When Thomas Finch packed his gear and flew out to work as a drum tech for deathcore band Slaughter to Prevail, he didn’t expect his last tour with them to unravel so completely. But that’s exactly what he claims happened: posting a detailed, emotionally raw account of what went wrong behind the scenes.
Finch, who runs FDS Drum Services, shared on July 24 that he quit mid-tour, fed up with the lack of structure. He didn’t blame the band members directly; in fact, he called them “wonderful fun-loving humans.” His frustration centered on the crew management. According to Finch, there were no contracts. No payment timeline. No formal schedule. And no guarantee of food, transport, or even accommodation. “I bought meals for other crew out of my own pocket,” he said in his post, expressing disbelief at how things spiraled.
There was mention of chaos, from broken-down buses to last-minute hotel cancellations. Finch says more than $100,000 was wasted on stage props that couldn’t even be used, yet basic needs went ignored. He also claims a tour manager responded to his pay inquiry with a vulgar dismissal and labeled him “unprofessional” for simply asking for clarity.
Three days later, on July 27, the band responded publicly, firmly rejecting the claims. They said Finch had never raised any concerns during the tour and insisted he was paid promptly, though a delay occurred because of incorrect banking information. They suggested his statement might have been a move to bring attention to his own business.
They didn’t stop there. According to Slaughter to Prevail, they had already decided not to work with Finch again due to earlier performance concerns. A heated green room conversation between them had apparently sealed that decision. The band acknowledged issuing NDAs to some crew afterward, but insisted it was a standard step after a situation like this becomes public.
Finch, however, stood by his story. His tone wasn’t bitter so much as disappointed. He said he left the tour to avoid others going through the same. “People are burning out in silence,” he wrote, hinting that problems like this aren’t rare in the industry.
This situation sits in an uncomfortable gray zone. It’s not just about a paycheck, it’s about how people are treated when the lights go off and the stage clears. Who gets heard? Who doesn’t?
There’s no lawsuit yet, and maybe there never will be. But for many touring crew members reading Finch’s words, it’s hard not to relate. The life behind the scenes is messy, exhausting, and too often overlooked.