On Wednesday February 27, Stone Temple Pilots released a statement on their Facebook page saying, “Stone Temple Pilots have announced they have officially terminated Scott Weiland – no further information is available at this time,” Scott Weiland’s response to the news was in a manner that showed little to no prior knowledge to the firing.
“I learned of my supposed ‘termination’ from Stone Temple Pilots this morning by reading about it in the press,” Weiland said via his own Facebook page, “Not sure how I can be ‘terminated’ from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but that’s something for the lawyers to figure out.”
I can only assume that if lawyers are going to get involved, the tension will soon be on the rise between the 90s superstars and their often erratic and unpredictable frontman, but a couples days after the firing Weiland told TMZ that the whole thing was just a stunt to boost ticket sales. However, in an interview conducted by spin this past Monday, the frontman took on a more pacifying tone saying that this is the result of some unresolved issues that plagued the band at the end of their most recent tour and they need to be worked out.
There really is no caption necessary.
All of this is pretty confusing and saying rest in peace to Stone Temple Pilots may be a little premature, but I’d say for now they are most certainly one foot in the grave. Despite their triumphant 2008 reunion, Stone Temple Pilots relevance and popularity took a nose-dive in more recent years going from 15,000-20,000 capacity venues to some as low as 2500. The end of this 90s superstar rock n’ roll band may indeed be at hand.
Of course, this bears a question that Sami Jarroush of Consequence of Sound’s Rock It Out! Blog oh so eloquently threw out in the open, “Do you even give a fuck?”
Well Mr. Jarroush to answer your question I do, but I also understand that that question is a valid one. Sometimes, it seems that Scott Weiland himself takes any and all success that may come within STP’s vision and throws it in the complete opposite direction, whether through his sluggish and awkwardly unintelligible behavior in recent shows, or showing no sign of dedication or enthusiasm to anything except himself and his hit and miss solo career with his right hand man Hagrid, I mean, Doug Grean. However, my criticism towards some of his personal and career decisions does not outshine my overwhelming respect and love for his music, even his solo career.
Doug Grean.... seriously? This guy?
I first saw Scott Weiland perform with Velvet Revolver in 2004 at US Bank Arena and though the acoustics in that place are horrendous it didn’t take my blistering eardrums for my mind to register that what I was seeing was one of the last great rock n’ roll frontmen in action.
When Velvet Revolver came out in 2003, I knew that I heard the name Scott Weiland before and as I browsed through my Dad’s CD collection I discovered why. Stone Temple Pilots’ 1993 debut album Core laid within in the pages of the Cd book. I browsed through the albums lyric booklet (yeah remember those things?) and saw the name Weiland. I found him. Curiosity sank in and I soon discovered that I had literally heard every song on that album on the radio at some point or another. These guys cranked out hits like nobody’s business. I purchased their greatest hits compilation Thank You soon after and there was no denying that every song on that CD was a hit. There was not a single song I wasn’t familiar with, right down to the acoustic Headbangers Ball performance of Plush.
As I got older I completed Scott’s catalogue including his two solo albums 12 Bar Blues and Happy in Galoshes as well as Velvet Revolver’s Libertad, the abysmally disorganized follow up to their kickass debut Contraband, but my ears and heart truly belonged to STP.
At Rock on the Range 2008, I finally was able to witness the moment I had waited my entire teenaged life to see. The guitar and bass Deleo combo, Dean and Robert and drummer Eric Kretz were all as tight, professional, and loud as I dreamed they would be, but in the singer I got what looked like a drunk Thom Yorke slurring and stumbling through the lyrics of every song one after another. In 2009 however, I got the Stone Temple Pilots show I was waiting to see. The band was precise and powerful as usual and Scott seemed to be back in his prime. It was glorious and one of the best shows I’ve ever seen to date. It was a good thing that I did because that I would suffer two cancellations at Scott’s fault, an unreasonably short performance in Nashville, and getting kicked off the stage at a show at PNC Pavillion after being invited to sing the first lines of Dead and Bloated during the encore. That last one especially hurt, but to be fair, it wasn’t the band’s fault and it really has nothing to do with what I am talking about.
Ten years now, I have followed this band’s ever changing career and status and it looks like I may witness this band’s true death. Even if they do keep it together, I don’t think they’ll ever return to their quality form that I witnessed in 2009, much less their former 90s glory. And so what the future holds for Scott, Dean, Robert and Eric is a mystery for now. Currently, Scott Weiland is on a solo tour performing highlights the Stone Temple Pilots albums Core and Purple, which will be making a stop at Bogart’s this month on the 22nd, and you can bet your ass I’ll be there. As for the Deleos and Kretz, if they have to and are able to continue Stone Temple Pilots without Scott, that is fine. Who knows? Maybe getting some new blood in the band will give the band what it needs to maintain its relevance. I just have one request though; don’t let the replacement be Adam Grontier from 3 Days Grace, ok guys?
As for me, this is my fond farewell to the legacy of Stone Temple Pilots and if this band is truly meeting its demise, I’m definitely going chalk this up under the burn out category of break ups. It’s better that way because as Neil Young said, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”
A little something for your time Stone Temple Pilots fans and non-fans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0_osucy6qY