THE BATTLE ONLINE...
First and foremost let it be known that no member of Last Call wrote any of the emails on this page. These are the emails we received that chronicles our disqualification from the IUMA contest. Following our disqualification from the Battle of the Bands at Missouri Southern State College, we still were eligibile in the online voting contest. So we had all our friends vote, and encouraged people to get multiple email accounts. We cheated our asses off...And that we were disqualified doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that we were neck and neck through the month with Carbon Star, who obviously cheated as much as we did. Both bands were hundreds of votes ahead of everyone else. We BOTH cheated. So own up to it. They won the school's division and we were...again...disqualified, but they were defeated several rounds later.
In truth, I don't give a fuck about either one of the contests. There is more honor in disqualification to me....and this whole deal was lame anyway. I'm over it. I just threw this page together so anyone who cared could read all the email we got. I was going to trash it but I realized that someone might read all this and get a laugh out of it.
Peace Out,
Jason
LAST CALL
From: Mary Thomas To: mark@java-soup.com
Hello,
You are receiving this message because we have become aware of some
possible
ballot-stuffing in the MusicOMania competition in relation to your band.
Your band is currently under review on the suspicion of violating Section
VII of the MusicOMania Rules & Regulations for Online Voting Guidelines. To
review all of the contest rules, you can check the MusicOMania web site. We
have also included a copy of these rules at the bottom of this email.
We are reviewing these possible violations currently, and you will receive
another email in the next 24 hours with a decision on any ramifactions that
might be placed upon your band in regards to the MusicOMania competition
The second letter...
Hello,
You are receiving this email because your band is participating in IUMA's
College MusicOMania competition. This last minute update is coming to you
for a rather serious matter, involving disqualification of MusicOMania
bands.
This week we became aware of a few bands suspected of cheating in the
MusicOMania competition. After reviewing our log files, it was clear that
there had been a large number of votes stuffed into the competition by a few
users.
These users, and their bands, were notified of their disqualification from
the MusicOMania competition this afternoon. At this decision, 4 bands have
been eliminated from the competition due to their efforts to sacrifice the
integrity of the contest.
Please be aware that we are reviewing our log files, and users trying to
stuff the ballot box will be discovered. We hope we do not have to
disqualify any other bands from this point forward, but please know that we
will if necessary.
Best of luck,
Corky Gainsford
College Marketing Manager
IUMA, an EMusic company
AND FINALLY, DISQUALIFICATION
Dear Last Call,
We regret to inform you that we have decided to disqualify your band in the
MusicOMania competition. Based upon a review of our log files of MusicOMania
voters throughout the Qualifying Round, it is clear that there has been a
large number of votes "stuffed" for your band within the competition.
Please understand that this decision in no way reflects our opinion of your
band, and you are welcome to continue hosting a band web site on IUMA for as
long as you like. However, it would be unfair to others participating to
allow your band to continue in this contest.
Best of luck with your band and your music.
Sincerely,
Mary Thomas
College Campus Coordinator
IUMA, an EMusic company
AND LATER...
To let you know about Last Call: There were several issues we were looking
into while analyzing the band votes. In Last Call's case, there were several
email addresses that were created, and validated though the same computer.
Many of these created email addresses included references to beer or
profanity, which I'm positive were not created for local youth in the area
(and if they were, I'd be a little worried).
I'm sorry that you band was one of the few that was disqualified, but after
looking at the votes, it was clear that something was unfair about the
voting for your band, and we had to do something about it.
Please accept my apologies again, and best of luck with your band and its
future.
Sincerely,
Corky Gainsford
THE FIRST BLOW....
I don't know if you people realize it or not but the competition here at
MSSC is a sham. Part of the reason is the person who booked it, the other is
the e-mail system. Here's how it is. The person who booked the competition
at MSSC is named Desire Peterson. She holds the concert chair at our
college, she is the person who booked the show to begin with, and she is in
the band that is in first place.
Now, I am not sure if you're aware or if Des let you know or not, but
not only did she book the competition but as of now she is in first place,
running along side only one out of an original 5 or 6 competitors. At the
local show her band came in third out of 6 with parasite host placing first
and backseat girls placing second. The only reason they got third (according
to the judges whom I talked with) was because Last Call was disqualified,
which they did not inform the crowd of before the voting.
