Riley Gale’s father speaks out after criticising Power Trip reunion

The father of Power Trip‘s late frontman, Riley Gale, has spoken out after criticising the band’s reunion.

Power Trip treated fans on Friday, December 1, with a surprise gig in Austin, Texas. It was the first performance from the thrash metal band since the unexpected death of frontman Riley Gale in 2020. The show featured five Power Trip songs by the surviving band members along with Scourge/Fugitive vocalist Seth Gilmore.

Aged 34, Gale was later confirmed to have died from fentanyl. My Chemical Romance and Trivium are among the bands who have paid tribute to Gale in the wake of his passing.

In a statement originally released by Gale’s father Brandon, he wrote that neither the Riley Gale Foundation or Gale’s family were approached about the reunion or invited to the surprise show.

The statement read (per Lambgoat):”The Riley Gale Memorial Foundation & Gale family are aware of the event that took place at Mohawk in Austin, TX on December 1*, 2023. It caught us entirely by surprise.At no point in the planning or lead up to that moment was anyone in the Gale family consulted, or even invited. We were not asked our thoughts or feelings about it taking place.”

Gale’s family was met with backlash on social media by fans, who some claimed that they were seeking financial gain despite the charitable mission of the foundation after filing a lawsuit against members of Power Trip in 2021 to gain some control over decisions pertaining to the band.

Brandon took to Facebook to address his original statement in efforts to clear any confusion that was created.

“The Gale family posted a message on December 2nd and we were saddened to hear that many fans interpreted our original message as some attempt to grab money, which is absolutely not the case,” began the post. “The wishes communicated were simply the ones Riley had shared with his friends and family given the state of the world in 2020, prior to his death. They were never demands. Please take a moment and allow us to correct any confusion we created.”

It continued: “1. The loss of our son, brother and friend Riley is something we will never recover from. 2. The Riley Gale Memorial Foundation (RGF) was established after Riley died by Riley’s family and a handful of his friends and POWER TRIP fans. The mission of the foundation is to continue the legacy Riley created by raising money for the social causes that were important to Riley and his fans. 3. The Riley Gale Memorial Foundation is an IRS approved 501 c 3 non-profit legal charity and any funds raised must be handled by the laws governing non-profits.

“4. 100% of the net funds raised for the foundation are distributed to the causes that Riley supported. 5. The RGF has no employees, no paid executives and only distributes funds to charitable causes. It operates completely by the kindness and dedication of volunteers. 6. Riley’s surviving siblings and his parents agreed that all royalties and income due to Riley’s estate go into the foundation. 7. The Gales have not taken a single dollar nor benefited in any way financially from Riley’s estate and in fact the Gale family has used its own resources to fund the establishment of the foundation and all expenses for the fundraising events.”

It added: “8. To date, the foundation has made significant contributions to Dallas Hope Charities (over $100,000 in direct contributions and donations from RGF) and Dog Ranch Rescue. 9. The RGF established The Riley Gale Band Tour Grant to help up and coming hardcore/metal artists to cover touring expenses. The first recipient of the band grant was Frozen Soul, who also headlined the foundation’s fundraiser, Riley and Friends Vol. 2 in August of ’22. 10. The RGF will continue to support Dallas Hope Charities, animal rescue and re-homing organizations, The Riley Gale Band Tour Grant, and mental health & wellness support organizations going forward.”

The statement ended with: “We also would like to specifically appreciate and thank Seth Gilmore. He really put his all into that performance. Our only mission is to embrace the incredible legacy of caring for and comforting those who are marginalized, discarded, or simply forgotten by society. Those of you who truly knew Riley know this was and is his legacy. We are grateful that Riley’s passion for the hardcore community and his work growing POWER TRIP to one of the best bands in the world will help fund Riley’s wishes for decades to come.

“Our only mission is to embrace the incredible legacy of caring for and comforting those who are marginalized, discarded, or simply forgotten by society. Those of you who truly knew Riley know this was and is his legacy. We are grateful that Riley’s passion for the hardcore community and his work growing POWER TRIP to one of the best bands in the world will help fund Riley’s wishes for decades to come. Respectfully, Brandon Gale on behalf of the Gale family and The Riley Gale Memorial Foundation.”

In other news, Gale was honored as the namesake of a new library at the Dallas Hope Center in 2020, the city’s one shelter for LGBTQ+ youth. The Riley Gale Foundation was also launched in honour of the frontman, which supports LGBTQ+ organisations, animal rescues and mental health initiatives.

My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way also spoke of his admiration for the late Gale at the band’s Milton Keynes show last year.