Ως γνωστόν, οι As I Lay Dying είναι ένα από τα υποψήφια συγκροτήματα για την κατηγορία Best Metal Act των φετινών βραβείων Grammy. Ενώ τα υπόλοιπα μέλη της μπάντας θα παρευρεθούν κανονικά στο γεγονός, ο Ελληνικής καταγωγής τραγουδιστής τους Tim Lambesis αποφάσισε να απέχει επεξηγώντας μάλιστα την θέση του με κάποιες πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες απόψεις:

‘Ever since we were nominated for a Grammy, I've been torn between the feeling of honor and something else that has been hard for me to describe. Initially, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Who would have thought that our band would ever get noticed like this? But, I soon realized that most of this feeling came from the great sense of pride I was able to bring my parents, our record label, our manager, and the countless other people who have invested so much of their passion into As I Lay Dying. People who I believe deserve this honor as much as I do.

Then I started asking the question why us, why As I Lay Dying? I've never felt that the Grammys go out of their way to nominate bands that are actually the best at what they do. I think there have been only one or two of my favorite bands that have ever even received a Grammy. Obviously everyone differs in their taste in music, but I realize that I shouldn't care what a small group of people think about my band, good or bad. Why should we let anyone dictate to the rest of us which bands we should and shouldn't listen to? And, why is there opinion any better than yours or mine? The awards that truly mean something to me are the ones voted by the fans and actual music buyers. The people that support and keep new music going.

So, a few weeks go by with me battling this question in my head when I find out that as a nominated "guest of honor" I am not able to have even my wife come with me unless I pay $600 for her seat. I know that someone has to help pay for the ceremony, but even a nominated artist trying to bring his better half!? This is when I first started thinking the Grammys might not be for me. Later, I also learn that our label, management and parents can't go unless they pay $300 for seats that are nowhere near where we sit. Basically, all the people that deserve to enjoy this "special" moment along with the band are unable to do so. Our record label has always been the one at the forefront of great business and marketing decisions that help bring the band to a new level of notoriety. Likewise, our managers have helped to steer us in the right direction ever since we started working with them a few years back. Then there's our lawyer, booking agent, and countless others I could name that have played significant roles in getting us to this point. And, going to the very beginning, my parents deserve so much credit for helping me pursue my dream when no one else could see it. Now, not only is some out of touch elite committee telling us what they think good music should be, but then they try to make the artists they nominate pay a ridiculous amount for the event that we can't even enjoy with all the people that really made this possible.

I think the Grammy ceremony exists to honor the Grammy brand itself and not the actual artists who most people think they are supporting by attending. The Grammys might need to charge for the $300 guest's seats, but in my opinion, I highly doubt they need to exploit the artists they nominate for the one $600 seat for spouses in order to pay for the production of the event. This is because I highly doubt the Grammys are just struggling to break even. If there is profit being made, we are paying for it even though it's the artists who create the public's interest in the event. Plus, metal is the category that gets the least attention, so not only are we being left out, but we're still asked to pay for the glamour used to represent all of the other categories.

Wouldn't it make more sense to invest this money in the future of music by giving it to talented bands who can't afford to record their music or go on tour? The cost of a ticket and fancy dress for someone attending costs more than the entire budget of our first full length recording. I also want to be clear that I in no way am attempting to hold my view as the only way to see this. In fact the other dudes in my band all plan to go and I sincerely hope they enjoy themselves. I also want to be clear that I am not professing to know exactly what the Grammy Society plans to do with all that money....it's certainly possible that they do some good things with it, and if good reasons exist for them charging all of this money then I will be happy to change my point of view and post the Grammy's response in this blog. Until then, I feel that it would be irresponsible for me to just blindly follow what is accepted as the norm in this situation. I was raised to always question my beliefs and the beliefs of others...to question what society considers the norm. I always try to formulate my own opinions and do what I think is right based on the situation. I may not always end up doing the perfect thing in every situation, but as long as I learn from my mistakes and keep the best intentions I can feel good about the decisions I make in life.

Anyway, now that I've made my decision, I'd have to say that I'm also kind of relieved that I don't have to figure out how to dress up like an awkward dude in a suit. I've also decided to put my money where my mouth is and donate the $600 that we would have spent on my wife's ticket to local San Diegans who normally couldn't afford the opportunity to create new music... people who are in in the same position we were in several years back. To me that's turning a negative into a positive.

I welcome the opinions of anyone who is reading this. It's my intention to initiate dialogue and I think it is very important for my side of this issue to be represented. Most of the time, we just go along with things because they are perceived as good and comfortable, but I want people to know how the situation appears to me. Thanks for listening.