Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Velvet Revolver Cuts Short European Tour

By JANET MORRISSEY
For The Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Rock supergroup Velvet Revolver abruptly cut short its overseas tour Tuesday, leaving many wondering if the band's future was in jeopardy.

A newspaper and television station in Finland reported that the band had split, but Velvet Revolver spokeswoman Kristine Ashton-Magnuson disputed those reports.

"The band has not broken up," she said. "In fact, theyre coming back to the U.S. early to start the next record."

She cited "family obligations" and album "pre-production work" as reasons for the plug being pulled early. She didn't elaborate on the nature of the "family" matters or why the band had booked a tour if it knew it needed to be in the studio to work on its second album.

The band, which features former members of Guns N' Roses and the Stone Temple Pilots, launched its European tour on June 3 in Germany, and will perform shows through July 2, including an appearance at rock guru Bob Geldof's "Live 8" charity event in London. However, Velvet Revolver has scrapped the final five gigs it had scheduled from July 3 through July 10.

The band has been dogged throughout the tour by talk of ego disputes between singer Scott Weiland and lead guitarist Slash, and rock critics have been running pools on how long Weiland could stay drug-free. In the past, the talented but troubled musician has spent almost as much time in rehab and jail as he has in the studio.

Ashton-Magnuson denied that Weiland was heading back to rehab. "Scott is not back on drugs," she said Tuesday.

Velvet Revolvers "Contraband" album debuted at No. 1 when it was released in June 2004. Since then, it has sold 1.7 million copies in the U.S. alone, and picked up a Grammy for best hard rock performance.
   
 
Source(s): http://www.newsday.com/



/jarmo

nice! can't wait til the new record is out! Contraband was great but this is going to blow it out of the water!

Nice?

Cancelling shows is nice?


Seems like they're focusing on the North American market.


/jarmo

Or maybe the band is breaking up and GN'R is getting back together!  Yeah, let's go with that.   : ok:

Ah . . . now there's a nice thought   :yes:

they've toured the U.S. and the UK enough already! How do you think South Americans feel. They are huge down there but VR hasn't been anywhere near there!

They've toured long enough. Seeing them live is fun but going to the record store 1st thing in the morning and buying the new album and opening it and soaking it in for the 1st time is the most amazing experience!

I'm a bit tired and very stoned, now can you clarify something for me have they left europe already? I'm meant to be seeing them at this weekend...June 11th i think...is that still happening?

yeah dude there touring until july 2

Atleast they make an official statement stating they are cancelling. They are probably exhausted, not to make excuses, but they have been on the road solid for over a year. I think they are just taking a break and getting ready for pre-production for the next album. : ok:

Would you rather see them live or have another CD?  And yes, I live in the U.S.

yeah, apperentley 5 more gigs are truly to exhausting for those oldies ::)

They have definately toured the album to death.. Shit, I have seen them 4 times now in the last year.  I think it's good for them to get back and work on the album..

Does anyone know if tickets had already went on sale for the scrapped shows? If so, that is a bummer.. Otherwise who cares..

You really are missing the point here. I wouldn't mind if they hadn't booked the dates, and just said that we won't tour now, we'll spend some time back home. But cancelling the tour like that is not a very nice thing to do. How many dates have they cancelled in the south america?

If one of them has a family emergancy, then I do agree that they should cancel the rest of the shows and go home, but this is really not the best way to do things.

I'll just say this:

Thank God they haven't cancelled Greece, yet...

Great... so they plan a concert at Montreux where the tickets cost 50$ and they just decide to cancel? Yeah, they are not better than GNR then... great.

The article only mentions the last five European dates. Nothing is said about the US dates in August and September.....





/jarmo

I'm so tempted to start some trouble with those who went on about Axl cutting short his tour but I won't  ;D

I did say that being a little older now, Slash for example would probably want a break with his kids and family before touring the next album which Scott is keen on having out soon. I hope it has nothing to do with recent (probably exagerated) reports of Slash drinking quite heavily again.

they never booked any South American dates

My point exactly.

they arent cancelling an entire tour just 5 dates, stop whining pets!

It's very VERY sad and frustrating for the people who have bought tickets for those cancelled festival dates... I'm going to Werchter... 1 july...  :nervous:

they may well have REAL family obligations, maybe someone is sick or moving houses or or or..

