MP has a long history of sticking his foot in his mouth. This isn't the first time, and it isn't the last. What surprises me is that after all these years of doing it, and knowing he does it, and I assume then regretting it to a degree afterward, why he continues. I mean, let's not kid ourselves -- for example, he lost the A7X gig not because the band wanted someone else, or because MP himself was "too busy," but because of his big mouth. He knows it, everyone knows it. He can spin it anyway he wants it, and A7X (who seems very good at handling publicity) quite nicely sidestepped the issue, but the reality is, MP likely had that gig in the can after doing a record and touring, and he just killed it because of his mouth.
But whether someone buys that or not, it is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is -- MP needs to use a professional to vet what he says online. Not all the time, but when he has something big he is working on, he really needs to use a filter he can trust to do the right thing. Because clearly, there is an issue.
I applaud MP for wanting to be connected directly with fans of his work. That says something really good about a famous musician who makes it a point to have that connection. But we're all flawed, and MP's flaws are magnified because he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. And I don't say any of this out of hate of MP. I'm very excited for his new project. But the way he's treating fans (threatening to ban them, etc.) is just more of the same BS. He should know better by now.
Here's hoping this blows over, and everyone maintains excitement over his new band.