Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese opened up about his firing from the band in a new interview with Michael Aubrecht.
“That experience began a very challenging period of my life. Being “fired” from a band. Then to be discredited and disrespected and all but written out of the band’s history. The reason for that is a grudge that formed around my participation in an authorized book that was being written as I was fired. I participated in it and it really pissed some people off. I had no idea how far the shadow of profitability extended from the band.
That said, I was able to find myself again producing the Green Romance Orchestra albums. The GRO band released an album and with no mention of a tour, and very limited details on how we planned on supporting it. We still managed to get assistance to release the album on Emperor Norton records via the great Steve Pross, in association with my label Free Association Records. Initially, the support and reviews were very pleasing, almost accurate. Then we noticed that the big players just didn’t seem to get it. Rolling Stone wrote a review that was so bizarre, I still don’t think the reviewer had the right album! The record shipped over 20,000 units and Tower records awarded us a prime spot in their listening stations during the Christmas holiday season. That was huge for us. Then the record was released and not one was put out on the shelves. Regardless, I was so damn proud to have rediscovered my love for music that l just let it go and took it as it happened.
That’s where I would spend the next few years, lost in substance miss-use and lack of sunlight induced haze…and working my ass off! Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way putting any blame on the Pearl Jam guys for what happened to that record. Although they have done remarkably well at keeping a grasp on their surroundings, the big machine still has ways of functioning to protect their interests.”
