The band drama goes back to the early days of rock’n’roll. I mean, there’s a reason the Beatles broke up.
Not to mention The Police, Talking Heads and Guns n’ Roses (sorry Axl, it wouldn’t be GNR without Slash).
And who could forget the troubled waters that Simon & Garfunkel could not navigate?
But even among some of those bands that managed to stay together in some form, there was as much hatred as harmony. Fleetwood Mac, anyone?
Still, it was a particularly painful time for some beloved bands. Frankly, we’re still not over that ugly Hall & Oates breakup that left us saying, “Say it ain’t so.”
Last week was particularly brutal. In the middle of a reunion tour, Jane’s Addiction collapsed when lead singer Perry Farrell got into an argument with guitarist Dave Navarro on stage.
Not only did the brawl between the band members lead to the abrupt end of their concert at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, they also canceled the entire tour after canceling the next show.
“To all fans, the band has made the difficult decision to take a break as a group,” they announced in a statement posted on Instagram.
Navarro, bassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins also released another statement pointing the finger at Farrell: “Due to an ongoing pattern of behavior and the mental health issues of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to cancel the current US tour.”
Meanwhile, Farrell apologized to his bandmates for his “inexcusable behavior and I take full responsibility for the way I handled the situation.”
Are they real rockers or “Real Housewives”?
Another cult band, the Smiths, are still at loggerheads after their split in 1987.
The frontman of the First Smiths, Morrissey, claimed that guitarist Johnny Marr had acquired the trademark rights to the band name without consulting him – and could therefore tour under this name with a new singer.
However, Marr responded that he never heard from Morrissey again about defending the Smiths’ name and that he had no plans to tour with a new singer. However, he criticised Morrissey’s claim that he had ignored a lucrative offer for a Smiths reunion tour: “I didn’t ignore the offer – I said no.”
Ouch.
And REO Speedwagon – why are you all arguing after more than half a century?
After completing their co-headlining summer tour with Train, the band Keep on Loving You announced that they would be retiring from touring effective January 1, 2025.
They cited “irreconcilable differences” between frontman Kevin Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall, who was unable to take part in the tour due to back surgery, as the reason they could no longer fight this feeling.
“I never imagined it would end like this and it breaks my heart,” Hall wrote on his Facebook page.
Come on, guys – you give Bennifer 2.0 energy.
And while we’re at it, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, can you please meet halfway? You’ll make it, I swear.
Whether it’s egos, problems, or the proverbial “creative differences,” bands are like relationships. Love doesn’t always last – and it doesn’t always have anything to do with why you stay together.
Or why they’re getting back together. The much-publicized Oasis reunion of the Gallagher brothers – Liam and Noel – probably has a lot to do with money.
And Jane’s Addiction released a new song, ironically titled “True Love,” on Wednesday – just two days after it looked like they were done for good. Maybe that’s the case, maybe not.
But if bands have taught us anything over the years, it’s that sometimes the line between “true love” and true hate is thin.