Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese didn’t exactly part ways amicably when he was fired from the legendary grunge band back in 1994. However, in a new interview with the Songfacts website, the 55-year-old musician admits that he’d be open to performing with his old group again if he had the chance.
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Abbruzzese joined Pearl Jam in 1991, in time to tour with the band in support of its hugely successful debut album, Ten. He went on to play on the band’s next two studio efforts, Vs. (1993) and Vitalogy (1994), and co-wrote most of the songs on those chart-topping, multi-platinum records.
[RELATED: Ex-Pearl Jam Drummer Dave Abbruzzese Reveals How He Almost Joined Guns N’ Roses]
“[I]f the opportunity arose to get on stage and play the songs from those two records, I would love it,” Abbruzzese told Songfacts. “But it would be self-indulgent, more to kick a– on stage and drive the songs again. Because I really feel like that would be something special for the fans of the band.”
The drummer noted that the era he was with Pearl Jam “was the biggest time for the band and it ended so abruptly, and it’s been non-heralded by the band ever since. It’s one of those strange things.”
Abbruzzese was let go from Pearl Jam in August 1994 because of personality conflicts with some of the other band members. He was replaced by Jack Irons, who played Pearl Jam until 1998. Founding Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron took over for Irons in 1998, and has remained with Pearl Jam ever since.
Hasn’t Been in Touch with Ex-Bandmates
Interestingly, Abbruzzese revealed to Songfacts that the only Pearl Jam members he’s in contact with at all are Irons, Cameron, and the group’s original drummer, Dave Krusin.
“I haven’t spoken to or heard from any of the other band members since I got fired,” he admitted. “Not one thing.”
Abbruzzese added that he had stayed in touch with Pearl Jam’s old tour manager Kelly Curtis on and off over the years. He added that he then “found out that [Curtis] had retired and Smitty [Mark Smith], who used to work for Rat Sound [a company that provides sound equipment to the touring industry], has become the band’s manager, which is great. Smitty and I always had a good rapport, so that’s nice.”
Doesn’t Have Hard Feelings Towards Pearl Jam
Abbruzzese also noted that the corporate powers behind Pearl Jam blocked him from releasing an album by his then-new group Green Romance Orchestra in 1997, but he told Songfacts that he doesn’t hold a grudge against PJ’s members.
“The band turned into such a big machine that the powers that be had to protect their machine from me putting out [that] record [Play Parts I & V],” he explained. “I don’t think any of that was due to the band members. So I don’t have any hard feelings all these years later towards the guys.”
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
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