Someone's Being a Jerk

Over the last year, maybe even back two years, I've wrote about how ex-bandmates need to shut up when asked about their ex-bandmates. Specifically, I remember how Dave Mustaine (ex-Metallica) is always asked what his opinion of Metallica is and Kirk Hammett was asked what his opinion of Megadeth is. Instead of saying, "they are a great band" and ending it, Hammett had some weird / odd opinion that ignited a conflict that was carried forward through the press. I remember writing that there needed to be a canned response so that all these things ex-bandmates say in interviews are not blown up. It's not just Metallica & Megadeth that have fallen into this trap. Off the top of my head, current & former members of Dream Theater, Slayer, Black Sabbath, and Sepultura have fallen into this rut.

Add White Lion to the list as Blabbermouth posted this article just under a week ago - 9/20/17 - about how the former lead singer would not play with the band's guitarist for anything in the world. Vocalist Mike Tramp comes across as a guy who desperately WANTS to play with Vito Bratta, despite his words. Why would I say that? It seems as though he's trying to distance himself from the material he created with Bratta in White Lion as a means to heal himself. I think the best way to heal himself would be to play with Vito Bratta.

As I wrote about the other aforementioned bands, Mike Tramp needs to be quiet and say that he hasn't spoken to Vito Bratta in a long time and doesn't know where his head is at as far as playing together, which would be a much nicer way of respecting the past. Read the article here: Ex-WHITE LION Singer MIKE TRAMP: 'I Would Not Wanna Play With VITO BRATTA For Anything In The World'.

While I'm on this subject of bands that flirt with the idea of reuniting, I have this to say. There will come a day when a band's "classic" lineup cannot reunite. I'm thinking about

1. Slayer, due to Jeff Hanneman's death
2. Pantera, due to Dimebag's death
3. Audioslave / Soundgarden, due to Chris Cornell's death*
4. Alice in Chains, due to Layne Staley's death
5. Linkin Park, due to Chester Bennington's death
6. Quiet Riot, due to Kevin DuBrow's death
7. Stone Temple Pilots, due to Scott Weiland's death
8. Led Zeppelin, due to John Bonham's death
9. The Who, due to Keith Moon's death
10. Ratt, due to Robin Crosby's death

Right there are 10 bands that I like who cannot reunite, due to death. Then I think about these 10 bands:

1. Black Sabbath
2. Sepultura
3. White Lion
4. Dream Theater
5. Queensryche

who COULD reunite, but have not or will not, for various reasons which all can be boiled down to being human. The members are alive, today, unlike the first list of 10 bands. What I wish would happen is for the members of the second list of bands to realize that they are unlike the first 10 and that someday, they will join that list. Thus, wouldn't it be great to reconcile whatever issues separate them now, before they have to do it at a grave?

* After publishing this post, came across this article: http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/tom-morello-reveals-abandoned-audioslave-reunion-plans/