My favorite part of most angry letters is the fact that most people tend to make a point of telling me how much they don’t care what I think. They obviously care enough to write a letter with an inordinate amount of CAPITALIZATION. Inaction is the true result of no concern. But you already know this. I received what will be the final exchange of letters from The Kommunity FK Kamp. I have not responded and don’t plan to. These things start off as silly and remain so until at long last one or both parties blocks the sender’s email address.

I find this letter particularly interesting because, despite whatever affiliation this person has with the band, they are most certainly coming from a defensive stance and are in fact, acting as representation. As for my feelings towards lead singer Patrick Mata himself. I don’t know him personally and probably never will, at this rate. My opinion of him is based on a purely superficial level. He’s the lead singer of a band that I enjoy and nothing more. While I do realize that this has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Patrick Mata or the band itself, I can’t help but feel that any band should monitor their contact with the press. This would ensure letters such as these don’t reach reader’s eyes and potentially close off what could very well be a healthy relationship between press and artist. Letters as these leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I’ll continue to post news (if any) and play songs in the podcast…because that’s what I do. As for the person who wrote this letter…let’s just say that I am, at the very least, amused. Grateful for a good laugh and life goes on. Fodder for blog posts.

Cinka,

First off I am not upset.

Second of all I AM NOT THE BAND’S MANAGER/MANAGEMENT (I never said that I was Kommunity FK’s manager.)  It’s none of your business, but I am a highly paid Mistress. I make large amounts of money by beating subservient worms like you into a pulp.

As for you ‘merely pointing out it looked like Patrik was stoned’ is NOT how you had it come across in your slanderous writing. Are you so small minded that you ‘judge’ people of all genres off of a ‘sticker?’ Patrik placed that sticker on his vintage teardrop Vox guitar when his band ‘Sativa LuvBox’ was signed to their major label. That particular band is still HUGE internationally and for that reason he keeps that sticker on his vintage guitar.  Are you some kind of ill-mannered ‘Reaganite’ with your own personal ‘war on drugs’ agenda? So, again, your writing that Patrik was stoned and has been stoned for years is SLANDEROUS. The ELDERS in the ‘Deathrock’ scene know of the fact that Patrik has been clean and sober for years. You and your opinion just prove you know nothing about the music or Patrik, for that matter, of whom you write
articles/reviews about.

Again, I don’t give a shite what your opinion is.

Kommunity FK and Patrik have never paid attention to any thoughts/reviews that have ever been written about the band. A true artist doesn’t listen to any propaganda. True art is Art. Art survives only when it stays on it’s own thought. As far as I know Patrik and Kommunity FK haven’t even seen your tiny opinion. If Patrik did ever see it I’m sure he would get a good laugh at the poorly written piece.

Kommunity FK has been in the music business since 1978. So again, your other poorly ill-conceived opinion of Kommunity FK is “in the wrong business” is so off. If you cannot handle the fact someone is going to tell you that your writing is wrong/slanderous/ and/or poorly researched then you, my dear, are the one who is in the wrong business. If someone writes to you that actually stands up for the truth and it bothers you-you are not a true writer.

Slander is slander.  You and your opinions need to be stated as an opinion. If you plan to stay a writer-LEARN YOUR FACTS.

Patrik loves his fans. He has made that very clear time and time again in books, articles, and at live shows worldwide.  Patrik’s fans love him as well….

Goodbye worm. My time is too precious to continue this futile agenda. Take it from an Elder and a Mistress…You have a lot to learn. Perhaps you should change your name to “Rethinka”?

Rethinka. Touche.

This letter is what we in the writing profession call “talking out of your ass”. It’s a heavy attempt at being clever with a deep desire to come off as intelligent. Read the last letter and ponder the word “unstudious” a minute. Yes dear, you probably could beat me to a pulp, but I’m not sure I could afford you. I honestly have nothing against Patrick. If he does or doesn’t smoke pot…who fucking cares? Actually, these letters (albeit amusing) tend to bother me because they’re ridiculous on every level. I don’t try to make enemies or piss people off, but it comes with the territory. All in a days work. At my core, I am truly someone who cares about the scene and the music spawned from it. It should be assumed that everything I write is merely opinion. What else would it be? I’m not writing freaking book reports here.

I got things to do. What a total waste of time.

Over the last handful of years, I’ve managed to garner a reputation as a bitch in certain circles. I’m a bitch because I’ve always done things my way. I’ve never kowtowed to labels, bands or club promoters, and I’ve always spoken my mind. As a writer with an audience, I’ve always felt indebted to tell the truth. As a reviewer, it’s my job to share my opinion. I don’t get paid to write, therefore the only payment I receive is knowing that someone, anyone, is reading my work and (maybe) enjoying it. When you write reviews, especially anything remotely unflattering…you must prepare for retaliation.

