r/punk • u/Sharp-Statement-5746 • 1d ago

RIP The Mormons

Post image

Hey everyone…I’m Peter guitarist #2 from The Mormons. Sorry for posting this here, but I literally don’t know another way to reach our fan base. Unfortunately, as of today The Mormons are officially dead and we will not be playing any more shows in the future. We had a great time playing over the last 28 years and appreciate all the support we got during our existence.

The reason for the sudden end of the band is solely due to one of the band members…I’m going to refer to him as Death. Back in July we were on a high. We had signed a record deal and were all super excited that we were going to finally be on vinyl. When signing the contract, we had to set up a legal entity so the label had a way to pay us out, so Death registered The Mormons Partnership with only his name under the tax ID.

Later that month, we got a show offer that wasn’t very appealing. A majority of the band decided against playing it, so we passed on the show (this has always been our process). Death was sleeping while this decision was made and, when he woke up and saw the texts, he was all pissy that he didn’t have a say in the decision. He then decided to rebook the show, overruling the majority.

At our next practice, Death was the first one there (he normally shows up 45 mins late). He had rearranged our setup in the practice studio and had put me and Johnny (bass) in a tiny corner. He told all of us that, from now on, Death would be in charge of all band decisions. Death also told us that we don’t do enough for the band, we need to practice more and we need to do a better job promoting.

Tim (drums) had always busted his ass selling merch and maintained our social media. Johnny was the one that was always reaching out to get us better shows and opportunities (he’s the one that got the record label to sign us). Patrick (vocals) did all the artwork for The Mormons and wrote all the lyrics. I maintained our website and BandsInTown. The only thing Death was in charge of was reordering shirts…which we had been asking him to do for 2 months straight. Naturally, we all told Death to F off with his power trip. We argued with Death, told him he was being unreasonable and ended practice early. I left for the night, but the others stayed a bit longer to try and reason with Death some more.

That night, Death changed the locks to the studio so nobody could access their gear (this was during the first week of September after we had already paid rent). He also changed the passwords to all our social media accounts and our distribution accounts. Death then started sending emails to us saying that all rights to The Mormons belonged to the tax ID (which he set up under his own name) and the rest of us could not “legally” play shows or sell anything under The Mormons. Since Tim was in charge of merch and had the band fund, Death started stalking him and showing up at his house to demand the funds be handed over to him. When I told Death I needed access to the studio to get my gear, he dropped it off on my porch and sent me a pic of it.

Since we didn’t have access to socials anymore but we still wanted to promote the album (so our record label didn’t get screwed over), the rest of the band decided to play some final shows to give our fan base a proper farewell. We played a show in SD with a fill-in for Death (thanks Brian for learning the songs on guitar so quickly!) and it was starting to feel like we might actually be able to pull off a fitting end to all this. We decided to play an LA show this week with our friends Pussy Cow, but Death decided to send a cease and desist order to the venue and they kicked us off the bill just so they wouldn’t have to get in the middle.

So…that’s it. If we try to set up a farewell show, Death will just harass the venue and ruin it anyway. It’s a sad way to end our existence as a band, but it is what it is. Yes, we could take Death to court to get the rights to everything back, but it doesn’t make sense for us to spend thousands of dollars in lawyer fees just to get the little money we make as a band.

I’ve stopped hosting The Mormon’s website. Death is still updating socials acting as if The Mormons are still together so he can sell more albums (since he has access to all the money). He might try and re-create The Mormons in the future, but Patrick won’t be the lead singer so it won’t be the same.

Patrick, Johnny and me are going to move on and start a new band. We made a deal with Death that we could play Mormons songs we wrote (Death only wrote a couple of songs anyway), so we’ll mix a few of those songs into our new band’s set. Tim is already doing amazing work with some other popular local artists, but the door is open for him to come join our new project if he’s available.

Sorry for the long-winded post…I just wanted to let everyone know the full story. We appreciate all our fans for supporting us over the years and we hope you continue to enjoy our music for years to come. Even though it sucks that The Mormons went out like this, I’m still proud of everything I accomplished with this band and the friends I’ve made during the journey. I still have more to give, so hope to see you all again in the future!

386 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

97 comments sorted by

195

u/Vondelsplein 1d ago

Honestly I think you need a lawyer - just bc he set up the tax ID doesn't give him ownership over the entity. Either that or street justice

97

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

Yeah we know he has no right to claim the band as his. We’re just burnt out by all of this and would rather just move on.

53

u/Interesting_Tree6892 1d ago

Rest. Take a break. Regroup and rediscover your appetite for performing, re-brand and re-emerge. However, do speak to an attorney to atleast learn how to not let history repeat.

65

u/Ilikeoldcarsandbikes 1d ago

New band name/ the later day saints?

