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Classic Rock News And Views
August 30, 2010
The Aerosmith Definition of ‘Normal’
The more we hear from Joe Perry, the more I like the guy. The Aerosmith guitarist strikes me as a good old-fashioned stand-up guy. He seems to be the voice within the ranks of the group that stands alone as the one that simply tells it like it is. That’s not to say the other guys in the band are not honest or decent – just that Perry comes across as the kind of guy that says what’s on his mind and doesn’t succumb to the societal pressure that so many of us spend too much time fretting about: What other people think of us.
As half of the legendary “toxic twins,” perhaps Perry’s experiences have just given him a no-nonsense approach to life and at the same time, made him realize just how fortunate he has been. Not only did he survive his “toxic” years as a decadent rock star, he recently emerged virtually unscathed from a motorcycle accident that could have easily ended his life.
With all he’s been through, maybe that’s why it seems so natural for him to say that things are “normal” within the ranks of Aerosmith. The latest development that’s making headlines is the deal that frontman Steven Tyler has reportedly signed with American Idol to join the show’s panel of judges.
Measure that event against the sudden end of last year’s summer tour after Steven Tyler slipped off the stage and was seriously injured. This followed a period of time where Tyler’s behavior was described as bizarre by other members of the group. Tyler finally faced his demons and checked himself into rehab, admitting he was battling an addiction to painkillers.
Let’s not forget about guitarist Brad Whitford’s head injury last summer just before the kick-off of the group’s tour which resulted in surgery to relieve pressure from a bleed in his head.
Tyler’s recent fall from the stage during a gig in Toronto after what appeared to be a retaliatory hip check from Perry probably had audience members thinking they had just witnessed a bizarrely familiar and abrupt end to another Aerosmith tour, but since Tyler’s fall was eased by the open arms of adoring fans, the svelte frontman was soon back on stage and apparently uninjured.
In recent years a litany of health problems have plagued the aging members of group, including bassist Tom Hamilton’s battle with throat cancer, Joe Perry’s knee surgery as well as Steven Tyler’s throat and foot surgery. Perhaps Perry’s recent lucky escape from injury on his motorcycle has sharpened his focus on the most important things in his life.
As a result, perhaps the fact that Perry – or anyone else – is not sure what the future holds for Aerosmith, is a situation that has become his own version of “normal.” Compared to some of the other life-altering and even life-threatening events Aerosmith has had to deal with, maybe “normal” isn’t a bad place for him to be.
Even with all the uncertainty, there is some recent good news for Aerosmith fans. Bassist Tom Hamilton has revealed that Aerosmith may be preparing to tap into their “vast archive” of unreleased material for a new album.
“That’s something we really want to do. I know I’d see something like the Led Zeppelin DVDs and say, ‘Man, we should do that!’ But record contracts can limit what you do. When we fulfill our Columbia contract with a new studio album, we will have the freedom to explore all sorts of options,” according to Hamilton.
After all the drama of recent years, Aerosmith still manages to offer fans hope of something new to look forward to. I see a lot of comments suggesting that the “Bad Boys From Boston” should retire and that they just don’t have it any more. I guess that brings me back to the whole “who cares what other people think” thing, and as long as enough people are still willing to line up and pay to see these guys put on a show, why waste time worrying about the naysayers.
Hearing that kind of stuff is probably pretty “normal” for Aerosmith these days as well.
August 19, 2010
Tyler Confirmed as Aerosmith ‘Fall Guy’ During Toronto Gig
This time it’s pretty clear that Steven Tyler had a little “help” with his latest dive off the catwalk. During what appeared to be a little playful hip-bumping during the band’s show at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, Tyler appeared to have lost his balance and fallen forward into the crowd. He was quickly back on the catwalk and apparently unharmed after landing on his feet.
Video of the incident suggests that Tyler bumped guitarist Joe Perry first and when Perry followed suit, Tyler was knocked into the audience, some of whom probably got a kick out of the up-close encounter with the legendary performer. After the fall, Tyler defiantly announced that “It ain’t gonna happen again, baby.”