Why don't you beleive that sometimes, people need to cancel things because they have more important life priorities ?

I think it's pretty shitty of them to cancel those last 5 dates or whatever they were. Since I think some were festivals, it kinda' leaves the fans who bought tickets high & dry for refunds.  At least they gave advanced warning, which is always appreciated!

And please people don't even try to compare this to the fake GnR fiasco of a couple years ago. Not even close to the same thing.

What would you do, when they cancel the show where you have looked out for and payed for?

When they can't handle it, they shouldn't announce so many dates first... but that's of course my opinion.

I'm glad they will play Belgium, but I think it's fucked up for the fans there where they have cancelled... Very fucked up...

But most of the fans here don't care about that. They have already seen them 3-4 times, h?...

I think any canceled dates suck.. I don't know if they reallyt needed a break, or if ticket sales were not good in certain places..  But if they are burnt out or want to get the next album under way then as much as it sucks they need to do what is best for them.. I'm sure we have al read the interviews about the same setlist and how it becomes boring and they want new material to make it interesting.. Sorry to all those that bought a ticket..

its 5 flippin shows, let them take the extra time to work on the record. I'd much rather have a new record out by christmas and have them go back to europe next january after a november/december us tour to support the 2nd record

So if its ONLY 5 shows, why can't they just go ahead and play them?  It's one more week on the road.  After a year, a week is nothing.  Family emergency I toatally understand, but to get started on the record?  I smell BS.  Maybe that should have been Axl's excuse in 2002.   :hihi:

I agree what is 5 more shows?

It cant be a family emergency because they are playing till july 2nd, i mean unless its a pregnancy and a due date is shortly after that, I could understand that, but It sucks to have your hopes up and shit get cancelled.

Thats happened to me with 2 Aerosmith shows and 1 GNR show, they had it scheduled to play in my area and switched it to Pittsburgh, it wouldve been  Nov 22nd and I wouldve got to see them.

5 shows won't delay an album and it cant be a family emergency cause no one can plan an emergency a month in advance *Unless it is a pregnancy*

this is the 21st century so it isnt like they cant fly their families out to spend time with them on the road.

Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee have their kids on the tour bus during their family time.

well, maybe there weren't enough tickets sold to make it worthwhile and the management cancelled the dates that would be too costly and not financially rewarding ?

I thought that also, it really is the only logical explanation

either one of the bandmembers wives have a due date via pregnancy

or they had poor ticket sales.

IT sure has happened to me before, with a notorious frontman we all love ;)
Anyway they are playing the Live Aid thing and going back to the studio supposedly so thats it. Life is life.

There's something going on...

I still don't know if it's good or bad... But cancelling these shows is weird. :-\

Anyway, tickets for VR concert at Montreux Jazz Festival are still on sale. www.montreuxjazz.com

I'd be very angry if they cancelled the Hungarian date... It's obvious that they are exhausted and want to spend more time with their family and without this rock 'n' roll circus. But hell, they're paid for it, it's not nice to cancel these 5 shows.  :no:

The Live 8 show was the last one they added to the tour. That one is still happening.

They're tired but not that tired that they'd cancel the biggest concert they've ever been part of.




/jarmo

Artist cancel shows all the time and it's usually because some over anxious promoter wants to sap every drip of cash possible from a tour.  If these promoters had it their way then VR would never come off the road.  A good example is the current Motley Crue tour.  That tour was booked and being promoted before the Crue had even agreed to tour or even gotten back together as a band.  Watch their VHR special for how this can happen.  We've even seen it with NEW GNR.  A tour was booked and being promoted without Axl even knowing about.  I'm not saying VR didn't know the tour dates were coming but at some point they have to stop and rest.  Again I say to give them the benefit of the doubt.

echeguns, would u like to buy a bridge from me?

Why is it so hard to understand. VR said fuck it, lets end it at the Live 8 show and head home. It's not the coolest thing they could've done, but it's what they did. No need to make excuses for them, they're rich rock stars, they do what they feel like. And they obviously felt like ending this leg at live 8.

Since they cut short the tour to work on a new album, it's no big deal...
Faster release of new album > Pissed fans who can see another show.