Rolling Stone recently conducted an interview with THE REPLACEMENTS‘ lead singer Paul Westerberg, who talks about his decision to resurrect the band after 21 years apart and the possibility of touring or recording again.
What brought you back together with Tommy Stinson?
The downfall of the slender one. Slim [Dunlap] had a wicked-ass stroke, he’s in rough shape. It’s difficult to go there: He can’t talk very much, he’s sort of paralyzed, he can move his leg a little bit. He speaks in a whisper. When I mentioned this [benefit record], it seemed like something he really wanted to happen. “You guys get together,” he said in a whisper. “Go play a song.” So I figured, “What the hell?”
Chris [Mars] really didn’t want any part of this. I was not surprised, but I was a little disappointed. I’d talked to him, I thought maybe he might come down and play with us. That’s fine, he’s totally into painting, and doesn’t want to return to the skins. All I’ll say is, it felt pretty natural. It felt very much like it used to.
After two or three hours, my voice was shot, but we were rocking like murder for a while.
How long had it been since you’d seen Tommy?
Shit. A couple of years – three, maybe more. We are technically the Replacements, he and I.
So it’ll be released as a Replacements record?
Yeah, I reckon it would be suitable to use the R word, seeing as it would probably garner a little more coin than if it was just the Tom and Paul Experience.
And what about a Replacements album or tour?
Well, for the first 10 minutes, I thought, “Yeah! I’m ready.” After a couple of hours, it was like, “Uchhh, man, you’ve got to be kidding.” (Laughs) It’s possible. I’m closer to it now than I was two years ago, let’s say that.
People describe you as a recluse. Do you feel like one?
Like a wreck-loose? No, I don’t. People toss that around when they think of me as a performer who doesn’t perform. But I’m just changing hats. The way I look at it, it’s taken a long time to go from childish to childlike, and shed a protective shell you need when you go out and perform. I felt pretty naked, and not that confident as a performer. So of course, one falls into substance abuse and all that. I don’t [perform] as much as most people do. But I go lots of places in my brain.
Are you worried that if you go back on tour, you’ll start drinking again?
That’s not the major flaw. I think, “Oh, I’d have to re-learn the songs, sing lyrics from 20, 30 years ago.” I talk myself out of it before I’m even there.
And in the same breath, I feel disassociated, like a 15-year-old, in a lot of ways. I want to go back to doing it because it was a form of expression that I could do pretty well. I have a hard time living in the world. I’m a musician. When I’m around guys like me, I feel perfectly fine. When I’m around people who ask, “When are you gonna play again?” I feel uncomfortable.
Are you immune to large offers of money for a Replacements tour?
No, I’m not. I’ve had offers to play with them, or without them, that are becoming stupidly ridiculous, to the point where someone thinks I’m playing hard to get. And it’s not like I’m wealthy. I’m getting by.
It was never about making money. If we can have a lot of fun, and make a lot of people happy, and make a lot of money – which means making a lot of other people money – then okay, I guess that’s spiritually and economically sound.
The rest of the interview can be read here.
