Rockobit: Scott Weiland

One of the saddest things about music commentary are those deaths where you hear the news, and don't feel even a sliver of surprise. So it is with Scott Weiland, found dead on his tour bus, outside a motel, at the age of 48.

The BBC might need to think of a different way of describing how Twitter reacts in circumstances like these:

Tributes have been paid to US singer Scott Weiland, former frontman with Stone Temple Pilots, following his death while on tour in Minnesota.

Slash, with whom Weiland performed in rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, wrote on Twitter that it was "a sad day".

"RIP Scott Weiland," said Dave Kushner, another Velvet Revolver member.

Neither of those, strictly speaking, are tributes. Kushner's tweet is half a step away from being "Kushner marked a news story about Weiland as 'read'"; Slash's is an acknowledgement, but barely more than that.

Which isn't to criticise either of them - 140 characters to capture the scatterbug life of a person they know isn't going to work, so what can you do? But perhaps the question is whether the report is doing more than saying which of his friends had heard the news.

At times, Weiland could be refreshingly honest. Despite telling Rolling Stone this, in 2013:

As far as Velvet Revolver goes, I'd love it if it happened. But it's not something I can count on, and it's not something that I can control. If it happens, it'll happen. It would be a great thing. I know the fans would love to see it, but I respect that Slash has a solo career and he wants it to succeed the same way that I would like my solo career to succeed. Having said that, whether things work out in a timely fashion, and if it's quarterbacked right by the team and we all work together . . . it's all very sensitive right now, but I'd like to do it. It would be fun.

... his BBC obituary recalls a different story:

Set adrift, he recorded a well-received solo album, 12 Bar Blues, and joined the rock supergroup Velvet Revolver - later admitting he did it for the money. "I can't call it the music of my soul," he told Spin magazine.

And Velvet Revolver are still sort-of going?

How long have Velvet Revolver been looking for a new singer now? It must be over a year, surely? They tend to be able to fill papal vacancies faster than this. The search, however, grinds on.

RCA and Velvet Revolver split up

Normally, when a big-name brand leaves a major label, it's the label who comes off worse, but with Velvet Revolver quitting RCA, you suspect that RCA might be breathing a small puff of relief.

Slash insists that it's all friendly, like:

Slash told his official fan site that "while it is true that VR is no longer with RCA, the truth is not as negative as the rumor. The band owed RCA money for a third album which at this time they are unable to produce (no singer). The band and RCA parted amicably. When they are recording the new album, it most likely will be for a new label."

Yes, this is one of those splits where the label holds open the door and offers to phone for a taxi.

Bookmarks: Some stuff to read on the internet

Jim Louvau of the Arizona Republic attempts to keep a straight face watching Scott Weiland:

The lengthy set opened with Big Empty from The Crow soundtrack. Dressed in a grey suit Weiland stumbled around the stage and fell into drummer Eric Kretz's drum kit which confirmed he is now officially the Amy Winehouse of rock 'n' roll. When he did sing he often forgot words or changed them. "Conversations Kill" quickly became "Masturbation Kill."

The singer's incoherent rants in between songs were cut off by his band members starting the next song to stop the bleeding. Guitarist Dean DeLeo and his brother bassist Robert DeLeo looked humiliated as they ripped through classics like Wicked Garden, Big Bang Baby and Vasoline.

Revolver pulled

Velvet Revolver's plans to replace Scott Weiland with a reality TV show have been scrapped:

Drummer Matt Sorum reveals several TV producers pitched the band the idea for the show.

He says, "We felt that wasn't the right forum for us to do it, so we got some ideas and we should have that news in a couple weeks... and I think it's going to surprise everybody."

So, then, no network interested, we're assuming.

Weiland makes Doherty look like the Birdman Of Alctraz

Considering the way our papers spluttered when Pete Doherty rolled out of prison after a couple of weeks, how would they react to Scott Weiland's ten-hour stretch?

Weiland is taking advantage of those rules which allow some US criminals to more or less timeshare their chokey, doing a few hours here and there. At this rate, he'll have finished his 192 hours sometime around the time of the 2012 Olympics.

Velvet Revolver want you

When Velvet Revolver proudly announced they'd move forward without Scott Weiland, they sounded like a band with a plan B.

And, indeed, they did: they're going to advertise online for a singer:

"The band is actually talking about actually building a website [and] doing some auditions via that, so that's been something that's developing at this point," guitarist Slash told Billboard.com.

They're actually talking about doing that.

Apparently, this could be happening, ooh, "in the next month or so."

Meanwhile, they've got a gig to get through, which they're going to do Have I Got News For You style:

"I'm not gonna name any names, but a bunch of well-known people will get up and sing some songs, and then also bring up a couple people that we think are pretty good and might sing a couple songs," Slash said. "So it'd just be for fun."

