One of the most powerful men in the music business intervened on the Vandals’ behalf this week to try to talk to Variety and ask them to drop their lawsuit against The Vandals. We believe President Neil Stiles was the one that answered with “I’m sorry, you have to speak to our attorneys at Fulbright & Jaworski.” Instead of “dropping the case,” Mr. Big, through his intermediary was  told that J. Paul Williamson would love to “negotiate” but the band would have to sign something giving the intermediary authority ($$$more legal fees Variety pays), then they would be very happy to deal with anyone besides the bass player.

We are  grateful that someone so powerful wants to help us, however, since the President of Variety couldn’t get Fulbright & Jaworski to drop the lawsuit but only start a new round of negotiations with the intermediaries ($$$$$$$ more legal fees Variety pays) it doesn’t really do us any good. Variety can drop the suit. They don’t need to negotiate further to do that. OR,  they can make a counter offer to the good faith settlement offer we already put on the table at Variety’s request.

Since they’re not doing this, it’s obvious to us that this is just about “churning” the client for more money for as long as possible. That’s what it appears Fulbright & Jaworski are doing and Reed Elsevier is falling for it, and the Daily Variety, arguably the most unprofitable arm of the Reed empire is powerless to make this problem go away. If Neil Stiles was rhythm guitarist for the Vandals, he couldn’t get this case dropped. So we have to fight it out in the courts.  That and the Internet are the only weapons people like us have against lawsuit abuse. That’s where it sits right now, in Delaware, and below is courtesy note to Variety’s lawyers sent on August 10, 2010.