‘I wish they would lift the phone’ fumes 80s star as he’s caught in huge legal battle with his band
A HUGE 80s star has revealed he is locked in a legal battle with his former bandmates. Graeme Clark is still playing with Wet Wet Wet and is hoping to take a new lineup on tour. John Kirkby - The Sun GlasgowGraeme Clark says he wishes the band would just ‘pick up the phone’[/caption] GettyThe band formed in Clydebank in the 1980s[/caption] But an argument has kicked off between former band members Marti Pellow, Neil Mitchell and Tommy Cunningham after an early agreement that income be split four ways according to the Daily Record. And a decision on the band’s direction is to be made jointly by all members. The bassist says there is no direct communication between the former members and they are in touch through their lawyers. He told the Record: “It’s all in the lap of lawyers at the moment, which is pretty difficult, but I’ve made my case in terms of what I’m doing. “I want to take the band out on the road, I want to keep these songs up and sailing. “There was a simplistic shareholders agreement we signed in the 90s, which is the only thing that keeps everybody safe. “Everything went four ways and it is etched in stone, but people are beginning to question the clauses. “This is why there is no communication and it is going through lawyers.” Clark grew up in Clydebank and joined the band when it formed in 1982. The band went on to sell more than 15 million singles and spent 500 weeks on the UK charts. The bassist has lined up a tour with the new band set to take to stages across the UK next year. But Clark says he isn’t surprised they are now battling through lawyers adding: “I’m p****d because the expense is terrifying. “I wish they would lift the phone. “I don’t want to be in the High Court fighting the people I grew up with.” Marti Pellow left the band in 2017 following the 30th anniversary show. Drummer Neil Cunningham and keyboard player Tommy Mitchell quit in the last few years. Graeme Clark, Kevin Simm and Graeme Duffin make up the band today. A spokesperson for Pellow, Cunningham and Mitchell told the Record: “Whilst it is the case that specialist entertainment lawyers have been working on dotting the ‘i’s & crossing the ‘t’s’ on arrangements to manage the various copyrights and income streams connected with the band’s catalogue, there is no animosity involved.”
A HUGE 80s star has revealed he is locked in a legal battle with his former bandmates.
Graeme Clark is still playing with Wet Wet Wet and is hoping to take a new lineup on tour.
But an argument has kicked off between former band members Marti Pellow, Neil Mitchell and Tommy Cunningham after an early agreement that income be split four ways according to the Daily Record.
And a decision on the band’s direction is to be made jointly by all members.
The bassist says there is no direct communication between the former members and they are in touch through their lawyers.
He told the Record: “It’s all in the lap of lawyers at the moment, which is pretty difficult, but I’ve made my case in terms of what I’m doing.
“I want to take the band out on the road, I want to keep these songs up and sailing.
“There was a simplistic shareholders agreement we signed in the 90s, which is the only thing that keeps everybody safe.
“Everything went four ways and it is etched in stone, but people are beginning to question the clauses.
“This is why there is no communication and it is going through lawyers.”
Clark grew up in Clydebank and joined the band when it formed in 1982.
The band went on to sell more than 15 million singles and spent 500 weeks on the UK charts.
The bassist has lined up a tour with the new band set to take to stages across the UK next year.
But Clark says he isn’t surprised they are now battling through lawyers adding: “I’m p****d because the expense is terrifying.
“I wish they would lift the phone.
“I don’t want to be in the High Court fighting the people I grew up with.”
Marti Pellow left the band in 2017 following the 30th anniversary show.
Drummer Neil Cunningham and keyboard player Tommy Mitchell quit in the last few years.
Graeme Clark, Kevin Simm and Graeme Duffin make up the band today.
A spokesperson for Pellow, Cunningham and Mitchell told the Record: “Whilst it is the case that specialist entertainment lawyers have been working on dotting the ‘i’s & crossing the ‘t’s’ on arrangements to manage the various copyrights and income streams connected with the band’s catalogue, there is no animosity involved.”