I had a night class this evening and I sit next to another Campus
Activities Board member who let me know that she came in this afternoon
happy about how the backseat girls were disqualified for ballot stuffing and
that now only parasite host is left to compete with and they were beating
them by a 70% spread. Is it coincidence that you folks were informed of
ballot box stuffing by backseat girls. Well, last I looked they only had
2.4% of the vote.
Another thing that is odd is that no one really knew the conditions of
the e-mail system till about 2 weeks afterwards (Well, that's when I and
others I've spoke with heard of it.). By the time I got on to vote Carbon
Star (Who had inside information and was speaking with the contest holders)
was leading everyone by at least a 25% spread. Something stinks here.
Another reason the show was a sham was because the criteria for the
judging was drawn up by her. It consisted of the categories of originality,
appearance, choreography (Who has had dancers in a band since the rebirth of
independent music), and dress. I asked one of the judges during the show if
I could see the judge's category sheet and they told me that no one in the
audience or the bands could see it. Well if Des wrote them then she knew
ahead of time what was being judged and what to do to win (She still came in
third).
Their performance that evening was something else. Granted they were a
lot tighter then usually, but they weren't performing the way they usually
do. First off, this time they were imacuatlly better kept then when they've
played in the past. Second, during a bridge in one of their songs they had a
part when Des (Also the lead singer/front women/primary song writer and
financial backer of the group which means she has a staked interest in the
results of victory. e.g. song writing rights) had a half a minute dance
routine worked in (keep in mind no one else knew of the criteria). Third
they were dressed better. In the past the band has dressed pseudo punk rock.
This evening they were wearing mostly black.
As far as judge selection went, she didn't pick the judges herself (That
would be to obvious) but she had a friend do it. Then she went on to make a
big deal at the next CAB meeting about how she was conducting the event
fairly.
This by itself may not be enough to make a call on her dealings, but her
past is also a bit crooked. She has been on the seat for concerts (A slot
for one individual, not a committee) for 3 years now. She has brought a lot
of good bands here. But, up until recently, she booked her band to open for
these big acts hoping to get discovered, and if that wasn't enough, paid her
band for performing. One incidence happened the other semester when she
booked herself and paid her band $500-$800 for the performance (She is given
a budget per semester to play with. Also keep in mind that her job is a
volunteer posistion. Ever hear of anyone getting paid close to a grand for
volunteer work, I haven't) where only about 20 people showed up. She ended
getting most of them in for free which resulted in the college loosing about
3 grand. In legal terms, this is a misappropriation of funds. I'm sure the $
went to nice things like recording time and those neat glossy photographs
for their web page and some new equipment. If anything else this will give
you people some insight to her selfish motives for doing this whole thing
and and at least enough cause for you folks to look into it for yourselves.
Another thing I would like to ask you about is ballot stuffing. If you
define ballot stuffing as voting for yourselves numerous times on different
e-mail accounts, thats understandable. But what if one advertises the need
to vote and doesn't acknowledge other band names on flyers. Wouldn't that be
a form of ballot stuffing. What about advertising at the Neosho highschool
(Which is half an hour away and where the base player of Carbon Star/sister
of Des goes to school at. All the other Bands live in Joplin.) That's a
couple of hundred biased, malrepresented votes in her favor and considering
how few people around here actually listen to independent music could
significantlly skew the turnout.
Also, since Des is on CAB she has free and unlimted access to the
colleges advertising comercial and flyer facilities meaning, in theory, she
could run up 5,000 flyers (our college has about 5,000 people at it, Joplin
45,000),and hand them out thus saturating the local community with biased
posters. One of the flyers in the CAB office says to "Vote for Carbon Star
and the other bands (no names listed) at .......These are resources the
other competiters do not have access to making for an unfair contest.
Hey, all in all it leads to a huge popularity/political/advertising
contest and a sham of an event and if she wins, a sort of theft of your
money not to mention the loss of a band that the people voted for here being
represented on the next level. If you would like to know more about Des and
her involvement in this as well as the powers entitled to her for being in
CAB, get in touch with Val at MSSC's Campus activities office at
1-417-625-9366.
