Bad news for music fans this week, as groups, both voluntarily and involuntarily, have rejected reunions, decided on indefinite hiatuses and cancelled huge shows.
We hate to see a band split up, but hope the future will bring forth many great new projects from these talented musicians.
Slash is denying claims from former Velvet Revolver member Scott Weiland, who, after reuniting with the group in January for a one-time performance, seems to think he’s back in the band. Weiland was fired from Velvet Revolver in 2008 due to “personal problems” as well as disruptive behavior onstage during performances. Weiland spoke with ABC Radio about rejoining with the band, claiming that they were working on new material and planning a fall tour.
When Slash was notified of Weiland’s claims in an interview with Minneapolis radio station 93X, he laughed, denying all of Weiland’s claims. Slash said he’d be on tour for much of the year in support of his latest piece of solo work, Apocalyptic Love. The other Velvet Revolver members have shown a bit more openness to the return of Weiland, especially after having much trouble finding a replacement vocalist for the group. However, the band mates know a Velvet Revolver reunion is impossible at the moment due to Slash’s tour commitments.
Only a few days before one of 3 scheduled Black Sabbath reunion gigs, drummer Bill Ward has released a statement that he will not be participating in any of the Black Sabbath reunion shows. Ward posted a long message on his website, explaining his reasons, most troubles a result of contract business and band mate disagreement.
This comes as another mountainous problem for Black Sabbath, who’re already coping with Tony Iommi’s ongoing struggle with lymphoma. Hopefully Ward and the other members of Black Sabbath can come to terms in the future, but for now, don’t expect to see the original band mates perform together for a while.
After contradictory optimism and 2 successful albums, British electro-rock outfit, Does It Offend You, Yeah? have gone on an indefinite break. The news of their split was posted on their Facebook page 13 days after they posted an optimistic message, “Working on something exciting!”
Their split was explained to be a result of the members’ work with different projects, detailing in their Facebook announcement that “James and Dan are working on a new EP for a purely electronic project.” At least we can say the demise of Does It Offend You, Yeah? was amicable and not fully permanent, as the group hinted toward a final show in their Facebook announcement.
As a horrifying example of how devastating a spider bite can be, Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman has backed out of the band’s upcoming world tour due to serious complications from a spider bite he got over a year ago. From the bite, Hanneman contracted a flesh-eating disease that seriously compromised the guitarist’s wellbeing, as the disease resulted in a medical-induced coma for treatment as well as operations, skin grafts and even the talk of having the infected arm amputated.
However, things are looking up for Hanneman, as the band has reported he’s started playing guitar again, writing and partaking in rehab exercises to strengthen the arm. However, he isn’t quite ready to take on a giant world tour quite yet, despite his brief reunion with Slayer at The Big Four Festival. While Hanneman undergoes rehab for the spider bite, Exodus guitarist Gary Holt will be filling in for him on Slayer’s tour, which kicks off May 25th in London.
Due to irritated vocal chords, Björk has had to cancel several tour dates, and this week, she’s had to cancel even more. Björk thought her voice would be fully recovered in time for her summer festival dates, but it seems her doctor has recommended six more weeks of vocal rest.
In an announcement of Björk’s website, she stated that by mid-June, she should be fully healed and ready to sing once again. Björk expressed just how sorry she is for cancelling, stating that she’s “embarrassed about having to cancel things and having promised things and then not being able to keep [her] word…”
Unplugging in Brief:
Conflicting Reports Between Slash and Scott Weiland Over Whether Velvet Revolver Has Reunited – Scott Weiland thinks he’s back in Velvet Revolver, following a one-time reunion performance, but Slash thinks otherwise.
Confirmed: Bill Ward Will Not Participate in Any Black Sabbath Reunion Shows – Bill Ward has backed out of all of Black Sabbath’s reunion shows, due to contractual disagreements.
Does It Offend You, Yeah? Announce Indefinite Hiatus – Following a confusing positive Facebook announcement that they were working on something new, Does It Offend You, Yeah? have announced a hiatus, as members are working on other projects for the time being.
Jeff Hanneman’s Return to Slayer Delayed While Arm Still Recovering From Flesh-Eating Disease – Due to a flesh-eating disease from a spider bite, Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman will not be accompanying the group on their upcoming world tour.
Björk Cancels Five More Festival Dates To Further Rest Her Vocal Chords – Due to doctor’s orders to rest for six more weeks, Björk has cancelled five more festival dates, much to her and fans’ disappointment.
