Former CHEAP TRICK Drummer BUN E. CARLOS On Upcoming Rock Hall Induction – “I’m Assuming Everybody Is Going To Make Nice”

Next year’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will bring together past and present members of Cheap Trick, Deep Purple and Chicago. RollingStone.com spoke to former Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos about his plans to reunite with the band that night, and why he left in the first place. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Q: A lot of fans are confused as to why you left the band. Can you explain what happened?

A: “Me and the singer don’t get along very good. A couple of days before Austin City Limits in 2010, we had a big argument on the phone about scheduling for the summer and all this kind of stuff. We’d argued before over 40 years; all of us had. In the middle of the night, he called the office and said, “[Whiny voice] I can’t work with this guy. He hates me.” He didn’t want me at Austin City Limits. I said, “OK, if you don’t want me there, we need to work out some kind of arrangement since I’m a quarter member of the band.” They were like, “We don’t want you there. Can we use your drums?” I was like, “Déjà vu all over again“.

“We just drew up a contract that said, “I don’t tour with the band, but I’m a full member of the band.” We’ve got all these corporations. The touring company said, “If you quit touring, you lose your vote.” I wasn’t going to let that happen. I’m a full member of the band. So we drew up a piece of paper, and a couple years later the check stopped coming. I met with Scott Borchetta — that was something special. And then I had to sue them in federal court to get my money back. We did a settlement last spring and its all hunky dory. That’s the short story.”

Q: I thought I read something about you wanting to do shorter shows because you had back issues. Is that true?

A: “I don’t like doing 25 songs. I think that just kills the audience. I think the show should be 17, 18, 19 songs and encores. Robin [Zander] wanted to do longer shows. Afterwards, he was like, “We wanted to do longer shows and he didn’t want that.” I did have back surgery in 2001, but I’ve been fine since then. I’m playing a two-hour show tonight with my local bar band, one of my little side projects. I play every day. I had a bad back, but they fixed it.”

Q: What was the basis of your disagreement with Robin over scheduling?

A: “The final straw was, we were offered 100 Sgt. Pepper shows in Las Vegas with a huge back-end. He only wanted to do 50. I said, “Why do you only want to do 50?” He said, “[Whiny voice] I have to take my daughter to kindergarten in September. I don’t want her to go to school in Las Vegas.” I smartly replied something like, “We’re scheduling shows around your daughter’s kindergarten classes?” Then he was like, “Fuck you, you fucking asshole.” Then I just hung up the phone. People tell me to get fucked, I hang up. That happened two days in a row. There you go.”

Q: Have you guys spoken since?

A: “I saw him at a settlement conference a year ago, but we don’t speak. Someone sent me a link from Tampa Bay the other day where he said he was going to call me, but he didn’t call. I’m not heartbroken over it. It’s not the end of the world.”

Q: Do you think Hall of Fame night will be awkward since you’ll have to play with them?

A: “Nah. I’m assuming everybody is going to make nice. Me too. I have no agenda here. I won’t get up there and be like, “Fuck these guys!” I’m not Jeff Beck. He got up and nailed the Yardbirds.”

The full interview can be found at RollingStone.com.

Celebrating a long-anticipated induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Cheap Trick announced an exclusive new deal with leading global independent record label Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Tim McGraw). The legendary band is currently hard at work finishing their Big Machine debut album titled Bang Zoom Crazy… Hello, slated for release on April 1st, 2016. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Julian Raymond, the album marks Cheap Trick’s 17th studio album and first in more than five years.  

“We can’t thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame enough for honoring Cheap Trick. Thanks to all the fans who have supported us for all these years and to the Hall Of Fame members who cast their votes. We are excited and honored,” said Cheap Trick bass guitarist Tom Petersson.    

“Coinciding with their entry into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, I am beyond proud and excited to announce that Cheap Trick are the newest members of the Big Machine Records family,” said Big Machine Label Group President and CEO Scott Borchetta.  “As a band, they’ve never stopped rock’n the free world and they play every night with as much conviction as their first power-pop-punk club shows from the mid ’70s.  I can’t wait for Cheap Trick fans everywhere to have the new album.”  

Eligible since 2002, Cheap Trick will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame after being nominated for the first time this year. More than 800 artists, historians and music-industry professionals determine the annual honorees, who are considered qualified 25 years after releasing their first single or album – 1990, for the newest crop of nominees. The 2016 Induction Ceremony is scheduled for April 8.  

Cheap Trick are an indisputable American institution, beloved around the globe since 1973 for their instantly identifiable, hugely influential, brand of pop rock ‘n’ roll. The band – Robin Zander (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick Nielsen (lead guitar), Tom Petersson (bass guitar), and Daxx Nielsen (drums) – are truly one of a kind, power pop pioneers with an unparalleled streak of certifiably classic tunes, spanning “Surrender” and “I Want You To Want Me” to “Dream Police” and the worldwide #1 hit single, “The Flame”.  

Now well into their fourth decade, the band is among the most active and successful in music history with featured appearances on over 20 movie soundtracks, more than 40 international gold and platinum certifications, a myriad of awards and industry honors, and total record sales in excess of 20 million.  

Surely among rock’s greatest live acts, Cheap Trick continues to spend much of their time on the road. Upcoming dates include Napa, CA’s Uptown Theatre (December 18); Stateline, NV’s Harrah’s Hotel Casino – Lake Tahoe (December 19) and San Jose, CA’s City National Civic (December 20). A major North American headline tour will be announced in support of the new album.

To celebrate Cheap Trick’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and signing to Big Machine Label Group, the band is giving away a free download of “No Direction Home” from their upcoming BMLG release. Head to this location to procure the free download.