Since Des is conducting this under the title of Concert head she has
access to you people directly, meaning I am sure she keeps you well informed
of others misconduct but silent about her own. Man, just look at he comment
page and you will see what I mean.
Rebuttal from Carbon Star
Desiree Petersen
and THIS is the truth!
HA HA HA HA HA HA! Before you decide to "write a book" about what you
THINK is the truth, I suggest you really try to find the truth. Now,
boys and girls, it is time for you all to get a GREAT laugh!!!
#1: Yes, I did infact book the competition. But I will have you know,
that I did NOT HAVE to have a physical battle. In fact , I didn't even
have to tell ANYONE about it! I could have simply entered my band and
got 100% votes, just like several other people at their colleges did.
BUT I chose NOT to. Instead I put the show on for the sake of other
bands to get a chance to play.
#2: AND not only did I book the competition, but yes, we are
currently ahead. Why? Because we have been playing together for FIVE
years! We have been gathering a follwing for MONTHS and MONTHS, 50% of
which have email addresses to vote for us.
#3: The Backseat Girls were NOT disqulified. it was LAST CALL! get
your facts streight! How did I know? Last Call sent out a mass email
admitting to their cheating in the contest, and being PROUD of it too.
I am on their mailing list. And I wasn't "happy". I was upset to find
that they had been cheating.
#4:Yes, I drew up the criteria for the judges ballots, taken from
previous battles I had seen. I took the criteria STREIGHT from other
ballots. Not only that, but EVERY single band in the competition was
given complete copies of the rules, AND the ballots weeks prior to the
show! SO EVERY BAND KNEW ALL THE RULES! We even had a meeting long
before the show in which ALL the bands were required to attend so that
all rules and criteria could be discussed.
#5:HA HA HA and here is where I am really laughing! You say that our
performance was something else. why thankyou. But dang, you sure as
heck havn't been to many of our shows if you think we looked better
than usual! ha ha ha. Wanna see some videos of the past 6 months where
we played in towns HOURS from Joplin? hmmmm, that IUMA show was one of
our WORST! We have been working with producers the past year. THEY
have helped transform our image and stage show into a marketable,
"ready to sell" package. Unfortunately, the last time YOU saw us play
was what, 1998? ha ha. 2 years can change a band a lot!! And for your
info, I didn't start dancing until 1999. Our producer told us we
needed to work on our stage show. so we did. ;)
#6: And as far as the juging went. I had NO idea who'd be judging. I
left that into the hands of the committe. Not FRIENDS! They were
supposed to pick carefully selected judges who did not know ANY of the
bands. The judges were to be NON bias, and ALL from different
backgrounds with different musical tastes and age groups.
Unfortunately, part of the committee selected a group of close dorm
buddies who all KNEW each other, (same taste in music) AND they KNEW
members of several of the bands. If that is not bias what is? on top
of that, these 4 judges were all so bias that they liked
hardcore/punkrock and nothing else. and THAT is why we recieved 3rd,
and the punk bands placed. Last Call KNEW the rules. Rule #10 stated
that ANY damage done to MSSC property or other bands/sound equipment
would result in disqualification. They should have thought about that
before roughing the stage up and smashing a hard guitar in the wooden
stage.
rules are rules.
#7: And here is another one to laugh at!! ha ha ha Since when did
Carbon Star get paid $800 to play at MSSC? I'd sure like to know,
cause I never saw the money. ha ha. And since when did we open for
"major bands?" ha ha hmmmm, lets see, we once opened for Howlin
mAggie, but are they major? I bet you havn't even heard of them!!! The
fact is, I have booked over 30 DIFFERENT bands at MSSC. ALL were paid!
Unless it was a contest, or fund raiser, like IUMA. And ALL recieved a
fair amount- We NEVER received more than ANY other band asking for a
guarantee. We make more money playing at BARS off of our merchandise
ALONE than we ever did playing at MSSC! ha ha, and that is pathetic!
#8: and yeah here at MSSC being concerts chairman is volunteer,
pathetic too cause every OTHER college PAYS their committee
executives. With the 10-20 hours I put in at MSSC of dedicated work a
week, I ought to get something out of it.
