Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
According to Paul Westerberg, The Replacements are breaking up again and he claims it is for good this time. The announcement came during the end of their set on Friday, June 3 at the Porto, Portugal version of Primavera Sound.
During the last two months of The Replacements tour, Westerberg wore various white t-shirts with different letters spray painted onto the material. The event quickly led to many fans working together to decode the one message created by the many shirts and a Facebook page titled Paul’s Shirt was created to decode the message. Fans recently revealed via the Facebook account that the message states, “I have always loved you. Now I must whore my past.”
Rumors swirled about a possible breakup over the past few months yet there were many signs of hope to believe otherwise. In 2012, the group first reunited in honor to their fellow band member Slim Dunlap. Dunlap suffered from a stroke and was hospitalized. This reunion marked the first time to group came together in six years. The Replacements created a four track, ten-inch EP titled Songs For Slim. At the time the group did hint at making this reunion more permanent.
Many fans prayers’ were answered following the release of the EP when The Replacements played a number of festivals including Riot Fest Denver and Toronto. This year, The Replacements announced a number of dates for their spring 2015 tour, “Back By Unpopular Demand.” Additionally, the group recorded and released new singles which they have preformed at some shows.
In a statement released to Billboard, the band’s co-manager, Darren Hill, discussed what the band planed to do with the new tracks and their future. “It’s just a question of what the band wants to ultimately do with them,” said Hill. However, Westerberg’s statements on stage conclude that the group has decided to put an end to all their new endeavors.