Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton’s new band, Close Enemies, played its first concert on Friday, October 11, at the Eastside Bowl venue in Nashville. You can check out footage of several songs that the group played that have been posted on YouTube.
Videos by American Songwriter
One of the tunes was a cover of Aerosmith classic 1975 hit “Sweet Emotion,” which Hamilton co-wrote with Steven Tyler. The others included a rendition of Aerosmith’s “Sick as a Dog” and an apparent new original called “Battlefield.”
[RELATED: Tom Hamilton on Aerosmith’s Future: “Time and Hope Are All We Have at the Moment”]
Close Enemies posted a photo of the band members playing at the show on their official Instagram page.
Close Enemies’ lineup also features guitarists Trace Foster and Peter Stroud, drummer Tony Brock, and singer Chasen Hampton. Foster is Hamilton’s longtime bass tech, while Stroud has played with Sheryl Crow for 25 years. Brock is a founding member of The Babys, and also played with Rod Stewart for many years. Hampton is an actor and singer who previously was a member of a band called The Party and also established a career as a solo artist.
According to an Instagram message posted by the hard-rock band Kamenar, Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford attended Close Enemies’ first concert.
Hamilton on Close Enemies
Hamilton revealed some details about his new group in a note posted on September 27 on his X page.
“Hey, I need to tell you something about a band I’m playing with called CLOSE ENEMIES,” the 72-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer wrote. “We have a bunch of good songs recorded. We’re going to release one soon.”
He also shared a photo of the band rehearsing, and mentioned the Nashville concert.
Hamilton also discussed Close Enemies in a recent interview with AARP The Magazine.
“Our singer, Chasen Hampton, is a gifted singer who really made the songs come to life,” he said. “When I joined, these guys had worked up a bunch of great songs, and I was able to contribute something I had. Hopefully, when the time comes, we’ll work up some others I’ve had in my pocket for a while.”
Hamilton added, “All of these guys are great musicians, and it’s an honor and a challenge to be part of it all. I’m looking forward to seeing how people like it. I think they’ll be pleasantly amazed!”
About Aerosmith’s Retirement
The launch of Hamilton’s new band follows the recent announcement that Aerosmith’s has retired from the road because of Tyler’s ongoing vocal issues.
The band announced its decision to retire from touring in a statement issued on August 2 of this year. The message explained that Tyler had struggled to recover from the fractured larynx he suffered in September 2023 shortly after the group had launched a planned farewell trek. The note announced the cancellation of Aerosmith’s rescheduled tour dates, after it became clear that “a full recovery … is not possible.”
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.