It’s not clear if Aerosmith’s version of on-stage contact sports had started before the initial bump by Tyler that appears on the video, but I suspect that the former toxic twins will either refrain from risky catwalk shenanigans or be much more careful about how they are executed in the future.
To me it appears that Tyler’s bump was a bit more aggressive than the one that Perry delivered in return, but Tyler’s a pretty skinny dude in comparison. Additionally it looks as if he may have been leaning forward a bit toward the audience and the fall was just a simple matter of poor timing.
Perhaps that was the reason that Tyler attempted to deny access to the catwalk for J. Geils frontman Peter Wolf at their recent hometown show at Fenway Park. That damn catwalk is just too dangerous for amateurs!
August 17, 2010
Clash of the Egos at Aerosmith-J Geils Show at Fenway Park
Perhaps the headline might be more accurate if it started with “Clash of the Ego,” since it appears that one oversized ego seems to be at the heart of the matter. As reported by numerous media sources, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler started a heated argument with J. Geils frontman Peter Wolf over the use of a portion of the stage that extended into the audience.
Tyler is said to have approached Wolf the night before the show and informed him that he did not want him to step foot on that particular part of the stage. The argument, as reported by the Boston Globe, took place on the Fenway outfield as crews were finishing up work on the stage and accompanying equipment.
Presumably, Wolf didn’t back down and Tyler offered somewhat of a compromise and informed Wolf that if Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry had no problem with Wolf using that part of the stage, it would be OK with him as well. Unfortunately for Tyler, Perry decided on the high road and told Wolf he had no problem with him using that portion of the stage.
Lord knows what kind of new tensions this may have created between Tyler and Perry and what that means for the future of the band, which has already endured more than its share of trials and tribulations in recent years. Accidents, injuries, disagreements and substance abuse problems seem to have taken their toll on the group – particularly Perry who tends to be outspoken, and perhaps less willing than the other members of the band to tolerate nonsense.
The Globe reports, however, that at least on the surface, things between Tyler and Perry seemed just fine as they were observed talking quietly backstage before Saturday’s show. Maybe Perry is accustomed to this kind of behavior on the part of Tyler. The iconic frontman’s reluctance to let Wolf use what he apparently perceives as the premium on-stage real estate is not a new problem. He has apparently restricted other supporting acts like Sammy Hagar from using the coveted catwalk during their opening set.
It was surely an historic night given the fact that these two bands had never played together and neither one of them had ever played at the famous Boston ballpark. Although it was expected by some that the two groups would unite on stage for a special performance, that moment never came – due most likely to the bad blood between Tyler and Wolf.
With regard to the recent news that Tyler was being considered to feel a judge’s seat on American Idol, the story seems to be playing itself out in typical on-again-off-again Tyler fashion. One report quotes Tyler as saying he had decided to go ahead and take the Idol gig, while a story from TMZ quoted him saying that no official offer had been extended yet and that they would have to “lay out the bread for me.”
August 4, 2010
Aerosmith Tested Again by Potential ‘Idol’ Offer for Tyler
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry might be starting to feel like someone – or something – is out to get him. Although the 59-year-old recently escaped serious injury after being involved in a traffic accident while riding his motorcycle, Lady Luck has not been as forgiving on the career front.
After a tumultuous period that estranged iconic frontman Steven Tyler from the rest of the group, stopped their 2009 summer tour in its tracks after Tyler’s infamous stage accident and later landed him in rehab for treatment of his addiction to prescription pain-killers, fans wondered if Aerosmith would ever appear on stage together again.
More recently, it seemed that things had finally turned around for the group. Even though Tyler decided to retain his own management and public relations reps separate from the rest of the group, and made noise about taking time away from the group to work on “Brand Tyler,” Aerosmith reconciled and seemed to have put their problems behind them.
Now in the middle of their North American tour, it appears that a new rift may be developing within the group as a result of a new career opportunity that has reportedly been offered to Tyler. With big changes rumored for Fox TV’s hit show American Idol, and the departure of talent judges Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres confirmed, word has it that Tyler has been offered a chair at the ‘Idol’ judges table.
