It seems that drama between acts is just an obligatory part of being on tour. News came last night that metal band The Convalescence has been kicked off of the Otep “Resistance World Tour” by lead singer Otep Shamaya herself. The statement put out by The Convalescence details a multitude of issues that arose between themselves and Otep. This includes Shamaya accusing them of selling merchandise, causing distractions by buying weed, and constant verbal abuse by Otep towards The Convalescence. They added that, “After years spent on the road touring worldwide and never having a problem, this is a first.”
Naturally, there are two sides to every story, and Otep made a statement that denied allegations of wrongdoing without delving into specifics. “We had to remove one of our opening acts. We do our best to give our tour package an opportunity to play for our fans who are the most loyal & Passionate people on the planet, but if the band begins to act entitled or jeopardizes our message then they gotta go.” They went on to thank fans and say that regardless of rumors, this actions was, “for the greater good.”
While it’s impossible to know what truly happened between the two artists, Otep has a history of issues with openers. This includes beefs with Terror Universal and members of The Butcher Babies. Though, it’s also fair to consider that as Otep has been active since 2000, they have had far longer to accumulate problems with fellow artists versus The Convalescence who have only been around a couple years.
The Convalescence closed their statement with an apology to fans and saying that they will be back on tour this fall, “We have no hard feelings towards her hired band and crew but Otep is an absolute nightmare to work with. Again, we apologize to any of our fans that had planned to see us on this tour. Thanks for your continued support and we’ll see you on the road this Fall!”
The “Resistance World Tour” will continue without The Convalescence for it’s final 11 stops.
06/21 Indianapolis, IN – Emerson Theatre
06/22 Berwyn, IL – Wire
06/23 Marietta, OH – Adelphia Music Hall
06/24 Cincinnati, OH – Madfrog
06/25 Louisville, KY – Trixies
06/27 St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall
06/28 Waterloo, IA – Reverb
06/30 Oklahoma City, OK – The Shrine
07/01 Tulsa, OK – The Shrine
07/03 Albuquerque, NM – The Launchpad
07/05 Mesa, AZ – Club Red