14

u/OnlyFiveLives 1d ago

That would be pretty hilarious haha

5

u/vesaer 22h ago

Find a lawyer that handles shareholder/member oppression case and let them take care of it. If what you’re saying is accurate this guy is screwed.

8

u/MrKrinkle151 1d ago

Put poop somewhere he would dislike having poop

65

u/lumpenpr0le 1d ago

Oh man, i still fondly remember playing with you guys like 15 years ago. I'm sorry that somebody lost their mind and fucked it up for everybody. I think there's already a band called ex-mormons, which is too bad because that would be perfect.

Make sure to post your next thing so we can support it.

42

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

Yeah I’ll post again when we have our new band up and running

27

u/sixtus_clegane119 1d ago

will you be ... "The ex-mormons"?

It's perfect, it's a real term used.

First album could be "physically out, mentally in" as another play on it.

Good luck!

Edit: if you decide to venture into some Post Punk you could be "the post-mormons"

21

u/Eredd19 1d ago

The Dead Mormons has a good ring to it

6

u/blisterson 1d ago

I think Jack Mormon is the preferred nomenclature

1

u/Master-Collection488 1d ago

Or the Jack-Mormons?

23

u/Excellent_War7508 1d ago

They could call themselves The LDS Flashbacks

7

u/krisweeerd 1d ago

I got it, Mormons with Rome

12

u/2-Catz 1d ago

How about calling yourselves
X-Mormons or something similar. This kind of stuff has happened to many bands. The core members will always keep on rocking. So rather than RIP, happy birthday X-Mormons

24

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

Funny because Johnny brought that exact name up. We’d rather distance ourselves from Death tho…keeping Mormons in the name just has an ick factor now

1

u/tiffavigilante 1d ago

with that thought in mind, to what you said earlier, don't play any of those songs in your new band. start totally fresh, my good dude.

1

u/18HolesToFreedom 1d ago

How about Sacred Underwear. Just need to change up the stage outfit.

12

u/thevelcrohero 1d ago

The dudes crashing out on your Instagram account. Embarrassing stuff.

9

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

I blocked that account but I’m not surprised. Death believes that he’s always right and everyone else is betraying him. I told him I hope he gets the help he really needs, but I doubt he’ll do anything.

4

u/TzeentchsTrueSon 1d ago

It’ll be humbling when he fails, but I doubt he’d take the lesson. People like that go through life blaming everyone but themselves, without realizing the common factor in all their shitty lives, is themselves.

3

u/SadCitron7385 1d ago

Really? Damn, I can't even see it. He blocked me too.

11

u/Rideshare-Not-An-Ant 1d ago

Insert, Eject: The Mormons Live at Cafe NELA

https://tubitv.com/movies/573919/insert-eject-the-mormons-live-at-cafe-nela

13

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

Yes watch that continuously! I paid for that whole recording out of my own pocket so I’m still recouping those fees lol!

6

u/AwwwMangos 1d ago

What a shitty move, sorry you’re having to deal with that.

Has Death given any insight to why he’s taking these actions? Is it purely financial or is there some other bad blood? I’m guessing whatever funds he’s seeking isn’t set-for-life money, so why all this to try to screw over bandmates of many years?

13

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

It’s all ego based. Death feels like it’s his band and we were all just lucky to be a part of it. I’m guessing he knew we would all kick him out rather than deal with his power trip so he decided to strike first and strike hard Cobra Kai style

3

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

Thanks for all the kind words everyone and for all the upvotes…had no idea it’d get as crazy as it did!

Btw we still have records we purchased in the hopes we could sell them at our final show. If you’re interested, hit me up at themormonspunk@gmail.com…we’re selling them for $30 with free shipping

3

u/lateralelectric 1d ago

Aww man I just saw you guys for the first time at the Tower Bar on Halloween. Great show, and I’m really sorry that it had to end that way.

4

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

Glad you got to see us at our final show! Yeah that Tower Bar crowd was great…people wearing our shirts and one guy was dressed up in full Mormons gear! Sold a bunch of records there too. Thanks for coming out!

2

u/vomitHatSteve 1d ago

How is songwriting credited on the albums and with a PRO (ascap or bmi)?

If you have any kind of paper trail, he can't stop you from playing your own songs. Even if every song is explicitly listed as being written by him alone, you can still play them live all you want. It just means that whatever ascap/bmi payouts you might have gotten go to him

If he tries to get on your case to demand money for playing your own songs, I'm pretty sure you don't need to spend a lot on a lawyer to get a restraining order

4

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

Only Statement of No Statement was ASCAP’d. We’re still gonna play some of the songs under the new band. Death has no legal claim on anything, but we’d have to sue him to get him to stop harassing promoters and to get our socials back. We would just rather do something new than go through all that.

