The New Orleans bureau has alerted me to a new lawsuit against the rock band Tool, filed in federal court in Louisiana.  Tool, whose music is described as "heavy metal," "alternative metal," "art rock," "art metal," "progressive rock," "progressive metal," "post-metal," and "genre-transgressing" in their extremely detailed Wikipedia article, was founded in 1990 and remains active today.  The band is also known for its creativity and elaborate stage shows and even packaging (Tool’s album 10,000 Days won the 2006 Grammy for "Best Recording Package").

Turns out, all this time Tool has been exploiting Jason Crowley from Shreveport.

Crowley sued the band (named in the suit only as "Tool") on September 5, alleging that Tool had used him "to base their music on."  Crowley alleges that Tool uses his name in their music and has used his "likeness in video on screens on stage in live performances."  (Maybe this is the guy in the video for "Sober.")

More troubling is the allegation that Tool "managed to get into my apartment and place a ring, that you would wear on your hand, inside."  Crowley claims to have recently found a picture of said ring in a CD booklet insert.  He does not explain what Tool’s motive might have been for breaking into his apartment and planting a ring (the hand kind) inside.  According to the complaint, Crowley has been trying to get the Shreveport Police Department interested in Tool (or at least the ring story) since 2003, but they accepted his report only in May of this year.

Crowley demands ten million dollars for "invasion of privacy, the use of my name, the images, and the trespassing."

Link:  Crowley v. Tool, Case No. 5:07cv1475 (W.D. La. filed Sept. 5, 2007) (PDF).
Link:  Justia Docket Search