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Ex-Chevelle Bassist Slams Former Bandmates: 'I Was Fired, Plain And Simple'

posted Jul 7, 2005 at 11:59 PM by deathbringer.  (29 Comments)

Ex-CHEVELLE bassist Joe Loeffler has slammed his former bandmates over their claim that he had decided to "take a break to be home with family" while they head out on the road with 30 SECONDS TO MARS and TAPROOT. In a posting on the band's official message board, Joe — who is the brother of CHEVELLE members Sam Loeffler (drums) and Pete Loeffler (vocals/guitar) — had the following to say regarding his departure from the group:

"First off, very typical. This is exactly what I expected from them. Try and make it look like I didn't want to be in the band. I was fired, plain and simple; in fact, there wasn't even a discussion about it — they just dropped it on me. I told them I would never quit and they would have to fire me. They were trying to get me to quit and told my managers that I did. I called Sam and said, 'Why are you doing this?' and he said, 'We don't want you to come back.' I said, 'I will not quit.' The next day Pete called for the first time and said, 'Did (our managers) call you and tell you you're out?' I said 'No, were they supposed to?' He eventually said in that short conversation, 'You're fired.'

"I am insulted by the message on the front page of the site (by the way, that's the first change to the site I've seen in at least a year!). It is completely false and out of line. I made no decision and am not taking a break. I will be working on getting a new job immediately. A break also means there's a chance to come back, and nothing could be farther from reality. I was fired and they have not said a word to me since. I would never ask to be back in (why would I want to after this?) and I never did in the past when I quit. 'We'll miss having him on the road with us.'... Right."

Assuming bass duties for CHEVELLE's summer shows will be former FILTER guitarist Geno Lenardo.

CHEVELLE will be touring in support of their latest album, "This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)" (Epic). Released last year, the album opened at No. 8 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 584,533 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Source: Blabbermouth

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29 Comments on "Ex-Chevelle Bassist Slams Former Bandmates"

Anonymous Reader

1. o well writes:

oh that stinks... the werent any good anyways

# Jul 8, 2005 @ 12:13 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

2. my name is toby writes:

man, these dudes are suppossed to be bros, homie. if you can't trust your bros than who can you trust? listen up ,dude. there is an opening in my hardcore-metal-thrash-death-rap-pop-punk band. we already have 3 bassists, but we do need someone to clean up the leakage from my butthole. it seems i can't ever keep someone to do that for me. what an unrighteous drag, dude. see www. THE LEAKAGE.org/tubular.com

# Jul 8, 2005 @ 2:30 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
RememberMetal?'s avatar

Former Contributor

3. RememberMetal? writes:

heh. I remember when these guys were the most "heavy" band on their lil indie label Squint. All their songs are about confrontation, and winning arguements and being right anyway. They suck now anyway.

# Jul 8, 2005 @ 3:47 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

4. Metal? writes:

Chevelle is metal?

# Jul 9, 2005 @ 12:32 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

5. brokenwings13 writes:

They're heavy. Not really constituting metal, but close enough.

# Jul 9, 2005 @ 2:03 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Negatyve_One's avatar

Member

6. Negatyve_One writes:

No where near it. They are as heavy as Breaking Benjamin

# Jul 9, 2005 @ 2:54 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

7. brokenwings13 writes:

I knew I'd be making waves with that comment. Nevermind. You don't get it.

Expand the horizons a bit.

# Jul 9, 2005 @ 3:33 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
RememberMetal?'s avatar

Former Contributor

8. RememberMetal? writes:

No, I completely agree with you brokenwings. Chevelle have some crunch to their riffs and some actual force and technique behind the drum kit + the singer can scream with some respectable force thus giving them elements needed to be heavy.....Heavy alt/rock or altmetal.

# Jul 9, 2005 @ 5:11 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

9. brokenwings13 writes:

Thanks. I think of them as Alt/Metal.

# Jul 9, 2005 @ 7:12 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
BLACKDOG's avatar

Supporter

10. BLACKDOG writes:

Good description. I agree totally.

# Jul 9, 2005 @ 9:16 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

11. roxyca writes:

I am disapointed to hear Joe leaving/fired....whatever.. Have been following the band for a while now and feel my desire to see them again drifting. Joe was a great bassist and realy made CHEVELLE who they are today.....

# Jul 12, 2005 @ 5:13 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

12. brokenwings13 writes:

They all had a part in that. Every member contributed something the other didn't. Almost every band works like that.

