Well, looks like the (second) honeymoon is over. The Replacements have once again called it quits as guitarist/singer Paul Westerberg told the audience at today’s show at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona that this would be the last time the ‘Mats would play together, ever. According to Pitchfork, Westerberg also said that the band had stayed at the hotel instead of coming to sound check, adding “lazy bastards to the end” before smashing his guitar.
Spain is a long way from Chicago’s Grant Park, where the band broke up on stage the first time on July 4, 1991. That show became known as “It Ain’t Over ’Til the Fat Roadie Plays” because over the course of the set, each member gradually left the stage and was replaced by a roadie. The ‘Mats first reunited for a series of shows at Riot Fest in 2013, kicking off a string of festival dates that culminated in their “Back By Unpopular Demand” tour earlier this year. Talking about the reunion, bassist Tommy Stinson told Rolling Stone last year, “I think [Westerberg and I] got to realize we might need each other a bit.” But the love-fest has apparently been consumed by old tensions, which isn’t a huge shock for a band that has always been known for its volatility. Westerberg has even been warning fans of the band’s impending doom—every date gets a new T-shirt with a new letter, spelling out a message which fans on Facebook have decoded as “I have always loved you. Now I must whore my past.”
At least they got to go back to Rockefeller Center.