Replacements Reunion is Over, Says Paul Westerberg
The Replacements‘ reunion has reached the end of the road. Frontman Paul Westerberg spilled the news during the band’s performance at Primavera Porto on Friday, noting that it would be the last time they play together, Pitchfork reports.
The reunion shows have been going on since 2013, with Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson marking their first live performances together in 22 years with a series of headlining shows that year at Riot Fest. In April, the band kicked off their Back By Unpopular Demand tour, just in time for Rhino’s reissue of their entire officially released catalog as an eight-disc box set, The Complete Studio Albums 1981-1990.
In an interview with Rolling Stone last September, Westerberg even got a little sentimental talking about reconnecting with Stinson. “We’ll call each other up when things go south, because we know we can get a laugh out of each other,” he said. “How many people do you know that you can call up and get a guaranteed gut-wrenching laugh? Sometimes it’s worth all the money and kissing and hugging in the world.”
But there have always been signs that the reunion was not built to last. Westerberg may have signaled his dissatisfaction with the series of white t-shirts he wore onstage, each bearing a single letter of the alphabet. According to the Facebook fansite Paul’s Shirt, the apparel spells out a message: “I have always loved you. Now I must whore my past.”
During the Primavera Porto announcement, Westerberg told the audience that the band had skipped their sound check in favor of staying at the hotel. “Lazy bastards to the end,” he declared before smashing his guitar.