Dead Kennedys frontman Jeff Penalty has left the band. He is now the 3rd singer to front the band after Dr Know’s Brandon Cruz gave Jello Biafra’s vocal task a go first time round for 2 years.
Penalty says that a number of reasons have brought about his departure but that the fact that his bandmates have been looking for a new singer behind his back brought matters to a head. Which is understandable.
Penalty says: “It’s likely that, if asked, the band will attribute my departure to scheduling conflicts brought about by my documentary work, but in reality it’s a tediously long story involving personality conflicts, creative differences, arguments about splitting money equally, arguments about how the band should be run, arguments about the wisdom of hiring a band manager whose other star client was a Christian folk artist, arguments about whether we should or shouldn’t go on MTV, and arguments about many other wretched things.”
He continues: “I thought about quitting numerous times over the past year, but I officially did so on Thanksgiving when I found out that the band had been recruiting a new singer behind my back and had even played a secret show with one at a bar in my neighbourhood”.
Zac reckons “they should just give up altogether. It was never the same once Jello left and the karaoke has been seen once already. Either get Jello up front again or don’t bother.”