In This Moment guitarist Chris Howorth is questioning negative online comments regarding the band in a new editorial.
Howorth is responding to feedback regarding Black Widow, the band’s fifth album and major label debut. The project was launched last month with the lead single, Sick Like Me, and follow-up track, Big Bad Wolf.
He writes for All Axess: “I have noticed as I browse around online a rash of negative posts and hatred from people calling themselves fans and also from people who legitimately hate us. It’s interesting how a band and music can evoke such strong emotion in people, but I totally get it because I was that kid who felt betrayed, too.”
“Now we have all these ‘old fans’ that are complaining how we changed and we need to go back to our old sound and I just want to ask every one of them, where were you when we could only draw 300 people to a show? Where were all of your friends? If we were so great, why were we playing to half empty clubs for 500 bucks?”
He continues: “I am proud of our old music and our past but why would we want to go back to barely existing? Back to being on the road away from my family for ten months out of the year with nothing to show for it in the end? Back to when breaking even was considered a success because the money didn’t have to come out of our own pocket? It was either grow and succeed, or break up.”
Howorth recalls similar reactions to other bands through the years.
He says: “I remember everyone being all up in arms when Metallica put out The Black Album … or when they cut their hair. Man, people actually got upset that Metallica cut their hair! How dare they?! Ha ha…. Personally, I didn’t like “Let’s Put the X in Sex” by Kiss (if you know me at all you know Kiss is one of my favorite bands) or a bunch of other stuff they did over the years, but at that time I would never have written them a letter or gone out of my way to let them know how I felt. The Internet makes it way too easy for people to get negativity to the artists who bear their souls on their sleeves.”
Howorth’s remarks follow similar thoughts made by singer Maria Brink, who revealed she used to let sexist comments bother her but has since gained confidence as a public performer.
In This Moment will play their first UK headline tour in February and March next year.
UK dates
Feb 28: Glasgow Garage
Mar 01: Leeds Metropolitan University
Mar 02: Manchester Academy 2
Mar 04: Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
Mar 05: London Koko