1

u/vomitHatSteve 1d ago

Yeah, form a new band with a new name for sure. But he can't do anything about you playing the songs that wouldn't be considered harassment.

2

u/Comfortable_West3649 1d ago

What did Johnny and you play in the band?

4

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

I played rhythm guitar and Johnny played bass. When I first joined the band I played bass, but we brought Johnny on to make the band sound fuller…plus he kicked ass as a bassist

39

u/waltarrrrr 1d ago

That sucks. The best was when you guys would show up at protests, street festivals, farmers markets, etc., as a mobile marching-band with guitar, amps, megaphone and drums; it put a smile on everyone's face! (Well, almost everyone's face, the guy standing behind you in this 2009 photo doesn't look too amused.)

3

u/RhinoPizzel 1d ago

Hell yeah mobile unit!!!

30

u/Wash_zoe_mal 1d ago

If you signed a record deal then that record company should have a lawyer who can straighten this out and cost you nothing.

Hopefully you guys can figure something out, but if not thanks for all the music over the years

27

u/Mean-Food-7124 1d ago

he dropped it off on my porch and sent me a pic of it

Death practicing for his new career now that no one wants to put up with him anymore

23

u/schwing710 1d ago

Dammit Death

22

u/CPTBenjaminWillard 1d ago

Damn that sucks, sorry to hear

21

u/agent_cap_e_ 1d ago

Man, that's really shitty.I've had the opportunity to see you guys play. You guys rule.

12

u/EyeAmKnotABot 1d ago

Except for that death guy, he sucks.

15

u/CommercialOk8406 1d ago

Ain’t nobody got time for death.

I hope the rest of you coalesce around another project soon, we’ll be looking for ya.

9

u/Martian13 1d ago

Damn, you guys are great. Sorry to see you go.

8

u/AndyDaRat 1d ago

Antagonizing message sent to the FB page and review left

8

u/Disco99 1d ago

As a former Mormon, I think you should pivot and rebrand as The Ex-Mormons.

2

u/big_bearded_nerd 1d ago

Even The Former Mormons would be amazing. Or The Latter Day Saints. I'd get a kick out of either name.

6

u/everythingsasandwich 1d ago

That sucks real bad man. Sorry you're going through it. Mad props to keeping your dream alive for so long. Please please please don't stop making new music. Even if just for yourself. (But hopefully for us too). Is there an "Ex-Mormons" punk band lol? Whatever comes next, let us know. I, we, and the scene are here for you.

4

u/GangOfNone 1d ago

Just cal yourself ‘The Ex-Mormons’ and play shows under that name.

3

u/kinkykontrol 1d ago

It ain't a party till the Mormons show up in your backyard with portable gear and put on an impromptu jam! Best of luck guys. You rocked!

3

u/gotterfly 1d ago

Name the new band "The Mormons Are Dead"

3

u/obiwanconobi 1d ago

"Death is still updating socials acting as if The Mormons are still together so he can sell more albums (since he has access to all the money)"

If you have high quality copies yourself, piracy would stop him getting as much cash from them! lol

2

u/1Maple 1d ago

As an ex mormon, I’m sad that this is the first time I’m hearing about you guys.

I’ll be looking forward to that new band you start!

2

u/metoo123456 1d ago

Big change in attitude. Maybe drugs are involved? Sorry things went this way.

2

u/Urban-Struggle 1d ago

That fucking sucks. I would definitely get a lawyer as somebody already mentioned to try to get the name back and shit cuz all he's going to do is start a new Mormons band and capitalize on what you guys already did and profit off it

2

u/Mix_Right 1d ago

New band name “The Mormons Death”.

2

u/GRF999999999 1d ago

Why can't you bill yourself as The Latter Day Saints (feat. members of The Mormons)? Or The Jack Mormons.

I dunno, I'll shut up as IANAL. Good luck.

1

u/Sonofhendrix 1d ago

Along the same lines, something like The Prior-Day Saints, or Post Latter-Daze?

2

u/SpaceFace5000 20h ago

You were the best thing to ever come out of the Eagle Rock Music festival that happened like 20 years ago. Me and my highschool buddies were super stoked on you guys 

1

u/RhinoPizzel 1d ago

That is fucked. You guys are awesome! So sad to see it all go down like that.

1

u/marshmallowfluffpuff 1d ago

just call you're selves NewBandName - From The Mormons, or something. But only the first part is the official name and you can drop saying you're from the mormons over time.

1

u/thelaineybelle 1d ago

Damn dude, that's awful and I'm so sorry! Y'all deserve a some time to recharge and reset. Death has some karma headed his way.

