SHAM 69: 'PURSEY SHORT-CHANGED US'

LATEST: The remaining members of punk rockers SHAM 69 sacked frontman JIMMY PURSEY last week (ends28JAN06) because he owed them money from a series of concerts. It was originally reported that Pursey was dismissed because of his lack of desire to play live, however guitarist DAVE PARSONS insists the split came because the band weren't being paid properly by the singer after recent shows in London. He explains, "The end came in the dressing room after our gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, after Jimmy informed the band he was only paying us a tiny proportion of the gig money. "To make matters worse he told us that he was paying us none of the GBP6,000 ($11,800) gig money from our previous (Hammersmith) Palais gig - interesting considering he claims not to be interested in the money. "I would have liked nothing more than to have sat down with Jimmy and talked this over like adults, which I tried to do at the (Shepherd's Bush) Empire gig, but unfortunately as soon as he hears something he doesn't like, he starts screaming and shouting."