Oct 11

Why I Feel Partly Responsible For Trivett Wingo Leaving The Sword

Posted by Chris Harris on October 11, 2010 in Huh?, My Bad, News, Sarcasm, Shamelessness

Trivett Wingo

So, a good friend of mine who works in the media business — as I was writing up the last post about The Sword’s Trivett Wingo jumping ship, forcing the band to cancel all of its future touring plans — forwarded me the press release officially announcing Wingo’s departure, with a note: “Maybe you pushed him over the edge?”

A month or so ago, miffed that The Sword hadn’t linked to my interview with Wingo on their Facebook and MySpace pages, I threatened to put up a story that Trivett told me about Phil Anselmo — on the fucking record, no matter what he tells you — if The Sword didn’t come through with the linkage in a week’s time. A week came, and I posted that shit. Read it here, because the story is hilarious and there’s no fucking reason why Phil should be pissed or why Trivett should’ve been ticked, but he was.

About a week after the Anselmo story went live, he emailed me: I should’ve seen the signs.

In the email, he blasted me left, right, up, down, and in the pooper. “I get the impression that you see the people you write about as things without feelings. You decided for instance to repost the article to get some kind of revenge on me when I didn’t even know you were trying to reach out to me. Did it ever occur to you to use my phone number?”

I don’t call people even if I do have their number, because I’m not a starfucker who thinks he can do anything without going through a publicist first. Which I did, FYI. Not the right one, but one of your publicists. He basically told me in the email that he was using the story to explain “why you had to be careful what you told the press (that’s the real irony),” and that he told me the story because I made myself out to be his bud on the phone. All I fucking did was mention how I helped get him the first bit of NATIONAL FUCKING PRESS they ever received (while I was at MTV News) because I was doing a favor for my real buddy, who was the band’s publicist in the early days. I told him how I spent an entire fucking Saturday of mine in Brooklyn, waiting for them to fucking show up for their video shoot, and how I froze my goddamn ass off all fucking day with my boy Monty. I wasn’t trying to make myself out to be anything other than a journalist and if you wanna go off the record, you fucking tell me.

Trivett told me the bridge was burned, he hoped I “reconsider how you treat people (as people and not as pure objects of entertainment) in the future, learn to have some respect for confidentiality once you have presented yourself as a ‘friend’ and maybe in the process save your career.” He wished me well as I tried to get my “footing.”

Dude…I’ve been doing this shit a lot longer than you have. And now, I am still doing it longer than you had. I don’t wish you any ill will, Trivett. In fact, I think you made the right choice. I just hope I didn’t contribute at all to your decision to leave The Sword. Dealing with journalists sucks. But I meant nothing by it, dude. Just trying to make a name for myself in this overly competitive world of online metal blogging and I tried to use the right channels. I wonder what you’re going to do now.

Posted in Huh?, My Bad, News, Sarcasm, Shamelessness | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

About

Chris Harris is an internationally-published music journalist and writer whose work has appeared on the pages of Rolling Stone, IFC.com, Revolver, Alternative Press, and Radar. The former news editor for Noisecreep.com, AOL’s heavy metal blog, Harris also served as co-host for the site’s weekly podcast, “Creep Show." Harris spent four years as a reporter and on-air talent for MTV News.

  • http://none Adam Hedgpeth

    Way to go man. You may or may not be responsible for Wingo leaving The Sword, but you’re certainly a jerk for starting a bunch of drama with a band because they didn’t link your article and you thought too much of yourself to reach out to them to find out what the hold up was. Anyways, I love their music so it sucks for me. Best case scenario is they find another drummer and never talk to you again, so that I don’t have to worry about a journalist keeping me from enjoying an awesome band. Thanks again.

    • TheeGoat

      Awww, does baby’s butt hurt?

  • Jay

    just a big lol.

  • Dave

    You’re on the right side here Chris. Everything’s on the record unless you’re source specifically requests otherwise. Shouldn’t be talking smack about a mook like Anselmo unless you’re prepared to say it to his face anyway.

  • clarissa mars

    There’s so much wrong here… 1. You’re a dick for demanding they link your story “or else.”
    2. For thinking you’re SO important that you caused the split.
    3. I’ve interacted with Wingo, and he’s kind ofa dick, good riddance.
    4. Saddest yet: you KNOW you werent responsible for his leaving, but you’re trying to get clicks out of it anyway.
    5. Your explanation for not approaching via phone – or even text – is weak.

    • http://gunshyassassin.com Chris Harris

      Clarissa: Well fuck you very much. Not sure if you got this about my site, but I’m rather sarcastic. In fact, the article was listed in the “Sarcasm” section. Of course I know I had nothing to do with it and yes, I wanted to the fucking clicks. Go suck a nut.

  • clarissa mars

    So clever!!

  • clarissa mars

    And no, i didn’t get “it” about your site… mostly because I associate sarcasm with a little bit of clever wit, which this lacks.

    Also, why is your bio longer than most posts I read on other sites?

    • Chris

      so clarissa…what’s your sign baby? You obviously have the hots for me. What’s your number sugar?

  • Guest

    Way to go, assmunch. Trivett was one of the most creative drummers I’ve heard in modern metal.

    • Anonymous

      Thanks

  • Crone MILF

    Phil is insane, yes. Trivett should have shown some respect to moist farts coming from his elder. Offer to wipe the man’s ass – show some humility to someone who has paid their dues. Phil has forgot more notes than you will ever play, Trivett. The minutiae within this great yarn is that Chris Harris is nothing more than a pimple on the ass of Anselmo, spewing a hershey gas disrespected by Wingo. And for the love of the Sword, will someone please tell JD to stop running his vocals dry during live perforrmances – they are up there rocking out, but his vocals are killing them. Dude – you are not selling out if you add a little chorus and delay to the vocals. Fatten em up to go with the bottom heavy sound of your live shows. If No, Then How.