SCORPIONS' Official French Fan Club Feuds With Band Over Artwork Unveiling

The webmaster of the SCORPIONS official French fan club, Crazyscorps, has posted the following statement on the web site today, following a disagreement with the band about the unveiling of the artwork of their new album:

"Dear French-speaking fans and fans from all over the world.

"As you all know, the fan club Crazyscorps was created to be the gathering point of all SCORPIONS French-speaking fans. Thanks to the growing success of our fan club, people from all over the world and not only French-speaking fans joined us since 2004. We are very proud of that and we would like to thank you all for your faithfulness and your support.

"Crazyscorps website has the function, not only to bring together the fans to exchange ideas but also to keep them in touch with the band’s news. For that, our team follows up all information published in newspapers or on the Internet, in order to diffuse it to a maximum of fans that miss the band during absences periods when they are on tour or working on the new album.

"Our fan club always got his information through the press, whether it is written, radio, television or Internet. We see our role like being a relay of information collected via various supports to keep a maximum of people aware of the band news.

"Moreover, the main reason of Crazyscorps' existence has always been to give our love and support to the SCORPIONS so that they continue to exist in the hearts and lives of the fans even when no promotion is officially organized by the main interested parties to this end.

"This is why, a short time ago, we put on line the artwork of the new album, 'Humanity - Hour 1', we had found on the Internet. Unfortunately, we made the error not to inform us whether we had legally the right to do it or not. We reacted like simple fans filled with enthusiasm by this first concrete detail of the new album awaited so much since nearly four years.

"We were informed by the webmaster of the official website that the band itself had been informed of our mistake and that they are angry with what we did. It seems today that the band members and the management hold us responsible for having unveiled the new album artwork and really feel angry against Crazyscorps.

"We find this reaction completely disproportionate compared to the error we made. On the one hand because we ourselves had found this image on the Internet and on the other hand because the band should understand that we never did that to harm them but by excess of love and enthusiasm.

"According to the information given to us the webmaster concerning this problem, the band would even like to take distance in its relations with Crazyscorps because of this false step.

"Therefore, the fan club Crazyscorps would like today to use its website to deliver a message to the SCORPIONS and its management:

"Not only have we found your reaction disproportionate but also incorrect with respect to the fact that, for the past three years, we have been doing everything to support you and to contribute to your success with devotion without equal. Your reaction undermines the respect you pretend feeling for your fans and you should keep in mind that, in spite of our awkwardnesses and our errors, all that we always made, we did it with love and not in the intention to harm you in any manner. It is a thing that each artist, each band, should never forget: neither TV programs, neither radio stations, nor any article in the press will never replace the fans because an artist is nothing without his fans.

"This is why we decided to express our disappointment and our displeasure by closing Crazyscops website for an initial duration of 8 days. We wish to let the fans from all over the world know that the aim of this action is not to punish them but to express our dissatisfaction with this injustice we are facing."