Once again, it’s guitarist Joe Perry that’s not holding back regarding this latest development. “I found out on the Internet like the rest of the world,” Perry told The Boston Herald. A revelation that suggests Tyler is still not fully reconnected with his long-time band mates, and may not be as committed to the future of the band as Perry and the other members of the group seem to be.
After hearing news of the American Idol offer, Perry reportedly confronted Tyler in his dressing room before a recent concert and came away with a statement from Tyler that he had been instructed to not discuss the issue.
“I mean, after working with me for 40 years, he couldn’t tell me about this,” Perry later said. “Why so secretive? We’re told it’s a done deal. If Steven is committed to a TV show, that kind of affects the rest of us. We’d like to plan our lives, ya know?”
This latest trouble within the ranks has not dampened Perry’s enthusiasm for delivering for fans, however, and he reports that the group went on to rock the MGM Grand Saturday night following the exchange. Perry says they plan to do the same thing when they headline a two-night event at Boston’s Fenway Park with fellow Beantown rockers J. Geils later this month.
It’s uncertain how Aerosmith would be impacted if Tyler does end up with the American Idol gig, but the frontman’s recent behavior suggests that he may be thinking more about that whole “Brand Tyler” thing than he is about Aerosmith. Maybe after 40 years, the guy is just starting to feel like it’s time to move on.
July 26, 2010
Aerosmith Tour Continues Despite Another Close Call
The legendary rock and roll band, Aerosmith, seems to have created quite the buzz over the last year or so as rumors spread about upcoming shows and tours, as well as Steven Tyler’s loyalty to the band. The band had a fallout with lead singer Tyler, forcing him to take a short hiatus from the band.
During Tyler’s absence Joe Perry, lead guitarist, knew it wouldn’t be long until the iconic songwriter would return. Despite this knowledge, he was seriously considering a new singer to honor commitments to shows the band had booked for 2010.
When an outcry from the fans occurred, Perry reassured his fan base that if they did recruit a new singer, that it would only be temporary for jamming sessions and the upcoming shows. With some fans in arms about the situation, many claimed it would not be Aerosmith. Perry retaliated with the following statement: “ Well, no s***. You don’t have to tell me that. But who knows what could have come of it?”
Tyler eventually returned after some time spent in rehab for a painkiller addiction. He also made a statement regarding the feud that the band suffered through: “It was a real trying time for me. We (Perry and I) didn’t speak to each other for a while… and Joe just decided to look for another singer. I don’t know what he was thinking, but we’ve since made amends to each other and, more importantly, the band’s playing better.”
Perry recently bragged about the new energy the band has since reconnecting with Tyler, but there have been rumors circulating that he is getting ready to retire, just as they begin their 2010 tour. Perry claims he’s seen everything there is to see in the rock and roll world, and he’s finally growing tired of the life style. This statement reveals his feelings about his rock and roll life: “There are times I just want to get the f*** out of this because I’ve done it all. I’ve been going long enough to prove what I wanted to prove, to get the girl I wanted to get, to make the money I wanted to make, to drink all the beer I wanted to drink.” This statement may suggest that the guitarist is satisfied with his career and has fulfilled all his personal needs and desires, which is more than a lot of us can say.
Aerosmith has been through it all, enduring more than its fair share of trials and tribulations, and perhaps destiny is trying to get them to hang up the towel after Perry’s recent motorcycle mishap.
Perry was riding his new Ducati near his home in Massachusetts when a motorist behind the wheel of a sedan rear-ended the bike at 30-35 MPH and Perry ended up on the pavement with a severely damaged bike. Miraculously, Perry was mostly unharmed but was checked out at a local hospital as a precaution. He considers himself really lucky after not sustaining any serious injuries. The driver was charged with following too close, which may not be surprising to anyone who has spent any time driving in Massachusetts.
Despite their ups and downs, the rockers live on and have brought their “Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock” tour to North America, starting it off with a show in Oakland, CA Friday night.
See more at Fox 23 News and Canoe.ca.
