Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
The band’s leader, Chad I. Ginsburg, has been accused of persistent “unprofessionalism” and “lack of accountability” by bassist Mike Leon, who has announced he has parted ways with CKY, as per MetalInjection. In an open letter to fans, Leon explained the reasons behind his departure and stated that he will not be performing with the band at their next performances. For CKY, whose history has been dotted with internal turmoil over the years, Leon’s exit represents yet another lineup change. The band hasn’t yet responded to his statement in public.
Hey everyone, I want to let you know that my time with CKY has come to an end. Growing up, I was a huge fan of the band, and getting the opportunity to play with them was a dream come true. I genuinely enjoyed my time there, and it was fun… until it wasn’t.
For full transparency, I will not be participating in the band’s upcoming shows. As unfortunate as this is, given the circumstances, I believe this was the right move to make. The differences regarding logistics and business decisions, primarily driven by the actions of the band’s leader, created internal issues that made an already stressful environment increasingly difficult to work in.
This unprofessionalism and lack of accountability was known well before I joined, and persisted throughout my time with the band, making day-to-day operations a constant challenge. The love I had for the band blinded me to the red flags my peers and the band’s previous history had warned me about, especially surrounding the frontman, yet I chose to believe things would be different.
In all of my years of working in this industry, I have never experienced this level of toxicity from an individual, and it stings extra having been perpetrated by the very band that first inspired me to start my career as a musician.
Music should be a source of joy, but the environment became a source of stress that ultimately outweighed the positive aspects of being part of the band I grew up loving. I will continue creating music, and I sincerely thank all of you for your unconditional support.
