Aerosmith STILL Looking For New Singer

Posted by Aaron Mayagoitia on 11.11.2009

Would they just make up their mind already?

Despite Steven Tyler's surprise performance at Tuesday night's Joe Perry Project concert and his "I want you to know that I'm not leaving Aerosmith" comment, guitarist Joe Perry says that "really didn't change anything in my mind."

Perry has told Billboard.com that Tyler "never said he was leaving the band" but further explains that the singer "said he wanted two years off to do his other projects," which is where things become problematic.

"Aerosmith wants to work," says Perry, who Tweeted earlier in the week that the band was "positively looking for a new singer to work with." He adds, "the band's been playing together for 40 years. It's a really powerful rock band, and I don't want to see it just go to waste and I don't think any of the other guys do, either. We're gonna work and we're gonna do something -- I'm not exactly sure what yet, but the band's too good to let it sit around. We're not going to wait for Steven."

The guitarist also explained that Steve Tyler's appearance at Irving Plaza on Tuesday caught him by surprise. Tyler, he says, appeared backstage just as the Project was taking its encore break. "He was really the last person I expected," Perry recalls, "and then I saw him. He said, 'How ya doin'? What's going on? What songs are you playing -- anything good or what?' I said, 'Well, we've got a couple more to go... You want to come and sit in with the band?' and he said 'Yeah' and...[chose] 'Walk This Way.'"

"I was really blown away that he came to the show," says Perry, "but he showed up and was really anxious to come and sit in and play, so I figured, what the hell? He's been my partner for 40 years, and I figured I'd let him have some fun and...give the fans an extra treat."

For the time being, Joe Perry will keep busy and on the road with his Project throughout the month and will resume touring in late January. He expects to be speaking with the other Aerosmith members soon about their potential plans.

Credit: Billboard