Poison Idea may have had a successful tour in Europe these past several weeks, a couple of shows along the East Coast, and a gig in Seattle recently joining the lineup for completing their tour this year. But now the band has gone on an indefinite hiatus due to complications ranging from health issues to personal matters. According to a recent article written about the band, they have postponed all upcoming shows for the undeterminable future so that all issues can be addressed before picking up on their cancelled shows later this year following the spring 2015 tour in Europe.
Although the band has undergone the recent postponing of upcoming shows, they have recently released a new album titled Confuse & Conquer. In one of our recent reviews about the bands new album, the line-up of the band members has changed in the following decades since they formed in 1980 in Portland Oregon. The only band members from the original line up is the vocalist Jerry A. representing the founding group. Poison Idea’s new members consist of Jim Taylor and Jeff “The Duck” Walter on guitars, Chris Cuthbert on drums, and Thom Rusnak of New Jersey hardcore band Rorschach. Confuse & Conquer is the band’s first new album since 2006’s Latest Will And Testament, and first since the passing of their great friend and guitarist, the iconic Tom “Pig Champion” Roberts. In a press interview several weeks ago about the new album release date, Jerry A. had something to say about working with the new members and what he thought of making the new album.
The band will pick up where they left off starting with the mini-tours in the US after their hiatus is over. Starting with tours from Portland, OR to Austin, TX. Hopefully, fans of the punk-rock band won’t be upset that the band didn’t show up at their next destination.
“We’ve been screwing around for too long. We had to hang back and see whose heart was really in this thing we’ve been doing for thirty years and who was bullshitting. […] Everybody in the band now lives to play and make music; that comes first. It always has, it just took a long time to filter out the flakes, and keep the diehards. So these guys know how to make this ship float. As far as I’m concerned, it feels like being reborn, having a second wind, a hardcore revival, and just discovering meaning, all at the same time. To put it mildly, we’re happy, I’m happy, and this is just the start. No stopping from here out.”