Aerosmith are on the final stretch of dates for their “Cocked, Locked, Ready To Rock” tour; the band swings through western Canada, with shows in Winnipeg (8), Calgary (10), Saskatoon (12), Edmonton (14) and Vancouver (16).
The Canadian shows are make-up dates for concerts missed last year when Tyler fell off the stage in South Dakota and suffered a broken collarbone, causing the band to cancel or reschedule a bunch of summer tour dates.
So...will the Vancouver show be Aerosmith’s final concert?
“Technically speaking, after the gig in Vancouver (on Sept. 16), I don't have a job with Aerosmith," guitarist Joe Perry tells the Calgary Herald. "We know these are the last shows for awhile. And I really do mean awhile. I don't know when we'll be out there again, the five of us, so we'll be playing with everything we've got."
"(The whole group) sat down not too long ago, when we decided to do this tour, and we basically laid out plans for the next two years," Perry said. "And when you're sitting there talking about that and one of the band members knows full well he's signed a contract that's taking him out of the music business for up to seven months of the year -- that kind of throws a wrench into things . . .It's all very well to say, 'I'm going to go off and do this and it won't interfere with the band . . .' but there's only so many weeks in the month and so many months in the year."
In addition to his American Idol plans, Perry says Tyler is also working on his autobiography and he's due for surgery to have his knees replaced.
Which leaves Perry and Aerosmith with time to consider its next steps. "I'm not going to sit around for two years waiting for him to come back to Aerosmith," Perry said, admitting that an Aerosmith minus Tyler ‘would be a different animal.’ “(You've got) four guys that are great together, and if you find the right singer, there's no reason you can't go and entertain people.”
As for the whole American Idol scene, “It's a reality show designed to get people to watch that station and sell advertising," said Joe. "It's one step above (Teenage Mutant) Ninja Turtles. I'll tell you one thing, when we put this band together, this is not something that (Steven Tyler) would do.”
“It's his business, but I don't want Aerosmith's name involved with it. We have nothing to do with it."
Aerosmith – Draw The Line
Texxas Music Festival (aka Texxas Jam)
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas – July 1, 1978
