LEGENDARY TACOMA BAND SUED BY OHIO'S GORILLA PRODUCTIONS >>>        

As we've documented before here at the Weekly Volcano, Girl Trouble drummer Bon Von Wheelie is no fan of "pay to play" - or, more accurately, companies she believes rope unsuspecting bands into paying to play shows or compete in battle of the bands style contests.  While Von Wheelie has been the most vocal about her anti pay to play sentiments, it's an opinion all of Girl Trouble shares. It's a cause that's been close to the band's heart for a number of years.

Von Wheelie even created a Web site to help make her opinions known - neverpaytoplay.com

Well, that Web site recently drew the ire of Gorilla Productions, a Ohio-based company that has decided to sue Bon and Girl Trouble for what the company is calling defamation - to the tune of at least $25,000 plus punitive damages (which are allowed in Ohio). Gorilla Productions - which has operations across the country, including the Pacific Northwest – is also seeking to have Bon's anti pay to play Web site shut down immediately pending the outcome of the court case in Ohio. Gorilla is one of the companies Von Wheelie's Web site lists as engaging in pay to play tactics.

This is no joke. It's real. (You can check out a scanned copy of the actual lawsuit online.)

From here in Washington, Girl Trouble's Bon Von Wheelie created a Web site designed to help local bands stay away from something she believes is a scam. Now the entire band is being dragged into court in Ohio because of these Internet published opinions.

This is the strange world we live in.

Girl Trouble doesn't plan on taking the lawsuit sitting down - and the band has no intention of taking the Web site down either, which they believe to be protected by, among other things, freedom of speech.

Furthermore, the band has hired lawyer and Seaweed guitarist Wade Neal to represent them in the case. I spoke with Neal this morning to get the nuts and bolts of the situation. I'll be following up on the story in this week's Volcano.

"This is a weak, baseless claim," says Neal of the lawsuit filed by Gorilla Productions. "Girl Trouble is rightfully angry about it.

"It's ridiculous," Neal continues. "It's nothing but a harassment suit. ... If somebody has resources they can try to put you in the ground.

"The bottom line is Girl Trouble is looking out for the little guy and they don't deserve this. We're going to fight it all the way. It's a dangerously wielded lawsuit."