# Jul 12, 2005 @ 7:58 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
RememberMetal?'s avatar

Former Contributor

13. RememberMetal? writes:

He definetely pushed the emphasis on the low end on the 2nd and 3rd record.....He managed to give and otherwise medium weight heavy band some real crunch and thud....

# Jul 12, 2005 @ 9:19 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

14. TrojanMagnumXL writes:

I just went to the Chevelle website and saw that they finally wrote something new. I knew Joe wasn't touring but to hear that he's 'fired'. What a load of crap. Fired by your own brothers. Family should be tighter than any band bullsh*t. I'm thoroughly disappointed. Best of luck to Joe and I hope that he finds another band to rock with soon.

# Jul 12, 2005 @ 11:16 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

15. SAVETHEWORLD writes:

brothers should stick up to one another not sh*t on their own brother...

# Jul 13, 2005 @ 12:58 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

16. BiGG Perm writes:

wow, i guess blood ain't always thicker than water. oh well, chevelle sucks balls anyway.

# Jul 13, 2005 @ 3:29 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

17. No More Chevelle writes:

You know, i really liked Chevelle. But what there brothers did has no excuse. It's horrible to sell out to the fans, these mother f***ers sell out to there own family, and then outright lie to everyone. f*** them! I'm no longer a fan.

# Jul 13, 2005 @ 2:12 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

18. tay writes:

i am p***ed

# Jul 13, 2005 @ 3:53 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

19. kevin writes:

joe didnt say any of thats sh**, its made up.

# Jul 14, 2005 @ 10:21 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

20. brokenwings13 writes:

So how do you know? Mind explaining it Kevin?

How do any of us know? It isn't common to kick your own brother out of the band, but face it, it's Chevelle, not Hanson.

# Jul 14, 2005 @ 10:39 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
RememberMetal?'s avatar

Former Contributor

21. RememberMetal? writes:

No truer words spoken brokenwings. Everything I've heard from and about them has suggested that these guys are always at eachothers throats, that Joe is the least combative of the trio, and that Peter is sortof locked in powder keg mode.

I caught em live back in '01 I think right before the 2nd record came out and after the last song ("Dos" if memory serves) Pete shoved Sam from standing to back on to his drum throne, Sam stood up and shrugged to the crowd and thanked everyone for coming from a mic on his kit......No reason that I could tell, perhaps a mistake on the last song....

Odd. but this firing does not come as a surprise.

# Jul 15, 2005 @ 2:19 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

22. downtown writes:

I saw Chevelle without Joe the other night in Grand Rapids and they were amazing. One song to the next without breaks.......... They are an amazing three member band - and if they had to lose someone it was Joe. It will be interesting to see what there next album sounds like without him - then we will know how much of an influence (or not) he was.

# Jul 15, 2005 @ 12:31 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

23. jazzy writes:

U GUYS R ALL f***ERS!!!! i can't even BELIEVE what was said here!!!! chevelle is the most amazing band ever and they will NEVER be as good as they were with joe!!!!! am i the only sane person that visits this f***ign site???????!!!!!!!! CHEVELLE ROCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!
~REAL CHEVELLE FAN

# Jul 18, 2005 @ 1:09 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
brokenwings13's avatar

Member

24. brokenwings13 writes:

Some will disagree that you are the only "sane" person on this website.

In truth, we're all a little nuts.

# Jul 18, 2005 @ 3:01 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
RememberMetal?'s avatar

Former Contributor

25. RememberMetal? writes:

without a doubt.

# Jul 18, 2005 @ 3:40 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

26. Bryce writes:

I also really liked/like chevelle and feel Joe was an important part of the band, he has a unique style I really enjoy. I'm a bassist and I always listen for good bass playing in my music and I've never gotten bored of chevelle. I think Joes abscence will greatly change chevelles sound. I'm mad to hear this news, if chevelle ends up sucking ostrich foot I hope Pete and Sam will realize how stupid they were. I also hope Joe will get another band together and make even more awsome songs. However, I would perfer to find this "fired" crap to be a lie. We'll just have to find out.

# Jul 19, 2005 @ 12:24 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

27. AMDG writes:

chevelle would probably rather have you guys pray for them, than sitting here b****ing about them

# Jul 26, 2005 @ 4:38 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

28. Reaper The Squirrel writes:

I dont like chevelle

# Jul 26, 2005 @ 10:59 AM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address
Anonymous Reader

29. cincyfan writes:

family or not what do you think happened while touring that would prompt them to kick him out?

# Aug 2, 2005 @ 2:04 PM ET | IP Logged Reveal posts originating from the same IP address

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