<!-- This article is not "substantially identical" to the version that was deleted in March 2018. Please do not request speedy deletion under CSD G4 --> {{short description|American rock band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Threatin | image = Jered Threatin on tour 2015.png | caption = Jered Threatin in 2015 | alias = | origin = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | genre = {{flatlist| * Heavy metal<ref>{{cite news|last=Ward|first=Victoria|title=California metal band played to audience of four after faking army of fans to secure UK headline tour|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/12/california-metal-band-faked-army-fans-record-label-secure-uk/|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref> * glam metal<ref>{{cite web |last1=FARABEGOLI |first1=FRANCESCO |title=The most important pop group of our age |url=https://www.esquire.com/it/cultura/musica/a25218478/threatin-biglietti-concerti-truffa/ |website=Esquire |date=November 19, 2018 |accessdate=November 28, 2018}}</ref> * hard rock<ref>{{cite news|last1=Shoemaker |first1=Whitney|title=Rock Band Threatin Created Fake Fanbase to Book a Tour No One Attended: We Can't Make This Up...|url=https://www.altpress.com/news/fake-band-threatin-european-tour-nobody-attended/|website=Alternative Press|accessdate=November 14, 2018}}</ref> }} | years_active = 2012–present | label = | associated_acts = Abigail Williams, Saetith | website = {{url|threatin.com}} | current_members = * Jered Threatin }}
'''Threatin''' is an American rock band from Los Angeles. A solo project of '''Jered Eames''' under the stage name '''Jered Threatin''',<ref name="BBC-interview"/> the band gained notoriety in November 2018 for a European tour in which it played to mostly empty venues. Threatin has been labelled a "fake band" by the music press and described as a vanity project of its founder.<ref>{{cite news|last=Munro |first=Scott|title=The strange case of Threatin: The 'fake band' that tricked the music industry|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/the-strange-case-of-threatin-the-fake-band-that-tricked-the-music-industry |work=Louder|date=November 12, 2018|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |last=Belam |first=Martin|title=Threatin: band creates fake fanbase for tour attended by no one|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/12/threatin-band-fake-fanbase-tour|work=The Guardian|date=November 12, 2018|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Sheils McNamee|first=Michael|date=November 11, 2018|title=Performance by 'fake band' at Belfast Empire cancelled last minute|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/performance-by-fake-band-at-belfast-empire-cancelled-last-minute-37516383.html|work=Belfast Telegraph|access-date=November 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Jonah Engel|last=Bromwich|date=November 16, 2018|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/style/threatin-fake-band-tour.html|title=The Story of Threatin, a Most Puzzling Hoax Even for 2018 |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/jered_threatin|title=Jered Threatin|website=BBC News}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' also referred to Threatin as a "great heavy metal hoax".<ref name="Kushner">{{cite magazine |last1=Kushner |first1=David |title=The Great Heavy Metal Hoax |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/threatin-metal-tour-fake-ticket-sales-hoax-767580/ |access-date=10 December 2020 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>
==History==
===2012–2017: Formation=== Jered Eames was born in Moberly, Missouri.<ref name="Metal Injection" /> He formed the black metal band Saetith there with his older brother Scott. The band eventually imploded due to the clash of personality between the brothers; Scott Eames would eventually go on to play with Nile and Vital Remains.
