Odds & Ends: A Perfect Circle, Muse & The Smiths

Drummer Josh Freese says he has parted ways with A Perfect Circle. He announced the news via Twitter with the following tweet:

“After 13 years, I’ve decided to leave @aperfectcircle with no plans of returning. Apologies to those inquiring about the upcoming shows.”

As of the time of this post, A Perfect Circle hadn’t addressed Freese’s departure on its website, Facebook page or Twitter page.

The band will have some time to find another drummer because its next show is Dec. 29 at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. APC is also scheduled to play Lollapalooza Brazil in March and Lollapalooza Chile in April.
   
Never Ever Ever Ever …

Morrissey and his former bandmate Johnny Marr have both denied rumor number 17,423 about The Smiths reuniting.

On Monday HolyMoly.com reported that “several credible sources” say The Smiths were getting back together in 2013 for four shows in the U.K. The gossip site said it was “a done deal” and that one of the already booked shows was Glastonbury.

In response, Moz’s publicist told Rolling Stone, “The Smiths are never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to reunite – ever.”

The representative added that if you want to know why it’s not going to happen, “You’d have to ask Morrissey that. There’s got to be a story there, and maybe one day it will be told.”

Marr’s manager told NME, “It isn’t happening. We are fully focussed on preparing Johnny’s new album for release and booking shows for 2013.”

Glen Beck & Matthew Bellamy = BFF

The way Glenn Beck sees it, he and Muse vocalist/guitarist/pianist Matthew Bellamy are practically two peas in a pod.

The radio host and political commentator posted an open letter to the musician on his website Tuesday is response to comments Bellamy made about right-wing politicians and supporters to The Observer in an interview published over the weekend. 

The British paper wrote that Muse was “taken aback” when members learned that Beck had embraced the band’s 2009 album The Resistance and conservatives began using the single “Uprising” for YouTube clips. The Observer’s sister paper The Guardian noted that the band has previously called Beck “a crazy rightwinger.”

“In the US the conspiracy theory subculture has been hijacked by the right to try to take down people like Obama and put forward right-wing libertarianism,” Bellamy, who describes himself as “a left-leaning libertarian,” told The Observer. He added,  “‘Uprising’ was requested by so many politicians in America for use in their rallies and we turned them down on a regular basis.”

Beck responded in the open letter that he plans to still play Muse’s songs loudly.

“To me your songs are anthems that beg for choruses of unity and pose the fundamental question facing the world today – can man rule himself?”

Beck said that “with a little work,” he thinks he and Bellamy could better understand one another.

“In the Venn Diagram of American politics, where the circles of crimson and blue overlap, there’s a place where you and I meet. It’s a place where guys who cling to their religion, rights, and guns, connect with godless, clinched-fist-tattoo, guys.”

He went on to discuss how political leaders and movements have used artists and music, as well as his take on the difference between U.S. and European politics. Beck ended the letter by quoting a line from the 2006 Muse song “Hoodoo” and wishing the band good luck with its new album.