#9: HA HA and about the "fliers" NO I do not get them for free. Ask
Darleene Beeler in BSC room 102. I pay 5 cents for every copy I make
for things other than CAB activities. And I made up my OWN fliers for
the IUMA contest to pass out. Why would ANY idiot put another band's
name on fliers WE paid for? As for the IUMA posters, they are in the
CAB office and I told ALL the bands where they were available to come
get some for themselves. ONLY people from THREE of the bands out of 7
showed up and took some! Who's fault is it for not getting their own
word out? I left the posters OUT in the middle of the floor for any
one to feel free and take some!
#10: This is my FAV!!! ha ha ha those "GLOSSY" and very professional
looking photos I must say, ha ha, were taken by ME with my MOM's 30
year old manual Camera!!! And developed at Photogropher's Edge located
on N Rangeline behind Eureeka Pizza- I used a BLANKET for a back drop!
ha ha ha I am a Graphic Design Major- hence Carbon Star's great
marketing skills and professional packaging. To see more of my dandy
art work go to Spiva art building and look around. By the way, I am
for hire, ;) so if any of you other bands want PROFESSIONAL looking
pics, gimme a call and I'll do it for a FRACTION of the cost you'd pay
at ANY other studio! Those pics cost me only 17 cents a print!!!
#11: Hmmmm. and our recording time, it was paid for by CD sales, show
earnings, and merchandise sales. We are self sufficient. We even have
a liscence to buy and sell!!! How rare it is for a LOCAL band to
completely support itself from it's show and merchandise earnings.
Sounds like we actually learned a little at college.
#12: HA HA HA and just so you know, I am NOT going to delete this
email! I want everyone to see what an idiot you are. And if you really
want to know call Val at the RIGHT number!!! ha ha ha 417 625 9320
sheesh I don't know where you are getting your info, but it sure is
inventive.
by the way I will also send a copy of mine out too. ha ha
You would make a POOR investigator. Becasue ALL of your facts, are
fiction.
and you are the coward who will not sign a name. what kind of respect
will that earn you?
Carbon Star has been ridiculed by envious people long enough. You can
continue to spread rumors and post comments like the one you posted in
an attemp to ruin us, but the truth is you can not. Because we play by
the rules.
welcome to the music industry.
Get a an attorney. We did.
Desiree Petersen
PS I am not the ONLY person on the campus of MSSC to "take advantage"
of our OPEN resourses. Strange how the article in the Chart campus
paper following the battle was a DETAILED bio for Last Call- barely
even mentioning ANY of the other bands. hmmm, odly enough, TWO members
of that band are ALSO Chart Staff writters!
AND I recall seeing the same band record a CD at the MSSC TV studio.
Wake up! College is here as a resource for learners! USE it! That is
what college is for. Opportunity. And it knocks every second. Only
those smart enough to open the door actually gain anything from
college.
An angry email we received...source unknown...
Hello..well to let YOU know
#1 I have seen your band a few times..and you SUCKED each time...just
because you have been playing together for FIVE years doesn't mean
anything....Get your shit together and play something good. You being the
lead singer being semi-attractive doesn't mean that EVERYONE is going to
enjoy or even like your music. I cannnot stand your lyrics or vocals.
#2 Even if Last Call did rally people to come see the show DOES NOT mean
they cheated..you being upset is just a sympathy call to get more votes for
your sucky ass band.
#3 to SLANDER another local band that you will be PROBABLY be playing with
again in the future..heheheh HAVE FUN
#4 I think that you are just afraid that a newer band has more talent and
STAGE PRESENCE than yours and you are envious...