Following the break up of Saetith and a brief period with Abigail Williams,<ref name="Metal Injection" /> he moved to California in 2012 and began the band Threatin as a solo project, for which he adopted the name Jered Threatin. In 2015, Threatin released a single, "Living Is Dying". In 2017, the album ''Breaking the World'' was released, with Jered Threatin performing all instruments.<!--according to Jered Threatin - see talk--><ref name="BBC-interview"/>
===2018: Tour incidents===
In November 2018, Threatin embarked on a United Kingdom tour, but the shows had sparse audiences, with venues claiming they've been told that hundreds of tickets had been purchased.<ref name="BBC failed">{{cite news|last1=Baggs|first1=Michael|last2=Blake|first2=Jimmy |title=The band who faked a fanbase and failed |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-46179210|work=BBC News|accessdate=November 13, 2018|date=November 12, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="NME">{{cite news |last=Connick|first=Tom|title='Fake band' Threatin just played a UK tour to… pretty much no-one|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/fake-band-threatin-just-played-sold-uk-tour-absolutely-no-one-2400572|accessdate=November 13, 2018|work=NME|date=November 9, 2018}}</ref><ref name="metalsucks">{{cite web|author=Vince Neilstein|url=http://www.metalsucks.net/2018/11/09/l-a-band-threatin-faked-a-fanbase-to-land-a-european-tour-no-one-attended/|title=L.A. Band Threatin Faked a Fanbase To Land a European Tour No One Attended|publisher=MetalSucks|date=November 9, 2018}}</ref> The Camden Underworld in London had been told that 291 advance tickets had been sold, but only three people attended;<ref name="BBC ni">{{cite news|title='Fake fanbase' band to play Belfast gig|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-46161994|work=BBC News|date=November 10, 2018|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref> similarly, 180 tickets had supposedly been sold for the Exchange in Bristol but the band played to an "empty room".<ref name="BBC cancels">{{cite news|title='Fake fanbase' band cancels Belfast gig|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-46173152|work=BBC News|date=November 11, 2018|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife/exchange-threatin-fake-gig-event-2220186|title=People out of pocket after 'fake' fanbase gig attended by NO-ONE|first=Robin|last=Murray|date=November 14, 2018|website=bristolpost}}</ref>
MetalSucks identified Threatin as Eames and identified fake record labels, booking companies, and management companies were registered to the same GoDaddy account, as well as 38,000 of the band's Facebook likes that had been purchased.<ref name="Guardian" /> Threatin's backing guitarist Joe Prunera and drummer Dane Davis left the band midway through the tour.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilson |first=Shaun D.|title=US metal band Threatin fakes popularity, heads out on European tour|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/108550900/us-metal-band-threatin-fakes-popularity-heads-out-on-european-tour|work=Stuff|date=November 12, 2018|accessdate=November 13, 2018}}</ref>
Threatin claimed the incident was an elaborate hoax he had orchestrated, but his brother publicly disavowed the statement.<ref>{{cite news |last=McGuire |first=Patrick |date=November 14, 2018 |title=Did Threatin's Ridiculous European Tour Stunt Actually Work? |url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/threatin-european-tour-stunt-fake-ticket-sales-1203029145/ |access-date=November 25, 2018 |work=Variety}}</ref><ref name="mi">{{cite news |last=Pasbani |first=Robert |date=November 14, 2018 |title=Jered Threatin's Brother, Scott Eames, Distances Himself From Brother, Says They Haven't Spoken Since 2012 |url=http://www.metalinjection.net/shocking-revelations/jared-threatins-brother-scott-eames-distances-himself-from-brother-says-they-havent-spoken-since-2012 |work=Metal Injection |access-date=November 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Munro |first=Scott |date=November 14, 2018 |title=Jered Threatin: I turned an empty room into an international headline |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/jered-threatin-i-turned-an-empty-room-into-an-international-headline |work=Louder |access-date=November 25, 2018}}</ref> Threatin claimed to have sent emails to reporters on the first day of the tour to build the controversy. This claim was later proven false by the BBC, who found the emails in question were sent after the failure of the tour.<ref name="BBC-interview">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/jered_threatin |title=Jered Threatin |work=BBC News}}</ref>
