CRADLE OF FILTH returned to the stage on Tuesday, August 26, performing at Montevideo Music Box in Montevideo, Uruguay — their first concert since the sudden dismissal of longtime guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda. The performance came just hours after Šmerda had publicly revealed his plan to leave the band at the end of their current Latin American tour. Fan-filmed video from the show has since surfaced online and can be seen below.
Šmerda, who joined CRADLE OF FILTH more than a decade ago, shocked fans with a candid statement where he outlined his reasons for stepping away. He explained that he and his wife, former CRADLE keyboardist/vocalist Zoë Marie Federoff, had decided months earlier to exit due to low pay, high stress, and what he described as years of “unprofessional behavior” from those running the band. He also revealed he had requested the removal of his compositions from future releases, including the much-publicized collaboration with Ed Sheeran.
Not long after his post, frontman Dani Filth announced that Ashok had been officially fired, effective immediately. In his statement, Dani accused the guitarist of attempting to “defame and derail the band,” while making clear that the group’s South American trek, “The Screaming of the Américas” tour, would continue. With Ashok gone, CRADLE performed as a one-guitar lineup in Montevideo, though Dani confirmed a temporary replacement will join the band soon.
Meanwhile, Zoë Federoff also shared a lengthy update of her own following her departure, offering a scathing critique of CRADLE’s internal atmosphere. She described management as manipulative and dishonest, claiming that members were kept on contracts with poverty wages while being pressured not to tour with other bands. Federoff went so far as to reveal she suffered a miscarriage while on tour, citing the environment as abusive and unsustainable.
With Federoff gone and Ashok now dismissed mid-tour, CRADLE OF FILTH finds itself moving forward under heavy scrutiny. Despite the controversies, the band pressed on in Uruguay, promising fans the shows will continue as planned.
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