The battle began at the K-Rock Dysfunctional Family Picnic on June 23rd. After Godsmack has completed their set, Limp Bizkit was slated to perform next. Fred Durst refused to take the stage until the sun had gone down. After holding the show up for an hour, Limp Bizkit was forced to take the stage after Ozzy Osbourne's wife/manager Sharon threatened to pull her husband from the festival if the show didn't move forward. 

An irate Durst took the stage and blasted Creed, the show headliner, several times during their performance. Durst told the crowd that Scott Stapp was acting like a prima donna backstage and then called the Creed vocalist a "punk". At the conclusion of their set, Durst continued his Creed verbal lashing by telling the crowd "Maybe you can find a pillow and blanket stand for when Creed comes on."

Since that show the two bands have been issuing public statements blasting one another. Scott Stapp went as far as to challenge Durst to a boxing match. Now Creed is taking the Limp Bizkit singer to task for a message he left on the answer machine of Taproot's singer Steve Richards. 

According to Allstar News, angry at Taproot for not signing a deal with Durst and Interscope Records, Durst told Richards' answering machine the following: "Hey man, you f***ed up. You don't ever bite the hand that feeds in the business, bro ... Took you under my  wing, brought you to my house ... and you embarrassed like me the Interscope family ... Your manager slings our name around, he's going to be blackballed and probably erased and you will, too ... All  the luck, brother, f*** ya."

Here is the latest statement from Creed in this ongoing drama: 

Until now, Creed hasn�t felt the need to defend itself against Fred Durst�s numerous on-air tirades, believing that his ongoing string of unsolicited negative opinions would eventually ruin any credibility that his band�s great music and hard work had earned him.

Having heard his recent comments about Taproot and their manager, after they refused to sign to his Flawless/Interscope label, we feel that Fred has worn out his welcome as an artist spokesperson for our industry.  Fred�s vulgar comments and violent threats are totally indicative of a mobster mentality that this industry has tried to rid itself of in recent years. If Fred wants to represent our industry as a major label senior vice president, then he should consider actually reading the anger management book that we sent to him or just return to being an artist that lets his music Speak for itself.

As for Scott Stapp�s challenging Fred Durst to a boxing match, that challenge still stands. Our only request is that it be a paid event with the proceeds being donated to charity. It is our intention to take this negative �he said, she said� situation and turn it into a positive one.

Creed