Soulcracker Death Threat

(Originally published in the San Diego Reader May 31, 2001)

"It’s a serious concern because it threatens physical death," says Johnny McDonald (McD) as he cracks another egg and drops it into the skillet. McD is the manager of Soulcracker, a San Diego rock band currently starring in VH1’s new reality-based television series, Band’s on the Run. McD is referring to two mortal threats that were posted on the message board of Soulcracker’s website (www.soulcracker.com).

The first post appeared on Tuesday, May 15: "Well once again we see the gang of Soulcracker showing themselves to be cock sucking homosexuals on the latest episode of BOTR [Bands on the Run]. You fudgepacking doughnut punching fags whore yourself to no ends selling your shitty merch and music. . . . And Beastie, mark my words. I will find out a show that AssCracker is playing near my state, and I will put a knife in you. Not a dick like you are used to, a knife. See you in hell."

The message was signed, "Buddy Holly."

"A lot of people started writing all this negative shit about me on the message board," says Beastie from the Kitchen table. "It’s really depressing. They criticize the way I look, they criticize my stage performance. . . . So I just stopped checking the board. But on this particular day, I thought, well, I may as well check the message board. And right there, at the top, was this threat.

"What were your feelings?" I asked.

"I was pretty scared for an hour or two after I read that," answered the dejected singer, obviously distraught over the incident. Then I realized it was probably just a disturbed person looking for attention. You know, I love Buddy Holly’s music, but now, whenever I think of him, I picture my stalker reading Catcher in the Rye."*

"Why does Buddy Holly think Soulcracker is gay?

"It’s just because [on the show] we put out a zero amount of male macho, "look-how-cool-we-are," and "look-how-much-we-can-drink" energy.

Beastie wishes the world was just a little saner

"The weird thing is, for about two weeks before I got the threat, I’ve been walking around town -- especially at night -- thinking that some crazed fan of the show is going to come up and stab me. Then I was talking to a friend about our biggest fears. I told him that I’ve been thinking some psycho who watches the show might stab me. Two days later I got the knife threat."

"Do you think it’s for real?"

"Well, I’m thinking about getting a gun. I won’t travel with a gun -- that’s just plain stupid, but I might borrow one for the house. These people are out there. They are desperate for attention, or desperate for a way out -- That freaks me out."

During our interview, the phone rang and McD answered. It was an investigator from the FBI. She said that they had tracked the stalker’s ISP to America Online; and that, with AOL’s help, they should be able to locate him/her."

"Our webmaster (Pete) called the FBI immediately after he saw the message," says McD after he hung up the phone. "They said to give them at least 24 hours. The scary thing about the FBI is. . . . they could show up to Pete’s house, unplug all eight of his computers, take them as evidence, and say, ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’ If that happens we’re out of business. That is the double edge sword of involving the authorities."

The FBI declined to comment on the case.

"Do you wish you had never done the TV show?" I asked Beastie.

"As a band, this is great for us. . . ." he replied. "We’re getting an average of fifty or sixty thousand hits on our website a day. We’re getting way more exposure. We’re selling about 250 dollars of merchandise a day from our website too. However, as an individual, I have some problems. For instance, in real life, everybody contradicts themselves every day -- but when they show those every day contradictions on television, it makes you look stupid. Also, I thought everybody would understand our camaraderie. They’re not seeing how much fun we have together. They are only seeing one aspect of Soulcracker. . . . They’re seeing ‘All-work-and-no-Playcracker."

The second threat came this morning, Wednesday May 22. Even though it was signed by a different screen name (The Zodiac) the language and the style are similar:

". . . . Beastie and Bob Hamel [Soulcracker's drummer] have gone too far, and that is why I am going to stick a knife in both of you! I will be wearing a Soulcracker shirt so I can sneak up real close. At first you will try to kiss me and have sex with me because I am a hot guy, that is when I will kill both of you! I will then proceed to destroy the rest of the band's instruments to prevent any further spread of shitty ass music, but hopefully the brutal murder of two of their homosexual bandmates will curb their interest by itself. I will see you both in hell - and I am dead serious. The Zodiac."

"Sounds fantastic," drummer Bob Hamel responded on the message board. "We play Winston's this Friday. . . . We'll put you on the guest list. Zodiac + 1. Sound good?"

*Catcher in the Rye is cited by both Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley
as being the inspiration behind their notorious murders.