In May 2019, it was revealed that Joe Prunera, Dane Davis, and Davis's mother Debra had all sued Eames and his business partner for costs accrued during the UK tour. Neither defendant attended the hearings, as Prunera was awarded $10,000 plus $250 in court fees, Dane Davis was awarded $3,975.29, and Debra Davis was awarded $4,035.66.<ref>[http://www.metalsucks.net/2019/05/10/jered-threatins-former-band-members-filed-lawsuits-against-him-and-won/ Jered Threatin’s Former Band Members Filed Lawsuits Against Him and Won] MetalSucks. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.</ref> Notices sent to Eames regarding the judgement were returned to the court, and the court had reportedly been unable to contact him.{{cn|date=September 2019}}
===2019: Return to live performances===
thumb|Threatin (left) in 2019 Jered Threatin returned to play the Camden Underworld in London on November 1, 2019.<ref>[https://www.theunderworldcamden.co.uk/event/threatin-1st-nov-the-underworld-london-tickets/ Threatin], underworldcamden.co.uk</ref> Prior to the event, manager Jon Vyner stated: "We'll probably promote it in-house. Last time there was no one to promote him—because he had no fans at the time. Now he does."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/wtf/jered_threatin_to_perform_at_one_of_the_venues_he_scammed_real_audience_expected_to_appear.html|title=Jered Threatin to Perform at One of the Venues He Scammed, Real Audience Expected to Appear {{!}} Music News @ Ultimate-Guitar.com|work=Ultimate Guitar}}</ref> Threatin's return show to the Camden Underworld featured robotic mannequins dressed in T-shirts with "Fake Band" printed on them. Threatin regularly handed his microphone to one of the mannequins to "sing" his lyrics on a backing track. Other stage spectacles included Threatin pretending to be fellated by a blow-up doll wearing a BBC News T-shirt, before ending the show by smashing his guitar. A maximum of 60 people were reported to have attended, with a significant number leaving before the end of the 45-minute show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/fake-band-threatin-return-london-camden-review-2563926|title=Remember that fake band Threatin? They returned to London last night and it was as weird as you could imagine|work=NME|last=Mylrea|first=Hannah|date=November 2, 2019|accessdate=November 3, 2019}}</ref>
===2019–2025: Hiatus, new album and alleged life-threatening illness=== Between late 2019 and early 2025, Threatin made no updates, interviews or live appearances.<ref name=":0" />
In 2025, Threatin announced a new single, ''Die Young'', along with the revelation that he suffered a number of heart attacks, and underwent emergency open-heart surgery, as a result of his pulmonary arteriovenous malformation. Public reaction was mixed with many not believing him and suggesting it may just be another faked PR stunt similar to the 2018 tour incident.<ref name=":0" />
According to Threatin's website; his second studio album has been mastered at Abbey Road Studios and is expected to be released alongside a full length documentary about the band.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Lewry |first=Fraser |date=January 31, 2025 |title=Threatin, the 'fake' band who played to no one and went viral, are back |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/threatin-die-young |access-date=January 13, 2026 |website=Louder}}</ref>
==Members== '''Current members''' *Jered Threatin – all vocals and instruments<ref name="Metal Injection">{{cite news|last1=Pasbani|first1=Robert|title=Jered Threatin's Actual Identity Uncovered|date=November 14, 2018|url=http://www.metalinjection.net/latest-news/bummer-alert/jered-threatins-actual-identity-uncovered|work=Metal Injection|accessdate=November 25, 2018}}</ref> <small>(2012–present)</small>
'''Former touring musicians''' *Gavin Carney – bass guitar <small>(2018)</small> *Joe Prunera – guitar <small>(2018)</small> *Dane Davis – drums<ref>{{cite news |last=Everley |first=Dave |title=Threatin interview: inside the year's most talked-about tour |date=November 13, 2018|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/threatin-interview-inside-the-years-most-talked-about-tour |work=Louder Sound |accessdate=November 25, 2018}}</ref> <small>(2018)</small>
==Discography== * ''Breaking the World'' (2017)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official website}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Musical groups established in 2012 Category:2012 establishments in California Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles Category:Glam metal musical groups from California Category:Hoaxes in the United States Category:Hoaxes in the United Kingdom Category:One-man bands Category:Musical hoaxes