SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has spoken out about his positive working relationship with drummer Paul Bostaph, contrasting it with former drummer Dave Lombardo‘s controversial comments. King expressed frustration with Lombardo for airing the band’s “dirty laundry” regarding finances in 2013.
In a recent interview with Nikki Blakk, King said: “We were on a flight to Australia, and Dave, we fired him two days before. Luckily, [John] Dette was in ANTHRAX, and I personally called Scott [Ian]. I said, ‘Hey, man, do you mind if he learns eight or nine songs of ours so we can play’, and we were able to do that.”
King stated that Dave Lombardo had released the well-known statement criticizing the band’s financial practices before their plane landed in Australia, leaving the guitarist unaware of the situation at the time.
“I landed and I had no idea that s**t had happened, and my phone’s blowing up,” King recalled. “I get to Australia and Bostaph‘s on two of the calls. I’m like, ‘What happened while was on that flight?’ That’s when Dave did his interview, putting out all kinds of dirty laundry [out]. It’s nobody’s business. You shouldn’t put fans in a situation where they have to make a choice, that’s just fu***d up.”
King initially had reservations about rehiring Paul Bostaph after his previous departure from SLAYER. However, despite his hesitation, King eventually agreed to bring Bostaph back into the band, and they have continued to work together since.
He said: “When I actually called him… Paul‘s been my friend throughout the whole thing. Leaving, coming, whatever. The first time he told me he was gonna leave the band, I said, ‘Alright, we got the business done, shall we go to the bar now?’… But [during that conversation in 2013], I told him, ‘Why would I have you in my band so you could quit a third time?’ Then he assured me to the extent that I [believed him]… Hopefully, the third time’s the charm, ’cause he’s still here.”
In February 2013, Lombardo issued a statement indicating that he had been refused access to comprehensive information and the essential supporting documents.
He said at the time: “I was told that I would not be paid until I signed a longform contract which gave me no written assurance of how much or on what basis management would deduct commissions, nor did it provide me access to the financial budgets or records for review. It also forbade me to do interviews or make statements having to do with the band, in effect a gagging order.”
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