The not-naming-any-names gambit is, we're sure, because of contractual reasons and not because they haven't actually had anyone sign on. We're sure the people with tickets to the Vegas gig, though, will be delighted to hear it's "just for fun", which presumably means they'll have their ticket price refunded?

Anything that's kept Weiland in employment has to be bad

Scott Weiland, he doesn't trust the music industry much, does he?

He tells Blabbermouth.net, "I think we're a bit smarter, a lot more wiser. Because the music business has shrunken so much and has eaten itself, those survivors out there, they're a lot more cutthroat.

"You definitely have to watch your back and you have to be smart in order to not get taken advantage of. So I think we've all learned from those experiences."

Actually, if they're cut-throats, you'd have to watch your front, wouldn't you? And we're not quite sure why the music business has managed to shrink and eat itself.

Velvet Revolver: You're all fired

There's a possibility that Velvet Revolver might be calling it a day: Scott Weiland told the Glasgow audience last night that this was the last tour - shortly before having a hissy fit. A blog posting by drummer Matt Sorum today didn't add very much beyond alluding to Weiland's bad mood and some hopeful Bad Newsisms:

"Everybody could see who was unhappy last night, but all I can say is let's keep the rock alive, people!!!! In this life, you just pick up and keep moving. And don't ever let anybody stand in your way."

Four exclamation points, you'll note. That's convincing, that is.

What could be worse than a full Led Zep reunion tour?

How about a Led Zep reunion tour with Velvet Revolver as the opening act?

That's what the Revolver's bassist, Duff McKagan, reckons is going to happen:

"I understand that we have it, although I imagine there will be plenty of bands prepared to kick and punch us out of the way for the privilege."

To be honest, I'd imagine there's a large number of people who'd be happy to kick and punch Velvet Revolver just because.

Indeed, if they have just lost the slot of their careers because their bassist told 6Music about what are presumably meant to be confidential negotiations over a secret tour plan, they could try opening up a 'kick Velvet Revolver' stand on a travelling fair to make up the money.

Scott Weiland covers Amy Winehouse

Putting the kibosh on the Velvet Revolver Australian tour, and more disturbingly threatening a round of "I'm clean now" media appearances in the Summer, Scott Weiland has gone into rehab.

Slash jazzed; now he's itching

Slash, ooh, he can't wait to make a new Velvet Revolver album:

The guitarist admitted that he was “jazzed” at the prospect of recording the record after the band finish their American tour in April.

“I've been working on new ideas, and we've had a couple times where the guys all got together and worked on some stuff,” he told Billboard.

“I'm itching to see what this third record's gonna be, 'cause I think it's gonna be fuckin' awesome, and I think we don't necessarily need to spend two years on the road like we did last time."

He really needs to see what the record's going to be? He can't close his eyes and picture a bunch of tired old men honking like they're fifteen and still think Nazis and softcore porn are cool, then?

Velvet Revolver to tour UK... maybe

Spinal Tap tribute act Velvet Revolver are planning a UK tour for next March:

Liverpool, University - March 15
Leeds, University - 16
Manchester, Apollo - 17
Newcastle, Academy - 19
Glasgow, Academy - 20
Wolverhampton, Civic - 22
Birmingham, Academy - 23
Brixton, Academy - 25
Brighton, Centre - 27

We wouldn't advise buying tickets just yet.

Velvet Revolver man heading for jail?

Scott Weiland has been formally charged with DUI, a charge which carries a year in the slammer.

Weiland has issued a statement via his management denying that he was drunk at the time of his road accident, and looking forward to going to court to "clear things up".

Scott Weiland to sign off on autobiography

Scott Weiland has been invited to write his memoirs. No, we can't understand why, either, other than Slash and Nikki Sixx and everyone else seems to have had a go. Naturally, he's not being asked to write it himself, and David Ritz, the man behind "auto"biogs of Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, will do the difficult bit of changing the 'uh... and then... uh' into something approaching prose of the quality such a book deserves.

Japan recoils from Revolver

Velvet Revolver are upset and hurt that they're having to having to cancel their Japan tour after getting knocked back at the visa stage:

"We want to apologize to our fans in Japan that we won't be able to perform our scheduled concerts.

"We don't understand why the authorities won't give us visas, when they granted them for us in 2005 for what was a successful tour and a great experience. We love Japan and look forward to our return there."

We'd imagine there's a very, very good reason why - having had them play there once - Japan suddenly realise they don't want them back again.

Oh, if Slash says it's important...

The curious attempt by the NME to put right what once went wrong - like a balding punk Sam Beckett, they're trying to fix the chart for the Sex Pistols - continues to run, despite the awkward truth that McClaren's men did anything other than fail to make the number one spot and then spent the next thirty years imagining a conspiracy orchestrated by the Palace and the BBC which even Al-Fayed would reject as a bit far-fetched.

