GLEN BENTON’s Reason For Hating Meet And Greets Is Pretty Heartwarming

Deicide‘s Glen Benton has gotten a reputation for being this big tough guy in metal, but his answer on why Deicide doesn’t do meet and greets is strangely heartwarming.

In an interview with Prescription Punk Rock, Benton said he’d simply rather sign something for a fan out of the kindness in his heart and not charge someone for the experience. Benton said he recognizes that meet and greets can make up for what artists aren’t making in music sales these days, but he’s still not into the idea.

“I was having this conversation with the guys in the band the other day, ’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 then went on to compare his feelings to that of Rush drummer Neil Peart, later noting that the furious Glen Benton of Deicide personality fans see is hardly the Glen Benton at home.

He continued: “Neil Peart, 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 shit.

“To me, I think it’s — pardon the expression — I think it’s a poser kind of thing. That’s for posers. And Steve‘s [Asheim, Deicide drummer], 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.”

Deicide is set to decimate North American this September and October with Krisiun, Inferi, and Cloak as support. Tickets are available here… but y’know, not meet and greets. You fuckin’ poser.

9/5 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade (Hell)
9/6 CaveInRock, IL Hogrock Camgrounds (FTA)
9/7 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
9/8 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage
9/9 Mechanicsburg, PA Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.
9/10 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Monarch
9/11 Waterbury, CT Elite 23
9/13 Quebec City, QC Salle Montaigne
9/14 Montreal, QC Le Studio TD
9/15 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace
9/16 Detroit, MI The Sanctuary
9/17 Chicago, IL House of Blues
9/18 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theater Studio B
9/19 Winnipeg, MB Park Theatre
9/20 Regina, SK The Exchange
9/21 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
9/23 Vancouver, BC Rickshaw Theatre
9/24 Seattle, WA El Corazon
9/25 Portland, OR Bossanova Ballroom
9/26 San Francisco, CA DNA Lounge
9/27 Fresno, CA Fulton 55
9/28 Los Angeles, CA 1720
9/29 San Diego, CA Brick by Brick
9/30 Las Vegas, NV Backstage Bar
10/1 Mesa, AZ The Nile Theater
10/2 El Paso, TX Rockhouse Bar & Grill
10/3 Denver, CO Marquis
10/4 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
10/5 Dallas, TX Trees
10/6 Austin, TX Come And Take It Live
10/7 Corpus Christi, TX House of Rock
10/8 Houston, TX Scout Bar
10/9 New Orleans, LA Southport Music Hall
10/11 Tampa, FL The Orpheum