It’s no secret that a deep rift has opened between Cheap Trick and original drummer Bun E. Carlos. Since 2010, Cheap Trick’s drumming duties have been handled by Rick Neilsen’s son Dax. However, with the band headed to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April plans are for Cheap Trick’s classic line-up to reunite and perform. Carlos tells Rolling Stone via Ultimate Classic Rock that he assumes everyone will “make nice”.
So what drove the initial split with their longtime drummer? The Beatles tribute a few years back. From Rolling Stone:
“We were offered 100 Sgt. Pepper shows in Las Vegas with a huge back-end,” according to Carlos, who says singer Robin Zander “only wanted to do 50. I said, ‘Why do you only want to do 50?’ He said, ‘I have to take my daughter to kindergarten in September. I don’t want her to go to school in Las Vegas.’ I smartly replied something like, ‘We’re scheduling shows around your daughter’s kindergarten classes?’ Then he was like, ‘F— you, you f—ing a–hole.’ Then I just hung up the phone.” Carlos says “Me and the singer don’t get along very good.”
While Bun E. remains part owner of the band, court issues have driven a wedge between him and Cheap Trick and he doesn’t see any long term work with the band coming his way. “I don’t see it happening,” Carlos said. “Rick’s kid got a gig here, and Dad loves that. … Even besides that, any friendship we had went away when I had to file a federal lawsuit. That cost a bucket of f—ing money. Going after these guys wasn’t pleasant. The friendship sort of frittered away there.”