Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer Takes ‘Temporary Leave of Absence’ From Band

Aerosmith are getting back from a two-year hiatus when their Deuces Are Wild Las Vegas residency resumes in June for a run of 24 exhibits, however your complete band received’t be alongside for the journey: They introduced Friday that drummer Joey Kramer received’t be participating in any of the exhibits.

“[Kramer] regrettably made the choice to sit down out the band’s live shows in 2022 so he can focus his full consideration on his household throughout these unsure occasions,” the band mentioned in a statement to USA Today. “He and the band look ahead to his future performances with Aerosmith.”

They’re calling the scenario a “momentary depart of absence,” and notice that drum technician Jack Douglas will as soon as once more take his place behind the package.

Kramer is a founding member of Aerosmith and has appeared on each one in all their studio data, however he needed to step apart in April 2019 to recuperate from a shoulder harm. He requested to rejoin the band in time for his or her Grammy Week MusiCares tribute present, however the band didn’t let him.

“Joey Kramer is our brother; his well-being is of paramount significance to us,” the band mentioned in a press release. “Nonetheless he has not been emotionally and bodily in a position to carry out with the band, by his personal admission, for the final six months. We’ve got missed him and have inspired him to rejoin us to play many occasions however apparently he has not felt prepared to take action.”

This led to an unpleasant scenario the place Kramer filed a lawsuit in opposition to the band, they usually even prevented him from entering their rehearsal facility earlier than the Grammy’s. “This isn’t about cash,” Kramer mentioned in a press release. “I’m being disadvantaged of the chance to be acknowledged together with my friends for our collective lifetime contributions to the music business. Neither the MusiCares’ Particular person of the Yr Award nor the Grammys’ Lifetime Achievement honors can ever be repeated.”

In his lawsuit, Kramer alleged that the band pressured him to audition for his personal spot within the band. “Different band members and their legal professionals will doubtless try and disparage my enjoying and declare that I’m unable to play the drums proper now,” he mentioned. “Nothing could possibly be farther from the reality. I did all the things they requested — jumped via hoops and made each a recording of enjoying alongside solo to a current dwell recording of the band — one I had by no means heard earlier than, and that course of was videotaped. However I did it, and I did it properly. In Aerosmith’s 50-year historical past, no different band member has ever been subjected to this scrutiny not to mention be requested to audition for his personal job!”

The group someway put all this apart only one month later and welcomed Kramer again into the fold for a few Las Vegas present. However then the pandemic hit and their live performance calendar was cleared for the foreseeable future.

It’s unclear how momentary this “momentary depart of absence” from the band can be, however the truth they’re ruling him out of exhibits for the rest of 2022 isn’t a really encouraging signal for the long run.