The Offspring’s bassist has filed a lawsuit against his bandmates alleging trademark infringement and a breach of partnership agreement over the rights to the band’s name.
Greg Kriesel – who has been absent during the band’s recent tour dates – has made the claim against vocalist/guitarist Dexter Holland and guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman, Dying Scene reports.
The publication has obtained court documents – that have since been deleted but were saved by NME here – that list Kriesel’s claims.
He alleges that Holland and Wasserman “devised a scheme, and entered into a conspiracy with each other” in October 2019 to “seize the business, business opportunities, and assets” of their 32-year-old partnership agreement “in disregard for and in derogation of the rights, privileges, and authority of Kriesel as an equal, general partner”; “divest Kriesel of his partnership interests and rights, without fair compensation; and “deny Kriesel’s continued status as a general partner of the Partnership.”
Elsewhere in the documents Krisel claims that Holland and Wasserman told him last November that he was “no longer entitled to participate in any activities of the band, including (but not limited to) studio recordings and concert tours.”
The Offspring are yet to release a statement about the lawsuit.
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Kriesel was initially replaced on the band’s tour by No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal. The Offspring touring member Todd Morse (who also plays with H20) is currently filling in.
In other news, Holland revealed in March that The Offspring’s new album “sounds like their old shit” and is pencilled for an autumn 2019 release. It will be the Californian band’s first album since 2012’s ‘Days Go By’.