'Foolish clown antics': members of Cradle of Filth quit band during South American tour dates

• UK metal group Cradle of Filth are facing charges of unfair contracts and a toxic working environment, according to two former band members.
• Both Zoë M. Federoff and Marek “Ashok” Šmerda left the group in the middle of their current South American tour.
• The pair have claimed there have been “years of unprofessional behabiour” and even call an upcoming collaboration with Ed Sheeran “foolish clown antics.”

Two members of UK metal group Cradle of Filth have quit the band mid-tour due to what one member has called “unprofessional behaviour” and “foolish clown antics.”

Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, vocalist and keyboardist Zoë M. Federoff announced she was leaving the band, citing that she was “unable to continue this tour and continue in general with Cradle Of Filth.”

Overnight, however, guitarist Marek “Ashok” Šmerda also announced he was leaving the group - Šmerda happens to also be the husband of Federoff.

In a scathing statement made announcing that he was quitting the group, Šmerda stated that the move to leave the band was owing that they could no longer “provide for our future, and in fact hinders it. Among other reasons, it is a lot of work for relatively low pay, the stress is quite high, and we haven’t felt for a while like this band actually prioritising/caring about members.

“It has been years of unprofessional behaviour from people above us that led to our decision.”

The former guitarist went on to point out what he felt was “foolish clown antics” as the band have recorded a collaboration with pop superstar Ed Sheeran, which he claims at one point “was charity single for kids, then for profit single, then on next album, and now who knows and I just do not want to be involved anymore” but added there was “no disrespect to Ed Sheeran.”

Šmerda has since asked that his contributions to any upcoming records be removed before released.

Šmerda also asked for fans to stop speculating about the private life of both Federoff and himself and to “never insult her or her choices in my presence… or else.”

Federoff, who released her own statement announcing leaving the band over the weekend, made a follow-up post which claimed that her reasons were due to “mismanagement” by both lead singer Dani Filth and their management team.

“We planned this transition out of Cradle Of Filth months ago,” she revealed. “Management is dishonest and manipulative and tries to take money that belongs to us with no contract between us, session musicians and him.”

She would claim that when attempting to call out the “theft” of album advance money she was referred to as a “cancer,” while also detailing the session musicians involved were “trapped” in a 25% raise (the first in 7 years)” and that their “lawyer called it the most psychopathic contract a session musician could ever be handed.”

Dani Filth had responded to the claims, calling them defamatory, and assured South American fans that the tour will still go ahead: “Despite all attempts to illegally defame and derail the band, Cradle Of Filth WILL NOT cancel any of our South American shows.

“Though fans will have to bear with us being a band with only one guitarist live, that is of course, until Ashok’s temporary replacement is flown out to join the tour in a few days time.”