This just in from the CityBeat newsroom: Scott Weiland, former frontman for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, has fired himself from his solo career. Although no official confirmation has come from Weiland’s camp, it’s been widely reported that the volatile vocalist has long been disenchanted with his own disruptive behavior and finally sat down with himself for a heart-to-adjacent-organ talk which resulted in his dismissal.
Weiland first came to the spotlight with Stone Temple Pilots and their 1992 debut Core, which was critically lambasted but attracted plenty of fans; the album was ultimately certified eight-times platinum.
While STP remained successful, their fortunes rose and fell with Weiland’s substance issues and personal difficulties, including several jail stints, two divorces and various rehab stays. The band experienced several inactive periods.
His most recent reconciliation with STP ended with the announcement of his termination on the band’s website last month, though Weiland denied the firing. He also fronted Velvet Revolver, a supergroup formed with former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. Although the band’s two albums sold well, internal tensions conspired to unravel that band as well, although Weiland has stated that 2013 would be a great year for a VR reunion.
In 1998, Weiland began his solo run with 12 Bar Blues followed a decade later by the stylistically diverse “Happy” in Galoshes and then two albums in 2011, A Compilation of Scott Weiland Covers (which he described as his version of David Bowie’s Pin-Ups) and the holiday themed The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, which now appear to be the final two missives in Weiland’s solo catalog.
Wait, there’s a breaking update — apparently, Weiland has reconciled his own differences and will continue the “Purple at the Core Tour” with his new solo band, the Wildabouts, playing two sets consisting of the albums Core and Purple in their entirety. Stay tuned for developments as they erupt.
SCOTT WEILAND AND THE WILDABOUTS perform Friday, March 22 at Bogart's in Corryville. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.