Nickelback’s former management company, Amar Management, filed a breach of contract suit against the band in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Canada. The suit, filed on January 25, contends that Nickelback wrongfully terminated the contract and has failed to pay the management company commissions, disbursements, and various other fees as a result of services rendered.
The band allegedly signed a contract with Amar Management in 1996 and worked with the company through two independent albums and its first Roadrunner Records release, The State. The label contends it was responsible for the development of Nickelback’s career and played a fundamental role in the band’s discovery and recent success.
President for Amar Management Terry Cuddeford revealed they’ve been trying to get the dispute resolved since the band left the management team in 1999. “Originally we were trying to make a settlement with the group, and their lawyer strung us along for quite a while,” he said. “And it’s also expensive to go to Supreme Court so we had to get our financing together and pursue the matter as well. The actual writ that has been filed contends that the relationship never really did end, that our contract is still valid, which is a point that we still believe in.”
“We’ve been pursuing it all the way along. We had hoped the group would have been reasonable with their actions and they haven’t been, so it comes to the point where lawyers get involved and writs get filed.”
He added that the management was instrumental with the two indie albums, a distribution deal with Shoreline Records, getting the band a booking agent, the roll-out of The State, and the full development of the band’s career. He expects that the matter will go to court. A date has not been set at press time.
Nickelback or the band’s current representatives couldn’t be reached for comment at press time.
