Scott Weiland’s had a rough few years, and he needs some cash. This is understandable.* Still, for one of rock’s most dynamic frontmen, talking to the press about his bankroll (or lack thereof) isn’t a good look. Weiland allegedly told French-Canadian newspaper La Press, he’s hoping to perform some festival gigs with Velvet Revolver soon for some easy money.
Like, he actually says those words:
“Velvet Revolver, there is no problem,” he said about his status with the group that gave him the boot in 2008. “I even called the guys to propose the idea of doing some shows together in a few months. We are on good terms, but I do not want to be a member of Velvet Revolver full time. If possible, I would like to only play at festivals. You know, to make easy money.”
But the problem is, the others don’t need “easy money”:
“Dave [Kushner, guitarist] made ??music for TV. He made ??the theme of the series Sons of Anarchy,” Weiland said, explaining his ex bandmates’ flush-ness. “Duff [McKagan, bass] has a lot of money in the stock market. As for Slash, he put aside the money he did in the days of Guns N’ Roses. Finally, Matt [Sorum, drummer] has embarked on a package of stuff.”
Perhaps it’s not our place to say so, but Weiland should probably stop worrying about other men’s packages and focus on embarking on something with potential for fresh tumescence. If his plans do pan out at this point, they’ll likely be tainted with the knowledge that he’s looking for that “easy money” — a motivating factor in countless reunion tours no doubt, but the artist isn’t supposed to say as much. Kinda breaks the fourth wall.
* After being fired from Velvet Revolver over “increasingly erratic onstage behavior and personal problems,” he awkwardly tried to rejoin and was then laughed off by Slash. His on-again-off-again relationship with Stone Temple Pilots, which he founded in 1986, has been the source of more angst resulted in a second job for Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington.
Though Weiland hadn’t even known he was terminated from STP, their collaborations continued via his countersuit against the band for conspiring against him after they sued him first for sabotaging their success. Still, he based a solo tour on the ’90s heroes’ alt-rock hits … aaaand, then his drummer quit, calling it “a matter of self-worth.” See? Understandable.