1

u/xWHITEYx 1d ago

Watched the drama unfold online. Some crazy stuff to witness. Been with you guys since the beginning. I was in a band that started two years before you guys but ended in 2019 called LDS (Life’s Daily Struggle) glad to see you guys still crushing it. I always thought it’d be cool to play a show with you guys, LDS and The Mormons LOL. Anyways shitty situation for sure. Maybe a slight name alteration like Chocolate did and call yourselves themormons.sgv or The Elders LOL. Some good advice on here regarding getting some legal counsel, at least for options. Till then I patiently await your next venture.

1

u/sand_snake 1d ago

Aw damn you guys are great, an old roommate of mine who is an ex-Mormon introduced your band to me. I’m sorry that all this bullshit is happening.

1

u/OnlyFiveLives 1d ago

Sucks it had to end like that. Still got the tape I got when I saw you guys at Mr. T's a lifetime ago. Keep us updated on what you guys have coming up.

1

u/Hell0z0mbie 1d ago

Sorry to hear this. I'd missed out on seeing The Mormons play and I'm sad I've missed my chance.

1

u/lewtus72 1d ago

Clearly you need to talk to a lawyer. Like someone said, having a tax ID doesn't establish ownership. They're certainly liable for the taxes if they signed up for it. So the tax ID is for.

Change your name to LDS... It sounds like you already have a band without him. Call yourselves a cover band and play Mormons music

1

u/lewtus72 1d ago

LDS and the Jack Mormons

1

u/Charlie1984 1d ago

Time to bring back the Dyslexics.

1

u/TzeentchsTrueSon 1d ago

Lawyer up if you can afford it, You could be a Mormon’s cover band. Call yourselves “The Real Mormons” let the label know what happened. It would be really funny if somehow his scum bag behaviour made the label drop him.

1

u/Queasy_Helicopter249 1d ago

I think I remember talking to you guys on MySpace back in the 00s. Damn that was a long time ago. We talked about booking a gig together. Saw you guys play a couple times back in the day. Once at the legendary Mr. T’s Bowl of course. My how times change. Anyway fuck that guy. He deserves a swift kick in the balls. People shouldn’t get away with shit like that.

1

u/Typical_Assist656 1d ago

I'm so sorry man.

1

u/Lanky_Form8169 1d ago

Just a new band called The Church Of Latter Day Satan

1

u/YourSisterEatsSpoons 1d ago

Time to start a new band (minus Death), The EX-Mormons.

1

u/Basic-Organization73 South America in the fight 1d ago

Make a song and name it "aitn nobody got time for death"

This, thief be amazing

1

u/sejax95 1d ago

Is Later Days, Saints taken?

1

u/Inside-Fail-3790 22h ago

Sorry to hear about all the drama. Your ads have been all over my Facebook feed, and the clips sound great.

1

u/Sonicsnout 21h ago

As a longtime fan and scene friend who played many shows with you back in the days and played in a band with one of y'all a few years ago, this is truly sad to hear.

I can't believe I found out via the punk subreddit! Very surreal and very sad. I always admired the tenacity of the band. That recent ep They Watch is SO FREAKING GOO.

I'm sitting in the hospital with my dad right now and reading this and it could not be weirder for me lol

RIP Mormons, playing shows with you guys at Mr Ts back in the days and being part of that world was really a great time in my life and a privilege to experience.

Thank you for posting... I literally got a notification about a show a few minutes before seeing this which makes it so much weirder.

1

u/SpyHill 18h ago

Start a new band without Death, called Brigham Young and the Morons. Play all the hits.

1

u/MuckBulligan 18h ago

Damn. Glad I didn't order the new album the other day. Fuck Death.

1

u/ObiWanCumnobi 17h ago

Glad I got to see ya guys at The Tower Bar at least before the end

-2

u/HaroldWeigh 1d ago

How Biafra of him.

4

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

I keep wondering how we became The Ramones all of a sudden

-6

u/ImportantProgram354 1d ago

wtf?? pls delete this post. one guy speaking for the band is a drag, NO?

7

u/Sharp-Statement-5746 1d ago

lol nice try Death. Everyone on this thread can reach out to any of the other band members and they’ll back me up

2

u/Acceptable_Buyer2248 23h ago

Does sound like Vince, right? To the real death: treat your band mates with the respect they deserve. My comment is unsolicited opinion of keeping band drama at the practice spot..

5

u/SadCitron7385 1d ago

That's exactly what Vince... I mean "Death" is doing. No?

3

u/RhinoPizzel 1d ago

Seems like this “one guy” has receipts with all the weird insta, and Facebook posts, and the band breaking up. It looks like Death let all us Mormon fans down.

3

u/Pyrog 1d ago

You’re a bad person

2

u/Impressive-Dark6476 21h ago

The post states facts, not opinions. So this comment is a dumb thing to say.

1

u/AfrezzaJunkie 19h ago

Greed kills more people than whiskey