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Stone Temple Pilots, with Weiland in tow to take off again
Thursday, May 15, 2008 11:15 AM
By AARON BECK
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
CHRIS PIZZELLO | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Scott Weiland, right, and Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots
As reunion shows go, the Stone Temple Pilots gig during the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus Crew Stadium is as high-profile as possible.
A total of 25,000 to 30,000 people are expected Saturday night to see the hard-rock band cap the first of two days of like-minded music.
(Kid Rock is set to headline the festival Sunday night.)
The stop in Columbus also marks the beginning of a 65-city North American tour, which reunites the multimillion-selling, Grammywinning band - brothers Dean (guitars) and Robert DeLeo (bass), and Eric Kretz (drums) - with vocalist Scott Weiland.
The former Chagrin Falls resident left Stone Temple Pilots early this decade. Then, from 2003 until this year, he fronted Velvet Revolver, featuring three former Guns N' Roses players.
During his initial Pilots stint, Weiland was arrested and jailed for drug- and alcohol-related offenses as well as a domestic-violence charge that was eventually dismissed.
Late last year, he was busted again for driving under the influence and headed back to rehab.
The arrest resulted in a 192-hour sentence.
Three days ago, Weiland reported to jail in Van Nuys, Calif. Just 10 hours later, he was released.
Last week, a couple of hours before Weiland was scheduled to arrive for the first proper rehearsal with the old group, Dean DeLeo spoke from the Stone Temple Pilots studio about the reunion, the tour and his cagey singer.
The vibe since Weiland has returned to the fold, DeLeo said, is "very STP."
"It's like an unmade bed: nasty but comfortable."
Q > Do you make any special preparations for a show in front of 25,000 versus a concert in a theater?
A > We're just running through some material and rehearsing, but Scott still hasn't shown up for rehearsal.
Q > Does that give you pause?
A > It's always scary when it involves him. But we've worked up 35 songs, so he can kind of pick and choose what
we want to do. . . . We've delved into some tracks we've never really even played (live).
Q > How frustrating is it to spend so much time in such a herky-jerky, start-and-stop mode?
A > It's not how I like to do things. Unfortunately, Scott does. But, to answer the question: frustrating.
Q > So why did you reunite?
A > Money (laughing). If I gave you this story: "Oh, yeah, man, the universe came together . . ." - no. Money.
But, really, it is amazing to get up and play. I really do have a good time getting up and playing with Robert and
Eric. I just enjoy playing music, and, if I can get paid handsomely for it, I'm in.
Q > Is there a chance that the band will record an album after the tour?
A > I'd love to, man. I know we have some nice music in us. I know what I'm sitting on, and I know what Robert is sitting on, and I know where Scott takes it is pretty fulfilling, so I'd love to.
Q > What is it about Weiland that makes the band? You could have a TV show to audition singers.
A > We were asked to do that wacky show (Rock Star). They wanted us to be season three. We had a good laugh about it.
You know, the four of us really, really made this for one another, and I think for any of us to . . . do it without one another would be really, really disrespectful. It is what it is. There's no re-creating STP. I don't think it would be right without any of us.
Q > But what is it about his voice, style or presence that draws you?
A > I just know that, when I give Scott a song, I love what he does with it. I'm fulfilled by it, and I just know that when we get in a room to make music it happens quickly and easily. I feel the excitement of giving him a new song to hear what he's going to do with it.
abeck@dispatch.com
