The bassist of CKY, Mike Leon, has quit the band less than a year after joining, citing “constant challenge[s]” due to frontman Chad I Ginsburg’s “unprofessionalism and lack of accountability”.
In a statement shared to Instagram, Leon confirmed he would not be participating in any upcoming shows, detailing the circumstances that led to his exit. He wrote that growing up, he was a huge fan of the band and getting the opportunity to play with them was a “dream come true”, adding that “it was fun… until it wasn’t”.
He continued: “For full transparency, I will not be participating in the band’s upcoming shows. As unfortunate as this is, given the circumstances, I believe this was the right move to make. The differences regarding logistics and business decisions, primarily driven by the actions of the band’s leader, created internal issues that made an already stressful environment increasingly difficult to work in.
“This unprofessionalism and lack of accountability was known well before I joined, and persisted throughout my time with the band, making day-to-day operations a constant challenge. The love I had for the band blinded me to the red flags my peers and the band’s previous history had warned me about, especially surrounding the frontman, yet I chose to believe things would be different.
“In all of my years of working in this industry, I have never experienced this level of toxicity from an individual, and it stings extra having been perpetrated by the very band that first inspired me to start my career as a musician.
“Music should be a source of joy, but the environment became a source of stress that ultimately outweighed the positive aspects of being part of the band I grew up loving,” he wrote.
Leon thanked fans for their “unconditional support” and said he will continue to make music.
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Per Stereogum, Ginsburg responded to Leon’s post via Instagram Stories, claiming that the bassist was actually fired for hating dogs and wanting more money.
He wrote: “I don’t know what Mike Leon is talking about in his post. However, I do know the facts and the facts are, Mike, and you know them too, is that we fired you last night because you hate dogs and you didn’t want to tour with the dogs and you wanted more money and you weren’t happy with anything ever.
“So unfortunately it’s not working out, Mike. But what you wrote is fucking crazy, dude. Like, prove any of that fucking shit.”
The news comes less a month after CKY toured Australia with their first headline shows in over a decade. “It’s almost embarrassing how long it’s taken us to get back there,” drummer and co-founder Jess Margera told Tone Deaf last month.
Founded in 1998 by Margera, Ginsburg, and former vocalist Deron Miller, CKY (an acronym for Camp Kill Yourself) became the sonic backbone of the CKY video series and, subsequently, Jackass. Following the departure of Miller in 2011, Ginsburg stepped up to the microphone, handling both guitar and vocal duties.
While the band’s name and association with the Margera family’s brand of mayhem often grabbed the headlines, the music – a unique blend of stoner rock, punk, and experimental electronics – earned them a cult following that has remained fiercely loyal.
