UPDATE - Breaking news: Good bye Jani Lane! Rock singer found dead
From DelcoTimes.com:
Earlier this year it was revealed that one of glam metal's most notorious acts, Warrant, would be reuniting with singer Jani Lane and its original line-up would be in place for the first time in almost 15 years. Now, after just a handful of summer tour dates in secondary markets that by all accounts varied between mediocre and horrible, the band has announced it has parted ways with the troubled frontman once again.
"It is with the deepest regret that we have to announce that Jani Lane will no longer be performing with Warrant," read a statement. "From the beginning of our reunion talks to the last note of our last show together in Houston this past weekend we have had nothing but good intentions of bringing a quality original Warrant show to our fans and friends. We wish Jani nothing but the best and remain friends."
"We are very excited that we have found an unbelievable voice in Robert Mason, an old friend of the band. We have three dates confirmed, come out and judge for yourself ... we don't think you will be disappointed!"
The thing is, disappointment is not only inevitable, but likely already in place. It's still unclear what exactly happened, as beyond the press release from Warrant, no other information has been forthcoming from either side. Rumors are that Lane quit, or was asked to leave, in the wake of some less than stellar shows.
A gig in Nevada in early July had the singer unable to complete songs or remember lyrics, and many in the audience walked out. Those who didn't heckled Lane and booed in disapproval. The rest of the group was visibly uncomfortable, playing through gritted teeth.
The final straw was the Rock the Bayou festival Aug. 31 in Houston, where again Lane forgot lyrics and at one point tried to start a song the band already played a few numbers before.
Lane's well-documented history of self-sabotage was put on prime time display a few years back on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club.
Back in May, just days before the Warrant reunion tour kicked off, a clean and friendly Lane sat down to talk with Rock Music Menu.
"It was like 14 years erased, everybody was on the same page, and it's been comfortable ever since," he said of initial rehearsals, predicting a summer full of writing and heading into the studio in the fall to record a new album with the band.
Now, Warrant is just one more band that can't keep it together, which is sad because since the late 80s heyday of the genre, there hasn't been a better time for the so called "Aqua Netal" acts to be back together. Look at the success of "Rock of Love," featuring Poison on frontman Bret Michaels, and the current crop of new artists like Hinder, who openly embrace the good time party atmosphere in music, lifestyle and image.
Even Mötley Crüe, who've long distanced themselves from the hairspray and spandex, have somewhat embraced the era by referring to themselves as pop metal in recent interviews to promote its inaugural summer package tour, Crüe Fest.
Read more of "Warrant 'retooled' doesn't get it"...
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