Garbage sues Universal, says Shirley being held for ‘Ransom’

Modern-rock hitmakers Garbage filed suit against Universal Music Group and several of its subsidiaries in order to end its relationship with the company Monday (January 29) in California Superior Court in Los Angeles. Garbage charges UMG with holding the band’s frontwoman, Shirley Manson, for “ransom,” and for “wrongful, monopolistic, and strong-arm tactics” in order to keep the multiplatinum band on its roster.

Garbage, Inc., and members Manson, Doug Erikson, Steve Marker, and Butch Vig allege that the group’s contract with UMG label Almo Sounds is void because of a “Key Man” clause assuring an out if Almo chairman Jerry Moss was no longer overseeing the company’s operations.

The band originally signed with the then-independent label because of Moss’s involvement, and the group claims that Moss retired from his position after Almo’s assets were folded into UMG’s purview following the release of Garbage’s last album, 1998’s Version 2.0. But according to the suit, “UMG and Almo have denied that Moss is no longer chairman of Almo.”

Also integral to Monday’s filing is a seven-year-old contract that Manson has with UMG subsidiary Radioactive Records. Manson released one poor-selling album in 1993 for the label with her previous band, Angelfish, but the arrangement fell idle once Manson joined Garbage. The filing alleges that Radioactive “never sought to enforce” the agreement and that UMG now “claims that it can force Garbage to contract with a UMG label by threatening to seek enforcement of the Radioactive Agreement.

“By doing so,” the suit reads, “UMG is effectively holding Shirley Manson as ransom for the band’s continued performance for UMG against their will and without the benefit of Mr. Moss and an independent record label.”

Calls to UMG were not returned by press time.

Besides Version 2.0, Garbage also released its 1995 self-titled debut for UMG’s Almo Sounds. A combined total of 8 million copies have been sold worldwide. The band is currently working on its third album, due later this year.

source: music.yahoo.com