stapp says is a lie.

I dont agree with that. A person who writes or sings or plays a song isnt doing basically nothing???? Are you sure of it?

Artists, musicians, players are doing a lot of important things, actually very good thing, (of course when this kind of thing has quality.) cause they are filling our " normal" lives with poetry... dream ... ;)

I cant think life without music!!!! ;)

By the way, arent you a musician??? I mean a DRUMMER??? :D LOL

Yes I am a musician. And indeed that just shows me how little music does for the world compared to many other people jsut strugglign to live. Look, music, entertainment, relaxtion, is all important, and without it we would go nuts. But for anyoen in any entertainment industry to even entertain the thoguht that what they are doing i even remotely worth considering compared to doctors, teachers, soldiers, etc., is beyond arrogant.

And anyway, I wasn't tryign to bad mouth the industry, just put it in perspective.

Yeah, I know what you meant, ;) but I just wanted to say that music is very important to me, and I cant imagine life without it, even though entertainement industry, especially musical industry is full of great "personalities" like ashsleys, britneys,etc..

Also, of course, I consider and respect men and women that struggle very hard every day :)