Ex-SAIGON KICK Singer MATT KRAMER Blasts Former Bandmates Over Upcoming Anniversary Tour; JASON BIELER Fires Back

Former SAIGON KICK singer Matt Kramer has blasted guitarist/vocalist Jason Bieler and drummer Phil Varone for their recent announcement that they were planning to embark on a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the band’s third album, “Water”.

Released in September 1993, “Water” was the first SAIGON KICK album to feature Bieler on lead vocals, following the departure of Kramer earlier that year over what has been described as financial and creative issues. Joining Bieler during the LP’s recording sessions were Varone and bassist Chris McLernon.

On January 9, a day after Bieler and Varone announced their plans to hit the road in celebration of “Water”, Kramer took to his Facebook page to write: “My inbox is getting flooded congratulating me about the new SAIGON KICK tour. This tour is not including me, it’s the 30 year anniversary of Jason, funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars of my personal publishing money that was demanded I not touch into the band so he could squeeze me out of the band after I sang a top 12 pop hit launching the band’s gigantic hit. Then meticulously left me absolutely pennyless and confiscated all of my gear so I couldn’t even do writing sessions for a new project. Immediately following to go on to record the Water record, and steal my vocal style mimicking me trying to pass it off as if I never left the band with the vocal sound I created for SAIGON KICK. First he stole all of my money, then he stole my job, and the fact that he sings exactly like me is the ultimate robbery and a perfect example of why being a thief and absolute backstabbing maniac makes you win in the music business.”

He continued: “Zero respect for anyone on that tour. Definitely bitter but it’s more about the transparency. 30 years later, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Support the good ones, root out the evil.”

Earlier today (Friday, January 12),Bieler shared a carefully worded post on both the SAIGON KICK and his personal Facebook pages in which he didn’t mention Kramer by name but made it clear that there was no truth to the singer’s claims.

“Maybe it’s a new Marvel character called ‘SUPER VICTIM’ ™…I know we are all looking forward to that on the big screen,” Jason wrote. “I hear the plot is about a guy who, no matter what happens or is shown to them, regardless of any facts, accepts no responsibility for anything in their own life or career…and somehow, even though they claim to be the most talented person in the room…never actually achieve anything of note in 35 years. Even though they are ignored by nearly everyone, and no one with first-hand knowledge ever says anything publicly to back them up…does our hero stop? Hell to the no…you have to admire someone banging their head on a wall for 35 years…and blaming the wall. I’m hoping he’s played by Daniel Day Lewis…or Joaquin Phoenix…it will be their most challenging role…to show no action, no achievements, no accomplishments, not one single bit of forward momentum…just an ever-present pouty ‘pre-cry’ lower lip…I mean how do you emote nothingness and have it translate to the big screen?

“The climax? Maybe a scene where our protagonist is in therapy and the doctor says… ‘show me on the doll where the music industry hurt you.'”

He continued: “The darkest part of the movie is when our hero whips up a little online hate group with nothing to back it up, for people with no first-hand knowledge other than his verbal diarrhea. We enter a dark time where all it takes is one deranged person to put someone, or their friends or family at risk. Maybe we skip that part, I mean that’s how some of our heroes met an unfortunate end..and what sane person would put that energy into the universe?

“Maybe the movie ends with an anti-hero ‘The EVIL SCUMBAGINATOR™’ coming into the room and saying…if you have an issue a real man would deal directly with the people and attempt to correct it, failing that…you would seek legal remedies, Super Victim™…it’s time for you to put up or shut up. We have hundreds of pages of facts, first-hand witnesses, and everything corroborated…but because we are not pre-teens on TikTok…we have never released or posted it. Then with a sympathetic look, the SCUMBAGINATOR™ looks back and says, I hope you go on and do something truly great SUPER VICTIM ™, and I wish you well. Surely someone would want to work with somebody so brilliantly influential, blameless, and upstanding. End scene…and it suddenly becomes apparent that The SCUMBAGINATOR™, THE NOT BASS PLAYER™, AND THE ANGRY DRUMMER™…were the heroes all along. It’s like the Sixth Sense…but instead of dead people…our star has a complaint and would like to see the manager…like a male Karen or MK for short.”

Jason added: “Catch phrase for the SCUMBAGINATOR™: ‘you have mistaken 35 years of my silence for weakness…when all along it has been simply pity.’ Catch phrase for SUPER VICTIM™: ‘I’ll never be back’ said in an Arnold like accent.”

When one fan wrote in the comments section below Bieler‘s post that “airing dirty laundry makes y’all seem petty”, Jason responded: “couldn’t agree more, but 35 years of being attacked with no response seems pretty restrained to me, no?” The same fan went on to say that “this retort makes it look defensive. All you have to do is let him twist in the wind or say no comment”, to which Bieler replied: “you can only take the high road for so long, his posts have been vile and straight up lies…I appreciate and live by the high road…but at some point you need to defend yourself.”

SAIGON KICK is perhaps best remembered for its second album, 1992’s “The Lizard”, which spawned the band’s biggest hit single, “Love Is On The Way”. The track reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and its accompanying video was in the top 10 MTV countdown for many weeks. Just before touring for the LP commenced, bassist Tom Defile was fired and was replaced by ex-COLD SWEAT bassist Chris McLernon. They toured from summer 1992 to spring 1993 and “The Lizard” was eventually certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies.

SAIGON KICK‘s original lineup — Kramer, Varone, Bieler and Defile — reunited in 2012 for live performances but did not record any new music.