They've discovered that Slash, the man who pulls off the surprising trick of being the cartooniest of the cartoons who make up Velvet Revolver, is supporting the 'campaign'. You or I, finding Slash supported out aims, would almost certainly recalibrate our desires. Not so the NME, who wave the endorsement around like a two-bit politician who's suddenly got a letter of support from Nelson Mandela:

"If you can pull that off, that will be fucking huge," he declared. "Of course I'd [buy a copy to help the cause]. I don't know how you buy a copy these days. You have to go online to buy one?"

Perhaps it would have been better to have left out the last couple of sentences, as they hardly do much to dispel the sense that this is some sort of old fogey's outing. ("Off the internetwork, you say? And where does one go to find a branch of this internetwork?").

And why would it be "fucking huge" anyway? Ooh, a record from thirty years ago at number one. Yes, that really would turn our sense inside out and use our synapses as scatter cushions. Just like when Elvis Presley was number one in 2005, you mean?

It's not that it's just irrelevant - in an age when BBC One will happily trail its autumn season with a pop at the Queen, and be castigated for inaccuracy rather than a lack of deference - but it's astonishingly irrelevant. It's as old now as 'I'd Like To Get You On A Slow Boat To China' was when 'God Save The Queen' was released; any impact it may have had in its context has long since been diminished and the song exists solely as a moment on the K-Tel soundtrack of old men's memories.

What is its role today? It's warm up of choice for Oasis tribute band Kasabian:

"We always have it on in the dressing room before gigs, we listen to it just before going onstage. I'm backing the campaign!"

The really sad thing is that we don't recall the NME getting this excited about any song made so far this decade. If we must have a campaign, how about sweeping Ting Tings to number one, rather than something from Simon Bates' Golden Hour?

Scott Weiland: It was all a spat

Back in March, Scott Weiland and his wife had a bit of a public-falling-out. You might remember she burned all his suits.

Now, though, Weiland's got a record to try and push, and so the line of the day is: all that? It was just a little lover's spat, that's all, and it's a sitcom perfect marriage:

"We get our kids to bed at 8 p.m., we tuck 'em in, we lay down with 'em at night. There's three square meals and the whole shebang. But we also have the ability that we can take them on the road with us and allow them to see other cultures and experience things that other people don't have the opportunity to experience."

Yes. Not everyone has the opportunity to watch Mummy burning Daddy's suits in the front garden, and it's that sort of golden moment they'll have to share with their own children, assuming they're able to form stable relationships, when the time comes.

We know how Velvet Revolver feel

Who knew that even Velvet Revolver find themselves tiresome? Duff McKagan says it's so:

"We had come off the road after touring for 18 months. I don't care who you are, if you're five guys on the road that long you are going to get sick of each other.

"So we took some time off and it was hard getting started again. We don't talk a lot."

Good lord, poor lamb. We find five minutes of Velvet Revolver more than enough; making through 18 months must take either superhuman control or bovine levels of disassociation.

Mary Weiland: I muddled my meds and spoiled some suits

Mary Weiland has issued a statement blaming bipolar disorder and a botched medication for the recent hotel-and-suit damaging incidents:

With regards to this past weekend's events, it's important to my husband and I that the reports regarding domestic violence, as well as our children's safety, contain facts and not speculation.

"The weekend's difficulties were brought on by a reaction to an imbalance in medications used to treat my bipolar disorder. Reports that we were fighting at the Graciela Hotel are untrue. Scott was simply trying to help calm me down. I want to make it very clear that he did not hurt me in any way. For lack of a better expression, I was unstable and just 'lost it.'

"Payment for the damages to the Graciela Hotel has already been made. The gracious staff and management have accepted our apologies and welcome us back in the future.

"Most importantly, neither of our children were witness to any of these events and they have been in the care of a family member. Scott and I are very involved in our children's lives on a daily basis and we love them unconditionally. We appreciate all your concerns and how supportive people have been.

"After nearly seven years of marriage I am truly grateful to have a loving husband, drug-free for 3-1/2 years now, who is able to care for me during this challenging time.

"We ask that you refer to this statement for the facts and depend on no other source."

Presumably, amongst the "other sources" we're meant to ignore would be, erm, her husband's own website, where he suggested - as Blabbermouth points out - that the kids did see rather more than none of the events:

"My wife locked herself in the adjoining room when that damage was done. I want to make it clear that I called security when I heard the glass being broken from next door. Security was unable to enter until she let them in. I sent my children off to a safe place with my assistant (who witnessed all of the events of the evening, until my wife locked herself in the room), and I left the hotel in order to avoid conflict with my wife."