So I got some inside information this weekend that I think many of you would like to hear. Before you read any further you know I've done this before and the same rules apply: this is 2nd hand info, getting his info straight from one member in the band. As you know I am in the music business and I have some acquaintances with the band. So take this for what it is: 2nd hand info from a source I claim is reliable. It's hearsay, and/or a rumor. I'm telling you it's 100% legit, but that's just a stranger on a forum. Feel free to say I'm full of shit, or that I'm making this all up, it's up to you if you want to believe me. I'm only sharing because I'm sure you are as curious about the situation as I am.
So first, it was confirmed: the boys "fired" Weiland and consider him done. They want to add someone famous to replace him as the singer of "Stone Temple Pilots" that will help sell the tours. They don't want to deal with Dave Coutts syndrome, and they don't want to form a supergroup (ala AOA) and have another total flop. Josh Homme was apparently a person they wanted as a replacement for Scott but apparently he's knee deep in a QOTSA tour/album project. They haven't made any official announcement beyond the statement because there's no news: they haven't gotten a replacement, AND Scott and his lawyers are disputing the legitimacy of the action.
So now to the source of the problem, besides the obvious/history of the band which we all know. So apparently there's been some bumps since they got back together, which we all knew, but the real source of the issue was around the Core anniversary. The band planned on doing the album, front to back, but nixed the idea when Scott didn't practice with them. Then Scott lobbied and pushed really hard to do Core, and the band said "fine let's try them". So they did. And Scott just couldn't pull it off. He just doesn't have that range anymore. So the band is saying "dude we can't do it, you can't sing it" and Scott was really defensive about it. Scott was basically in denial thinking it sounding great and the rest of the band basically said there's no way we can do Piece of Pie, Sin, Where the River Goes etc... So they said we'll stick with the hits and the songs you can do. To their credit, they never went in the media and bashed Scott or said he couldn't sing stuff publicly, but I do remember at one point Kretz saying one guy in the band couldn't take criticism at all. That's obviously Scott. So anyway, after some time Scott basically said "that's fine, fuck you guys, I'll do my own solo tour and advertise and play the songs as a Core celebration myself". The band said if you make money off our legacy and tour promoting a "Core" anno then you're taking money from us. The band wasn't ok with that because he was basically taking money away from the band and essentially touring under the promotion of the STP brand. The band was not cool with that at all, but Scott decided to do it anyway because he said "hey if you guys don't want to play these songs, I'll do them myself". So the band views Scott as promoting something that could alienate fans from STP, but they felt they couldn't perform those songs themselves without their legacy taking a hit based on how they sounded in rehearsal. They also didn't like the idea of Scott making money on his own off Core/Purple without them, basically milking his status as the singer and leaving them out to dry. Their position is/was that if you're going to perform using STP to sell your tour, then it needs to be with us as your band.
So that's the gist of it. That's also the reason why the "firing" happened right as Weiland left on tour for this run. So when Slash said he "heard Weiland was fired", that threat had been made if he went through with this tour. The band put the ball in Scott's court and he said whatever I'm doing it. I don't think Scott was fired when Slash said he was, but the threat had definitely been made, and Scott decided to call the Deleo's bluff. Well, now he's fired and it's up to their lawyers to sort through the mess. Ultimately it's likely that eventually they will perform, possibly as "STP" with what they hope is a famous lead singer that they can plug in that will do a good job with the material and allow them to continue the legacy by adding new material.
