http://valkyrianmusic.com/2012/09/02/interview-tony-lazaro-of-vital-remains/
M: Well I have a question. Actually, it’s not really a question but explain a little about Scott because I keep hearing things from people.
TL; Right, plus he’s posted all kinds of wacky things. Basically, the truth of it is we were scheduled on the last tour, the Destruction tour, to play BB Kings. Scott did not show up. It was pre show so it was like maybe 45 minutes or a half an hour before we were going on stage, and we were panicking because he hasn’t arrived yet. We thought he was coming from Rhode Island because he couldn’t get into Canada. We had done some pervious dates in Canada, and Scott has a record and can’t get in, and Brian [Werner] had filled in for those. So basically we were like “Okay Scott, just meet us in New York. We’re coming down from Canada and all that through customs” and he was supposed to show up for that. Half an hour before the gig, I don’t see him. I start panicking! I talk to Gator and I go “Gator, give him a call because he ain’t getting back to me.” I even tried calling him and texting him and it was going right to voicemail, and he wasn’t getting back to me. He calls him and Scott basically says “Oh I’m walking around Times Square sightseeing.” And we’re like “We’re going on stage at BB Kings to a packed out in 35 minutes.” You know what I mean? Get your ass to the venue! So, you know, it’s 25 minutes, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes, now we’re panicking, and we’re like what do we do? And at that point, we’re like if he doesn’t show up when it’s time to go on stage and they tell us you got to go, I’m like Brian, you’ve worked with us in Canada, I go it’s like anything, it’s like a football team right now and you’re the second string quarter back. You’re getting in the game! I don’t care if you have no experience, you’re going to grab the ball and you’re going to score a touchdown! *laughter* And you know, he’s kind of nervous and I’m like get up there and disapprove if you can do it. So he did, and I give him a lot of credit because you know, it’s one thing to fill in for just a few dates, to literally having to jump in to something full time and just be like the guy. He learned all of these songs in a short amount of time. So I commend him and give him a lot of credit, and I’m really pissed off at Scott that he did that because for the longest time, one thing I could always count on Scott for was that he would be there. He might of done so many crazy, wacky things on the road that would make me angry and I would fire him, you know what I mean, but I had a soft spot for him. But the one thing, like I said, that he had was that he always showed up to do his job. He never did not show up, so that’s the only thing he had going for him. So when he didn’t show up, I was pretty angry.
So the next day was hometown show where he lives in Pawtucket, which you girls came out to, and he doesn’t show up for that! I’m like now I can understand if you missed a bus or something, but you can’t ride your bicycle even or walk! It like Pawtucket is a small, little, you know like Family Guy, it’s a little town, you know? *laughter* You know what I mean? It’s like you tell me you couldn’t make it? So that’s when I was really, really angry. Then come to find out it was because of his own selfish reasons that, you know, he’s saying that he wants to be in more control, he wants more money, he wants this, he wants that. All for himself, like from a selfish point. He didn’t think of us as a team like brothers, like we’re all in this together in a band, and let me not do this to the one person, like me, who gave him an opportunity for 4 years, brought him around the world, you know? And he does that to all of us, and I think that was the last straw and it broke the camel’s back and we were like that’s it. We’re done. You can’t even work. You can’t even show up and blows us off, and now he’s trying to claim to be the victim and saying he’s going to start a new Vital Remains. Actually, he said today or yesterday, there’s a post of him saying that he’s starting Vital Remains in his imagination. *laughter* That pretty much says, and tells the fans that he’s bi-polar and has some mental issues. Even before the Destruction tour, he was locked up in a mental institution, true story, for one week. That should’ve been a warning flag that he’s going downhill mentally, from a mental perspective. But we thought you know, he’s a little crazy. It’s good to have a crazy front man in a death metal band, but not clinically insane. You know what I mean, with a straight jacket and when you need medication. That’s the point where we need to reevaluate things I guess. You know, when he’s talking about starting his own empire and his own planet and sith and all this stuff like Star Wars, you know, and that’s pretty much like I said that when we just fired him and just told him that. Not that he believes us! He still thinks that there’s be some sort of thing that everything’s going to be all better, and it’s just hard to kind of let that go when he burned us like that I think. So if anybody else hears any other stories, it’s all bullshit folks unless you hear it from us.
M: Yeah that’s what I figured. That’s why I wanted to make sure because I remembering seeing that on because I’m friends with him on Facebook and I’m like that doesn’t sound right!
TL: Yeah and some people start believing him and I’m like if you’re not hearing it from us, it’s just one sided. You know, and if you read some of the stuff he’s been posting lately, like last week, he’s claiming he’s playing guitar for Deicide in Europe, and it couldn’t be further from the truth! It’s like it’s crazy!
M: I didn’t even know Deicide was touring!
TL: Yeah, it’s like they’re not even touring Europe but he’s saying he’s going to Europe! So in his mind, he’s going to Europe. Just wish him the best health but, we have to move on, you know. You’re just not that mentally stable for us. Not that we’re not that stable either. *laughter* But we’re a little more stable. We show up and do our jobs so that’s more support.
