Steve Gorman Calls The Black Crowes’ Reunion ‘Sad’
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The Black Crowes made waves this week when they officially announced a lengthy reunion tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker.”
The news was chiefly met with excitement and positive vibes, including glowing reviews of their first show in six years at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on Tuesday.
But there is at least one detractor. Former drummer Steve Gorman — who was not invited to join the reunion — has called the tour “sad.”
On Monday, Gorman appeared on the “State Of Amorica: A Black Crowes Podcast.” He had some choice words about the reunion.
“It’s probably not unlike what a lot of people who have followed the band for years think, which is you can judge someone by what they say, but it’s far more important to judge people by their actions,” he said. “People say anything. And I think that the way the band ended in 2014, which is Chris demanding all the money from me and most the money from Rich. That’s true, that actually happened.”
He added, “When you have a culture that’s got addiction and codependency and betrayal and loyalty and blind loyalty, when you have all these elements, you end up in a culture of secrecy and shame and embarrassment. And there’s so much of that throughout The Black Crowes.”
Says Gorman, “The music’s the music, and somehow those damaged people, myself included, occasionally made tremendous rock and roll music. And that doesn’t take anything away from that. And so if people want to hear ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ in its entirety played by men in their 50s, then by all means, go see it… I’m thrilled if people love The Black Crowes’ music, and if they wanna see Chris and Rich calling themselves The Black Crowes with another band, they have the right to do that. And to me, it’s like, who’s in Foreigner? I don’t know. But if you wanna hear that music, go see it.”
Gorman concluded, “I can’t say that it’s not sad that a band like The Black Crowes, who, by our second album, had put ourselves in position to be in control of our own fate and destiny for the rest of our lives… for a band that went from there to the 30th anniversary, ‘Let’s hear an album start to finish, including songs these guys haven’t played in 20 years,’ that’s sad. That’s what that is to me… I don’t begrudge anybody that goes to see it, but it’s sad… it’s always gonna be sad.”
In the interview, Gorman also calls the band’s notorious 2014 split the most “embarrassing” and “disgusting way a band could end.”
Back in September, Gorman released his tell-all memoir, “Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of the Black Crowes.” In the book, he shines a light on the band’s dysfunction, including details about countless Robinson brothers fights, one of which ended with broken glass everywhere.
The Robinson brothers are the only two original members in the lineup for the 2020 tour. The lineup also includes guitarist Isiah Mitchell, bassist Tim LeFebvre, keyboardist Joel Robinow and drummer Ojha. Gorman was not invited to tour with the band.
The Black Crowes will play The Troubadour in West Hollywood on Thursday night.
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