#5 DO NOT email me anything further of this bullshit I don't want to hear
it...Last Call should have won... Last Call has the presence and the
energy...and you are jealous... FACE IT
What's up? What is this thing with Carbon Star? Desiree sent me
her "sore losers" e-mail..she still has to compete with you
guys...she said something on her website about this competing, and
how fighting was childish, and we should grow up...YET, SHE'S STILL
COMPETING with you guys by writing e-mails...so, she should take her
own advice..me, i just like bitching..it gets me through life..ask
any of my friends...I guess Desiree is just pissed because you guys
would've won(if you weren't disqualified), and her band would've come
in 4th, knocking her out of the competition....did the judges even
know that the stage was damaged? did they go up there and look? i
don't think they did, but i could be wrong...i just remember Desiree
talking to the judges AFTER the voting, and you guys got
disqualified...hmm...why didn't she do it before the voting??? And,
she also said that the judges only liked hardcore punk, that's why
you came in first and she came in third (4th!)...um..most of the fans
don't consider you hardcore punk, we consider you Last Call...you
guys have your own style...you're Last Call...and Backseat Girls came
in second...they're not hardcore...they're more pop punk...they make
you wanna dance...Parasite Host actually came in first, and correct
me if i'm wrong, but uh, they're not punk...at all. If all the bands
act like this (Mtv stars!)that won the IUMA contest, and are going on
to compete, thank god you and Backseat Girls are out of the
running...if i were you guys, i wouldn't want to compete, let alone
put up with conceded Mtv wanna be rock stars. Anyways, just
remember, Last Call went out in style...and Backseat Girls Ain't
nothin' to fuck with!
Fuck Last Call. Carbon Star is not beating them they are kicking their
Rockstar asses.
VOTE BACKSEAT GIRLS
What a bunch of horse XXXX. Who could have been stuffing the ballot. (chuckle chuckle) Oh well, it's just the man bringing us down. Damn the man. Hail Bad tasTe
This is what I have to say to Desiree.
I don't really care about all this bull in this contest. I remember when you were in the Puke Daisies. I have watched your growth as a band throughout your "career". Last time I saw you was when you opened for us at the River Groove. You sucked really bad at that show. I think you should probably be less of a "rock star" and worry more about developing an original sound. You sound just like every other "alternative" band on MTV. But I guess that was probably what you were going for. And I read that novel of crap that you've posted all over the internet. You are an egotistical, no talent band of small proportion. So why don't you and your lawyer go shove it up your rotting asshole.
Duggus
Man, I couldn't agree with you more. Des is a power-hungry, conniving bitch who rigged up the Battle of the Bands. Last Call and Backseat Girls should've got higher ratings.
Jen Johnson
i dont know how you got my e-mail address, but shut the fuck up. Get a
fucking life, dont bother me again, and get a real band. Also learn to
spell: "streight" should be "straight". SLander this bitch.
Get a dictionary.I did.Jayro-j
hey since it seems that EVERYTIME i check my e-mal all i read (besides porno
ads tee-hee)is some shit about who cheated who and blah,blah,blah..this
person is shit,blah,blah,blah..ad-nausiem. i thought that admist all this
chaos this would be the most opertunistic (i cant spell) time to unveil my
latest,devious plot to have friends..um..i mean take over the
world(joplin((after all thats what it seems the whole world is:is
joplin,nothing else just joplin))m.o.)and tell you all about my evil plans
to get even w/my recent ex-girlfriend in the meanest possible way(besides
putting up all those pictures we took hahahah..um.nevermind)is
to..............make a comic book based upon her compleely leveling all my
self worth and how much of an evil,death,kinda meanie person ..um...demon
she is .its called from the day you are born.and it should be out by mid
june..so look for it or ill send a beercore band to your grandparents house
(through bribary w/a case or 2 of cook's..ehehehh) to do really funny but
kinda stupid stuff to you....
p.m.s. if you want to NOT be on this mailing thing then e-mail me an'i'll
take you off..........
A RANDOM LETTER FROM MC RICK BLUNT'D
hi this is olsri gujop ifeel the force is strong with this one
hey i met luke skywalker from 2live crew last week in miami. i walked up to
him on the street and said "hey luke you know how many hoes i fucked in the
ass listening to your music?" he laughed and i walked away.. oh yeah i spent
thursday night getting drunk with the beastie boys european producer paul
oakenfold here in st louis. i've had an interesting two weeks. its been nuts
hows your band??
The IUMA band pages...lots of things to read there...
an anonymous email received...
Anyone who would forward and spread such slander without first
contacting the source for defense is as immature as the next.
Desiree Petersen
read on if you want to hear it from "the source"
Random Emails from Fans and Friends
April
Vote for the REAL Beercore band who respect their musical equipment.