The history of rock and metal is full of strange stories, and few things are stranger than the moments when bands — or their fans — end up in court. Wyatt’s Metal’s video gathered the ten funniest, most unlikely and dumbest lawsuits involving the scene: from a metal band that sued Burger King to fans who sued their own band because it played badly.
Watch the video and then the list:
10. Tool vs Tool
Last year Tool organised their own festival at a resort in the Dominican Republic, with $5,000 packages and two supposedly unique headlining sets. At the second show, though, they played four of the same songs as the first, and a fan who is also a lawyer is preparing a class action suit against the organisers for breach of contract. The case doesn’t have much of a chance: the poster said «unique sets», which can mean a lot of things.
9. Manowar vs Hellfest
In 2019 Manowar cancelled their headlining set at Hellfest a few hours before the show, claiming the stage didn’t meet their needs — even though that same week Slipknot, Kiss, Tool and dozens of other bands played there. Sabaton filled in, going on a second time with a sick singer. A Manowar lawsuit against the organisers followed, and it remains open to this day.
8. The Nirvana baby
Spencer Elden, the baby on the cover of «Nevermind», sued Nirvana in 2021 for commercial sexual exploitation and child pornography. The problem was that he had spent his whole life making money off that fame: he recreated the cover pose for cash, had the album title tattooed on him and sold signed copies. The courts threw the suit out, with the whole internet laughing.
7. Slipknot vs Burger King
In 2005 Burger King created a fake metal band with the not-so-subtle name «Fuck Rock» to advertise its Chicken Fries. Slipknot sent a cease and desist for trademark infringement, claiming the masks looked too much like theirs. Burger King responded that Slipknot didn’t invent masks — there are Kiss, Gwar and Mushroomhead — and the case closed without a court ruling.
6. Gene Simmons vs King Diamond
In 1988 Gene Simmons sent a cease and desist to King Diamond, arguing that his makeup looked too much like his own. King Diamond replied that his influences were Alice Cooper and Peter Gabriel, and that Arthur Brown did the black-and-white makeup before anyone else. The dispute fizzled out on its own.
5. Gene wants to own your hands
In 2017 Gene Simmons filed for a trademark on the horns sign — the famous devil horns. He claimed he invented it in 1974 and that anyone who did it at a concert should have to pay him. Everyone laughed: the same sign means «I love you» in sign language, Coven used it before Gene, and Spider-Man does it too. Eleven days later he withdrew the application.
4. Demon Hunter vs Netflix
The Christian metal band Demon Hunter sued Netflix over the anime «Demon Hunter», claiming confusion and lost revenue. Their example: a parent bought $500 tickets thinking they were seeing the K-pop group. As the video’s creator notes, it’s nobody’s fault if the parent doesn’t read — the case will most likely be dismissed.
3. Kid Rock at Waffle House
In 2007, at 5 in the morning, Kid Rock got into a brawl at a Waffle House in Atlanta, which ended in broken glass and blood. He maintained he didn’t hit anyone, but pleaded guilty to simple assault: a year’s probation, a $1,000 fine, six hours of anger management counselling and 80 hours of community service.
2. They sued the band for playing badly
In 2003 four concertgoers filed a class action suit against Creed after a disastrous show in Illinois: Scott Stapp forgot the lyrics, left the stage, rolled on the floor and passed out. They first asked for $227 for the tickets, then raised it to $2 million on behalf of all 15,000 attendees. The judge dismissed the case — nobody guarantees what condition the singer will be in on stage.
1. The subliminal messages
In the 80s and 90s parents sued bands claiming their music brainwashed their kids. Judas Priest found themselves in court having their songs played backwards to look for hidden messages, after two fans’ suicides — the case was dismissed. Ozzy Osbourne was sued three times over «Suicide Solution» (1985, 1986, 1988), with parents claiming the song controlled their children. Ozzy always answered that the song is against suicide: it’s about how alcohol kills you slowly. All the cases were dismissed.
The conclusion is simple: however strange the stories are, most of these lawsuits had no chance in court. If the topic interests you, see also Manowar’s Kings Of Metal / Fighting The World Tour 2027, Slipknot’s new single «Arsenal», Sabaton – The War to End All Wars or the complete guide to Metal’s subgenres.
