Sanctuary Artist Management announced today that “Velvet Revolver founding members Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner … are parting ways with singer Scott Weiland.”
“This band is all about its fans and its music, and Scott Weiland isn’t 100% committed to either,” said Slash. “Among other things, his increasingly erratic on-stage behavior and personal problems have forced us to move on.”
A spokesperson from Sanctuary Management says the band has no comment at this time.
We know what you’re thinking: This is an April Fool’s joke designed to prey on our worst fears. But there’s no joke here, unless you’re counting the band itself, though that appears to have been started in all seriousness.
As far as plans, Weiland will be joining his old Stone Temple Pilot pals for a few reunion shows this summer. And Velvet Revolver will likely soldier on with plans to drop its third album.
All I’ve got to say is that no one in this fine mess has written a song as cool as “Mr. Brownstone.” Well, at least not since Slash actually wrote “Mr. Brownstone.” VR and STP, race to see who can write the next fresh junkie jam. That doesn’t mean you have to use drugs to make it! No one wants that. But please, you can do better than this.
–Margaret Wappler
UPDATE: Scott Weiland speaks! Here is Weiland’s entire statement released this morning by Press Here Publicity, with frustrating punctuation choices retained for authenticity:
“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.”
Well, someone sounds bitter but is there not a hint of affection too? His statement reads like he’s talking to a ex-girlfriend who scorned him but he’s not going to rip into her all the way because boy, did they have chemistry in the sack.
At any rate, the remaining questions are: Will STP really resurrect now that Weiland is back in the fold? Does the world really need an “Interstate Love Song 2008″?
Photo of Scott Weiland by Matt Sayles / AP
Legendary Bay Area rock band Metallica has just announced a special concert benefiting Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea’s Silverlake Conservatory of Music, taking place Wednesday, May 14, at the 2,200-person-capacity Wiltern in Los Angeles. Tickets for the gig go on sale tomorrow (Sunday) at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster and will set you back $200 (plus handling fees) — an arguably small price to pay to see the metal gods in such an intimate setting.
