Deicide frontman Glen Benton says he doesn’t support charging fans to meet the band or get signatures.
Benton recently shared his thoughts on paid meet-and-greets in an interview with Prescription Punk Rock. He said it feels weird to him to ask fans to pay for his signature. He compared himself to the late Rush drummer Neil Peart, saying:
“Neil Peart, I’ve seen an interview with him, and he felt uncomfortable in those situations, and I just feel the same way, man. I just don’t like being put in those positions where I’m sitting at a table and people are gawking at me like I’m in the Jim Rose Circus or something. I guess I’m just too real and too deep for that kind of sh*t. To me, I think it’s — pardon the expression — I think it’s a poser kind of thing. That’s for posers.”
Benton feels awkward when sitting at a table with people looking at him like he is part of a circus. He said he does not see himself as a rock star and feels strange being put on a pedestal. Benton prefers to meet fans in a more casual setting, like at the airport, after a show, or during a soundcheck. He believes these mean more to fans than paying for a meet-and-greet package.
He Thinks It’s Not Genuine
Benton thinks these packages are more about money than genuine fan interaction. He says he will never feel comfortable with this, and he had disagreements because of his views.
He explained that he prefers to give fans autographs out of kindness, not for money:
“I was having this conversation with the guys in the band the other day, ’cause we were talking about meet-and-greets and doing that stuff. And I’m just not a fan of the whole charging fans for a signature. I give a fan a signature out of kindness of my heart, not because I wanna make money off of them. The fact that they’re a fan and they listen to our material… I know things are different — most people get [music] for free now — but I still can’t come to terms with that, to charge somebody for my signature, especially a fan… And it makes me feel weird.”
VIP packages are often the only way for fans to meet their favorite bands. These packages usually come at a high price on top of the regular ticket cost and may include signed items, photos, soundcheck access, and collectible lanyards.
Deicide released their latest studio album, ‘Banished By Sin,’ on April 26 through Reigning Phoenix Music.
You can watch the full interview below.
