Primus announce shock departure of longtime drummer
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(Credits: Primus)
Experimental rock group Primus have revealed their longtime drummer Tim ‘Herb’ Alexander has decided to leave the group with immediate effect.
His departure was announced to remaining members Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde via email earlier in October, with the shocking revelation being served to fans via social media on October 29th. The decision is one that has blindsided his bandmates and followers of the band, with Claypool and LaLonde claiming in a joint statement that his exit “came as a complete shock.”
The reasons for Alexander’s decision to leave the band were not outlined in his initial email to the band, but after repeated efforts to communicate with the outgoing drummer, he replied to them saying that he had “lost his passion for playing,” and Claypool and LaLonde have duly noted that they will honour his decision despite their disappointment in his departure.
The band, best known for their zany and humorous approach to combining rock and funk on albums such as Sailing the Seas of Cheese and Pork Soda, had been on tour earlier in 2024 and had plenty of plans to look forward to in the near future, which has led to increased confusion around the timing of Alexander’s announcement.
With regards to their imminent schedule and the future of the band, the remaining duo have said that all shows will continue to go ahead, but there will be significant changes to some of their upcoming gigs.
In their message to fans on social media, the band have said that their annual New Year’s show will become “an exciting special, one-time event,” with members of Frog Brigade and Holy Mackerel, two of Claypool’s other bands, joining the lineup to create an “augmented version of Primus”.
Primus will also still be performing the scheduled date in the Dominican Republic alongside Tool, with their drummer Danny Carey filling in for Alexander as he previously did between 2010 and 2013. In 2025, the band will also embark on their ‘Sessanta V2.0’ tour alongside Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, which the band say will require them “searching for the greatest drummer on earth” to replace Alexander.
While they have rarely ever ceased touring as a band, Primus’ haven’t released a studio album since their ninth record, The Desaturating Seven, was released in 2017. It is not known whether the band had been working on new material prior to Alexander’s departure.
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