Today, I received the following letter regarding my “review” of Kommunity FK’s performance at the Knitting Factory this year.  

Hello,

My name is [name omitted]. I run the Kommunity Fk Kontingent. I am writing to you regarding your review of Kommunity FK’s live show at the Knitting Factory.

Kommunity Fk does not give a shite if you like the band or not, but what is a problem is parts of your article are ill-informed and slanderous.

Patrik Mata has been clean and sober for 9.5 years. No alcohol, no drugs, INCLUDING POT. The fact you are telling your readers that Patrik Mata was stoned and has been stoned for years in your opinion is lude and slanderous.

You obviously are not a journalist for the fact you do not even research the projects you write about. Sherry Rubber has been the lead guitarist for Kommunity FK for over a decade now.

It is clear to me by your unstudious review that you have obiously been blowing the Last Dance (who in my opinion suck and wouldn’t even beable to be the genre of music they are if it wasn’t for bands like Kommunity FK breaking the Gothic/Alternative grounds all those years ago). We know who ‘SABOTAGED’ the sound that night at the Knitting Factory. If you were a real journalist you would have researched that particular dilemma of the show you reviewed and would have discovered there are many wittnesses of who was ‘lurking’ around the sound boards when Kommunity FK perfomed – as well as – the fact the sound man of 3 years of the Knitting Facotry was fired that night because of the saboteurs.

Like I wrote previously nobody from this camp gives a shite what you think of Kommunity FK. And just to let you know it was Patrik Mata who contacted Release The Bats (who are very close to Kommunity FK) and had them be part of that historic night….but again-if you were a real journalist you would have known that as well.

Please correct your slanderous lines and wrong names in your poorly conceived article.

 …and this was my repsonse:

I’m sorry you’re upset. Kommunity FK are a great band and Jenn and Dave are a dedicated and integral part of the deathrock community.

After this review went online, I received several email telling me I was dead on. I’d never seen KFK before, so I had nothing to compare it to. I write my reviews as a fan, not a journalist. It’s not my job to investigate who sabotaged the sound or find out why the sound was bad. All I know is, it was, and that’s that. As for Patrick being “stoned”, I merely pointed out what it looked like. I’m sorry, but people who don’t smoke pot, don’t brandish pot leaves on their equipment. Not that I have an opinion on pot, one way or the other. I could care less. I’m just saying. Myself and anyone else there, would naturally draw their own conclusions.

In my article, I gave props to Patrick for forging new ground and being a leader in the deathrock genre. I’m not sure why you pointed out that Patrick was the one who contacted Release the Bats. I can’t see that I mentioned that nor what the importance is. Either way, I respect Release the Bats and acknowledged the work they put into the event. I even stated that I look forward to the next.

As a writer (not a journalist) I write what I see and feel. As a photographer, I enjoy photographing bands that give me something exciting to photograph. Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. This is my opinion. I don’t write reviews to “please” bands and labels. That would be unfair to the people who actually buy music.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time. If members of the Kommunity Kamp are scorned at every bad review, perhaps you’re in the wrong business. Bad reviews come with the good. For being in the business as long as Patrick has, I’m sure he’s quite aware of how things work. As a band manager, you must also. I don’t feel this was a “slanderous” review. I made every attempt to excuse the mishaps of the evening and gave credit where credit is due.

It’s in poor taste, as a representative of any band, to bad mouth writers who don’t write glowing reviews. It is also remarkably unprofessional. I don’t blame the band for the sound, but someone in the Kommunity Kamp should have noticed the problem and fixed it; rather than letting it continue throughout the entire show. That’s just bad management. I’ve never seen anything like it. No reviewer anywhere would stick around and “interview” witnesses to the lurkers at the sound table. No one cares who sabotaged the sound…all people care about is that it wasn’t good and no one fixed it. If you’re asking me to exaggerate the truth, I’m afraid I must refuse wholeheartedly.

About the name change, the error was my fault. At the time I wrote the review, the website hadn’t been updated and Tracy’s was the only name I found. I do apologize for the mistake and will correct it immediately.

I stand by my article. Please understand that I cannot re-write my reviews on the basis that I might bruise someone’s ego. It was not my intention to piss anyone off, but as I said earlier, you take the good with the bad and you can’t please everyone. For every review I write, there is the chance someone won’t agree with me. I will not sacrifice my integrity and change my opinions based on one nasty letter. I wouldn’t do it for a thousand. As someone with a strong opinion such as yourself, I know you understand.

If this is how Kommunity FK deals with the press, perhaps it’s time to find new representation. I know, I know, you don’t give a shite about what I think. You should, however, care what your fans think. I’m a fan.

Yours sincerely, Cinka
Editor, Dark Culture Magazine
www.darkculture.net
 

My boyfriend so cleverly pointed out that people love you when you write good reviews and despise you when you don’t. I must take these things with a grain of salt. I do, however, love writing long letters of retort.