Bassist Robert DeLeo Says Stone Temple Pilots Had No Choice But to Fire Scott Weiland

 

 As Stone Temple Pilots continue their current tour with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington on vocals, more details regarding the firing of former frontman Scott Weiland are starting to surface.
Bassist Robert DeLeo opened up in a new interview regarding the shift in the band and where things ultimately went wrong with Weiland. “It was plain to see nothing was going to get done anymore with these four members of STP,” DeLeo told FasterLouder. “It was very clear from Scott’s side of things, he doesn’t want to make music with us anymore. He didn’t want to tour anymore … I don’t think Scott really is into playing rock and roll music, and being in a rock and roll band, and being around us in particular. As friends or business partners. And it’s really sad, it’s sad to see.”
With all that in mind, DeLeo admitted that it wasn’t an easy decision and it took a long time for the band to take action. “It wasn’t an overnight thing, it was building for many, many years and I just think that we tried to do everything we could,” DeLeo explained. “We had a lot of great years with Scott, and I feel thankful we complemented each other’s lives immensely through the years.” He continued, “But friends don’t treat friends like that. I think Dean and Eric and myself just got tired of being treated that way. I got really tired of being treated that way.”
As far as Chester Bennington and what he’s brought to the band, DeLeo couldn’t be happier, saying, “It’s been great. It’s been a huge breath of fresh air, a lot more sanity, a lot more reasoning, and patience.”  Not only that, Bennington has brought some much needed peace to the band. “Having a ‘stable’ singer, it’s new. It’s a very new feeling, and I don’t quite think Dean and Eric and I are used to it yet, it’s kind of surprising,” DeLeo shared.
The end results have translated perfectly to the stage too. “Things are running very smoothly, it’s interesting because what I notice is I actually have a lot more energy onstage, because my day doesn’t involve wondering what’s going to happen that day,” said DeLeo.
Stone Temple Pilots new EP ‘High Rise’ featuring Chester Bennington is due out on Oct. 8.