The members of Cheap Trick have fired back against a lawsuit that was recently filed by their exiled drummer, Bun E. Carlos.

Carlos, a founding member of the band who's been out of the touring lineup since 2010 but was -- until recently -- still believed to technically be part of Cheap Trick, is taking the group to court for "among other things, refusing to allow Carlos to participate in any of the activities of the band (including the recording of a new studio album), entering into numerous contracts on behalf of the Cheap Trick Companies without Carlos’s consent and otherwise preventing Carlos from participating in the management and operations of the Cheap Trick Companies."

According to the defendants, however, Carlos is out of line. Classic Rock Magazine reports that the other three members of the band -- singer Robin Zander, guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson -- have countersued Carlos, alleging that he "was removed as a director of Cheap Trick Unlimited, Inc. and two other corporations in a valid manner."

As Classic Rock Magazine's report notes, this is all a bit confusing, given that Cheap Trick's only public statement until now has been the 2010 announcement stating that "Bun E. Carlos is not currently the touring drummer for Cheap Trick. Bun E. remains a band member. Everyone is healthy and Cheap Trick will continue to tour as planned."

No matter who's at fault, Cheap Trick will be spending a lot of money on legal fees in the near future. Carlos' lawsuit was filed in tandem with one from the band's former manager, who's claiming he's owed a large sum in unpaid debts and fees, and the group is also suing the Ottawa Bluesfest for damages stemming from the stage collapse that occurred during their set at the 2011 festival.

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