Rick Nielsen Says Bun E. Carlos ‘Deserves’ to Play at Cheap Trick’s Rock Hall Induction
Relations between Cheap Trick and exiled drummer Bun E. Carlos have been strained over the past few years, but they're setting aside their differences for their upcoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and guitarist Rick Nielsen sounds like he's glad for the chance to play alongside his old bandmate one last time.
Nielsen addressed the current lineup's relationship with Carlos in a recent interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, shrugging, "I guess it's good, but we never see each other. He's going to play the inductions because they're inducting the people who made the records way back when, and that's good. He deserves it."
For his part, Carlos promised to "make nice" at the Rock Hall late last year, claiming that although he was knocked out of the lineup over a disagreement with singer Robin Zander, he had "no agenda" since settling his lawsuit against his former bandmates. That being said, Carlos cautioned that longtime fans probably shouldn't expect a real reunion. "Any friendship we had went away when I had to file a federal lawsuit. That cost a bucket of f---ing money," he explained. "Going after these guys wasn’t pleasant. The friendship sort of frittered away there."
As Carlos noted in that interview, Nielsen's son Daxx has since taken over on drums, which further removes the possibility of a reunion — and Nielsen enthusiastically supported Daxx's work in his Plain Dealer interview. "[Carlos] has been gone almost six years, and Daxx has been playing the whole time," said Nielsen. "He revitalized the band totally."
Cheap Trick's new album, Bang, Zoom, Crazy ... Hello, is due April 1. Check out the record's first single, "When I Wake Up Tomorrow," right now.
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