Ex-Greta Van Fleet manager reveals why band fired former drummer

Greta Van Fleet

Former Greta Van Fleet manager Michael Barbee gave details of how the band’s drummer Kyle Hauck left the band in 2013 when he was early in her career.

In an exclusive interview with Alternative Nation, the current agent of the group Lovely Sand Dunes revealed that Hauck had health problems (without specifying which ones) and that he was not compromised like the others.

He said:

“He (Hauck) had some health problems and there was a sudden drop in his ethics as a member of the band. He was the kind of guy who wanted to be paid to rehearse. He let us down. I had not found out until we were ready to do this show at a club and he said he had injured his knee, then someone came and told me: ‘I saw him walking normally at the football game last night.’

It was then that the manager went to look for Danny Wagner, current GVF drummer:

“I called Danny and he was in Detroit. When I got to the show, Danny and his parents were already waiting for me. He was a guitarist, so he had never really been a drummer. But he would replace Kyle on drums. After Danny played with the Kiszka brothers (Josh, Jake and Sam) that night, they were like, ‘Let’s announce it to him.’ We all drove to Danny and it was kind of ‘welcome to the group’. That’s it.”

No fights

“Barbee made it clear that Hauck’s dismissal occurred amicably. “There was no fight with Kyle other than the night he appeared and said he could not do the show. I know he must have some not-so-cool things to say about all of us. He never said anything directly to us. We wanted to leave things in the most peaceful state possible. And rock n ‘roll, man. I don’t want to know if your foot is falling, you have to go and introduce yourself. Nobody gets into that shit for free” he opined.

Finally, the former manager also talked about the composition process within Greta Van Fleet:

“They all participate, but I think Jake (guitarist) works the music more, and the lyrics are 100% composed by Josh (lead singer). All of them collaborate. That’s what makes it work. Each has its place in the band. You look at the stage and Jake and Josh just look at each other and they both know what the other is thinking. Besides, they’re twins. I like the way they do.”

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Rafael Polcaro: I'm a Brazilian journalist who always loved Classic Rock and Heavy Metal music. That passion inspired me to create Rock and Roll Garage over 6 years ago. Music has always been a part of my life, helping me through tough times and being a support to celebrate the good ones. When I became a journalist, I knew I wanted to write about my passions. After graduating in journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, I pursued a postgraduate degree in digital communication at the same institution. The studies and experience in the field helped me improve the website and always bring the best of classic rock to the world! MTB: 0021377/MG