THE BEAST

In a recent interview with Prescription Punk Rock, DEICIDE frontman Glen Benton candidly expressed his disdain for the growing trend of bands charging fans for meet-and-greet experiences before shows. Benton, known for his outspoken views, shared his thoughts on the matter, underscoring his belief that such practices are inauthentic and exploitative.

"I was having this conversation with the guys in the band the other day," Benton began, "’cause we were talking about meet-and-greets and doing that kind of stuff. And I’m just not a fan of the whole charging fans for a signature. I give a fan a signature out of kindness of my heart, not because I wanna make money off of them. The fact that they’re a fan and they listen to our material… I know things are different — most people get [music] for free now — but I still can’t come to terms with that, to charge somebody for my signature, especially a fan… And it makes me feel kind of weird."

Benton further elaborated on his discomfort, drawing a comparison to the late RUSH drummer Neil Peart, who also felt uneasy in similar situations. "I’ve seen an interview with him, and he felt uncomfortable in those situations, and I just feel the same way, man. I just don’t like being put in those positions where I’m sitting at a table and people are gawking at me like I’m in the Jim Rose Circus or something. I guess I’m just too real and too deep for that kind of s**t. To me, I think it’s — pardon the expression — I think it’s a poser kind of thing. That’s for posers."

Echoing Benton's sentiments, DEICIDE drummer Steve Asheim shared his own unease with paid meet-and-greets. Benton explained, "Steve‘s like, ‘I feel the same way. I feel like I wanna climb out of my skin when I’m in those situations.’ And like I say, I’m just not into that kind of thing. ‘Cause I’m up there, if I’m wrangled into these things, I’m thinking to myself as I’m up there and everybody’s saying all the compliments and everything, and I think to myself, ‘Man, if they can only see me when I’m outside mowing my grass, washing the car and cleaning the bathroom. If they could only see me now.’ So that’s kind of how it makes me feel uncomfortable, ’cause I don’t think of myself like a rock star or anything like that. I just don’t put myself in that [frame of mind]. I can’t. I really don’t. I can’t relate."

For Benton, the discomfort of paid meet-and-greets goes beyond the superficial. "For some people, it’s just not them," he added. "And I don’t feel comfortable doing it. I mean, I don’t mind, if you come out to me, like if I’m leaving the back door and getting in vehicles and people come up to me, I welcome that. I don’t feel like I’m being put on a pedestal. I don’t like to feel like that. It’s just an uncomfortable, surreal feeling for me. Like I said, I’d be better off… Catch me at the airport, catch me going out the back door, catch me in soundcheck. The way I look at it, if I’m out touring, in a day’s time, man, I work for an hour. So in that time frame, you have ten thousand opportunities to get me to sign something, give you a guitar pick, do a selfie with you and that."

Benton emphasized the value of genuine fan interactions over transactional ones. "It means more to somebody like that than it does to go pay 80 bucks to stand there. I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. I never will. I never have. I’ve gotten some moments of ruffled feathers because of it. But, to me, that’s for posers. That’s for… I don’t even wanna say their names… I’ve gotta be careful. You’ve gotta be careful. Everything goes right on Blabbermouth. You can’t joke anymore. The world is a different place now."

In an era where "V.I.P Packages" often come with steep price tags and exclusive perks, Benton’s perspective stands out. While many bands use these packages as a revenue stream, Benton remains firm in his belief that authentic connections with fans should never be commodified.

DEICIDE released their latest studio album, Banished By Sin, on April 26 via Reigning Phoenix Music.