A rock legend accuses a younger band of sabotage after a bad performance went viral on social media.

Journey founder Neal Schon is speaking out in support of his bandmate Arnel Pineda on social media after some fans criticized Pineda’s vocals on “Don’t Stop Believin'” at Rock in Rio last week. Pineda said he was “devastated” and offered to leave the band if enough Facebook comments told him to “go,” though most appeared to be in support of the singer.

Schon claimed in his own Facebook posts that Avenged Sevenfold was responsible for Journey’s set difficulties.

“All this utter garbage, made-up nonsense – about (Arnel). Does it look like nobody was having fun? I ask you. All made-up, bought blogs, nonsense -,” wrote the 70-year-old guitarist with a video clip of the Brazil concert. “Arnel, don’t listen to these blogs. They’re all bought. You let it rip!”

Avenged Sevenfold, a Grammy-nominated metal band that released its first album in 2001, headlined the night Journey performed at the Rio de Janeiro event, meaning A7X provided Journey’s sound at the music festival, according to Schon.

“We found out much later that we were extremely restricted by Avenged Sevenfold,” Schon wrote on Facebook. “This means that hardly any sound from the PA reaches the audience. This is nonsense.”

“Look at the audience,” he added. “They loved it. The rest is made up crap.”

According to Loudwire, one user asked if Journey’s sound engineer could have fixed the problem, and Schon said no, while another fan said, “Sound engineering (can) be locked and password protected.” When asked why A7X and not Journey was the headliner, Schon blamed “politics.”

Avenged Sevenfold has not responded to Schon’s comments. Some Facebook users pointed out that Evanescence performed between Journey and A7X, but the 2000s rock band did not appear to have similar sound issues in Rio.

Journey, known for hits such as “Open Arms,” ​​”Separate Ways,” “Faithfully” and “Any Way You Want It,” recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band was formed in 1973 with former Santana guitarist and singer Neal Schon, Journey’s only consistent original member, and Syracuse native George Tickner.

Journey became one of the biggest acts of the 1970s and 1980s thanks to the powerful vocals of Steve Perry, who performed with the group from 1977 to 1987 and from 1995 to 1998. Pineda became the band’s lead singer in 2007 after Schon saw YouTube videos of Pineda’s performances and invited him to sing with Journey.

Journey has canceled upcoming concerts in the UK, according to NME, but it’s unclear if the canceled shows are related to the criticism of Pineda. The band has also been embroiled in a legal dispute between Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain over “tour-related expenses,” including “budgeting and expenses.”