Velvet Revolver parts ways with singer; Scott Weiland responds
It wasn't all that long ago that Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum was praising Scott Weiland for taking the initiative to check himself into rehab, but little more than a month later, the band has announced that they are officially parting ways with the singer. "This band is all about its fans and its music and Scott Weiland isn't 100 percent committed to either," said Slash in an announcement made on Tuesday. "Among other things, his increasingly erratic on-stage behavior and personal problems have forced us to move on."
In a statement released to EW.com, Weiland responds by saying: "The truth of the matter is that the band had not gotten along on multiple levels for some time.... I choose to look forward to the future and performing with a group of friends I have known my entire life, people who have always had my back. This also speaks to my commitment to my music and my fellow band mates in [Stone Temple Pilots] and to the fans who I feel would much rather watch a group of musicians who enjoy being together as opposed to a handful of discontents who at one time used to call themselves a gang." (The entire statement available after the jump.)
So what happened?
Reports point to a show in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 20, where Weiland declared that the current tour, which ended last night in the Netherlands (Weiland did perform, according to a band rep), would be Velvet Revolver's last. What transpired next was a lot of bickering between band members, some of it public, and one angry, accusatory statement from Weiland to blabbermouth.net, denouncing the drama but promising to fulfill his frontman duties until the bitter end. "Ego and jealousy can get the better of anyone," Weiland wrote. "I wish the best and plan to annihilate the stage in the last few shows."
Of course, Weiland's upcoming reunion tour with Stone Temple Pilots, the band that made him a household name, may also play a role in the split. One insider claims that Slash is "pissed at all the media attention" STP is getting, while Velvet Revolver's latest record, Libertad, despite charting at Number 5 back in July 2007, has only seen modest sales (287,301 to date, compared to the band's 2004 debut which has moved almost two million copies).
As EW.com first reported, Stone Temple Pilots' are scheduled to kick off their first tour in six years on May 17 at Columbus, Ohio's Rock on the Range festival. On April 7, the band will announce their full summer itinerary at a private event held in Hollywood's Houdini house, where they're also expected to perform.
SCOTT WEILAND STATEMENT:
After reading the comment by Duff, Matt, Dave and the illustrious "GUITAR HERO," Saul Hudson, a.k.a Slash, I find it humorous that the so called four "founding members" of Velvet Revolver, better known to themselves as "the Project" before I officially named the band, would decide to move on without me after I had already claimed the group dead in the water on March 20 in Glasgow. In response to Slash's comment regarding my commitment, I have to say it is a blatant and tired excuse to cover up the truth. The truth of the matter is that the band had not gotten along on multiple levels for some time. On a musical level, there were moments of joy, inspiration, fun... at times, but let's not forget the multiple trips to rehab every member of the band had taken (with the exception of one member, no need to mention his name). Personally speaking, I choose to look forward to the future and performing with a group of friends I have known my entire life, people who have always had my back. This also speaks to my commitment to my music and my fellow band mates in STP and to the fans who I feel would much rather watch a group of musicians who enjoy being together as opposed to a handful of discontents who at one time used to call themselves a gang.
p.s. don't be fooled by veiled trickery
p.p.s good hunting lads, I think Sebastian Bach would be a fantastic choice.
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