Maurer Exits SxDx, Rancid steps in

Bassist John Maurer Exits Social Distortion
Rancid bass player Matt Freeman comes aboard

After 20 years of serving as Social Distortionâ??s bass player John Maurer has decided to leave the band. Maurer completed the recording of â??Sex, Love and Rock and Rollâ??, the new Social Distortion full length studio recording but has decided to forgo the usual extended promotion and touring in order to stay home and devote time to his wife and two children.

â??For the better part of twenty years I would finish making a record and then leave my home and family for long periods of timeâ?, Maurer said. â??It was a blast and I have great memories but the hiatus between records in the past six years has given me a chance to develop other interests at home and hang with my family. I just donâ??t want to leave.â?

Mike Ness commented, â?? I have known John since junior high. I respect what he is doing but we will sure miss him a lot.â?

Matt Freeman, one of the premier bass players in punk rock, has come aboard for this record cycle. â??Rancid is always going to be my priorityâ?, Matt said. â??But Tim has the Transplants and Lars has the Bastards. I like to think I have a pretty cool side band now too.â?

Ness said the decision to call Freeman was only complicated by Mattâ??s well-known loyalty for Rancid. â??We asked ourselves who the best guy out there was and it was Matt. We figured there was no way but it looks like Rancid is going to have just enough down time for us to keep Matt busy. These shows are going to be real special with him in the band.â?

Social Distortionâ??s new record, â??Sex, Love and Rock and Rollâ?? is due in stores September 28th. The DVD documentary, â??Live in OCâ? was released on July 27th. The band begins touring in August and plan to be on the road through 2005.

THat's really too bad, John Mauer is a nice guy and a great bass player. I'll miss him.

Originally posted by bunnyman:
THat's really too bad, John Mauer is a nice guy and a great bass player. I'll miss him.

Me too, but at least he's leaving for all the right reasons. I suspect he'll be back for onesy-twosy gigs in The OC at some point.

I suspect you're right. When they toured in 2002 and I saw them at the HOB in Chicago, after the gig I ran into John and he had a ton of food he was bringing up to his family in his hotel room. He always seemed like a hell of a nice guy.

A nice tribute to Dennis….

<img src="http://www.socialdistortion.com/images/slrr_mini.jpg" alt=" - " />


Sex, Love and Rock'n'Roll

Is the title of what you've all been waiting for, the first studio album from Social Distortion in 8 years! To be released on September 28, 2004, Mike Ness reveals a more optimistic side on this record, including the emotional journey of love, loss and acceptance on "Don't Take Me For Granted", written for the late Dennis Danell. But, don't let that fool you into thinking he's forgotten his punk rock edge. Ness' signature wrath can be felt throughout, especially on tracks like "Reach For The Sky" and "Nickels And Dimes."

UGH…Social D at Nation? That's where I saw them back in 1997, but WHY oh WHY aren't they playing at the 9:30? Whoever is booking them totally dropped the ball on this one. AND they're playing the Congress Theater in Chicago. What a crappy place to see them. They belong at the Riviera or the Vic Theater. Sigh. What a shame. I hate Nation.

Originally posted by bunnyman:
UGH…Social D at Nation? That's where I saw them back in 1997, but WHY oh WHY aren't they playing at the 9:30? Whoever is booking them totally dropped the ball on this one. AND they're playing the Congress Theater in Chicago. What a crappy place to see them. They belong at the Riviera or the Vic Theater. Sigh. What a shame. I hate Nation.

Oh man, that sucks. I too hate Nation. I'm checking them out tonight at Empire in Sacramento. Looking forward to it.

So tickets are on sale now (they have been since last week apparently), and I checked Ticketbastard's web site just to see how much they are. And can you believe that there is a "convenience charge" of $8.10??? Screw that. I'm going to risk it and just wait to buy the damn ticket. Does anyone know if it costs that much if you go to Ticketmaster outlet like at Hecht's? Seems like a ridiculous amount of money.

Originally posted by bunnyman:
So tickets are on sale now (they have been since last week apparently), and I checked Ticketbastard's web site just to see how much they are. And can you believe that there is a "convenience charge" of $8.10??? Screw that. I'm going to risk it and just wait to buy the damn ticket. Does anyone know if it costs that much if you go to Ticketmaster outlet like at Hecht's? Seems like a ridiculous amount of money.

Dont bother trying to go to Hechts..

If you buy from Ticketmaster.com:
FULL PRICE TICKET US $25.00 x 2
Total Convenience Charge(s) US $8.10 x 2

Order Processing Charge(s) US $4.10
Standard Mail No Charge

TOTAL CHARGES US $70.30

If you buy at a Ticketmaster Outlet: (LIKE I JUST DID)
$25.00 x 2
Total Convenience Charge(s)
US $7.90 x 2

TOTAL CHARGES US $65.90

SO I saved a whopping $4.40 by going to a TM outlet.

Perhaps you could go to the Nation box office and get them there? Uh..certainly not during daylight hours..

Fridays: 10p - 3a
Saturdays: 10p - 3a
Show Days: 2 Hours Prior To Doors Opening

http://www.primacycompanies.com/nation/index.cfm

I guess one could go down there tomorrow night after 6 and battle the Cruxshadows crowd; or Rob Gee could get tickets while he's at the Tesla show Sunday…

Yeah, well I learned that one the hard way. Ticketbastard will screw you no matter what you try to do.

On first couple listens I have to say that "Sex Love and Rock'n'Roll" is a damn fine record, I need to listen to it a bit more though. But last night I also picked up "Another State of Mind" on DVD. WOW. It is definitely one of the more startling documents I've seen from that era. I didn't know what to expect, I guess I thought it would be more live footage. Instead, it holds up as a documentary of just how rough some of those bands had it, not to mention what the musical and political climate was like in the 80's. Seems a LOT (in many ways) like what we are dealing with today…a lot of kids fed up with the system, the politics, the bloated corporate monsters trying to rob everyone of money (which a lot of people don't have since they're losing jobs). At certain moments, I just thought it was so sobering to see the homeless punks being interviewed knowing full well that most of them are probably dead now. It was also pretty surreal to see all of Social D (including Dennis Danell) leave Mike Ness and go back to California mid-tour, verbalizing that his drinking was becoming a problem. Tremendous stuff, if you're a Social D fan and haven't seen this movie, it is a MUST. Now if only they would re-release the Decline of Western Civilization.

Anyone going to see Social D tonight?

i wanted to go, but i dragged my feet on getting tickets since it was at nation and now it's sold out :( just as well since i'm feeling pretty burnt out after two many weekend events.

I'm going. :)

Wow, it's sold out? That means I should probably get there kind of early, I hate being stuck at the back of that shithole. I am so bummed that they're playing there and not 2 nights at the 9:30 (like they should have done…and they probably could have sold both nights out there as well). Hopefully it will be a good show.

i'll be there. i saw the show in philly saturday, and it was incredible. the addition of keyboards/organ to the show really fills out the sound nicely. the intro to prison bound was amazing. i'm really looking forward to seeing this show again. they played a few new songs, and a good mix of old stuff. hopefully the location won't have too much of an impact on the show.

Wow…WOW. I am so excited now. Did they play "Cold Feelings"? I actually love the new record and think that it's some of their stronger material. Definitely in line with their self-titled LP. I am excited that they are playing "Prison Bound". Did they also play "Let It Be Me"? That's another live favorite of mine.

What about "Mommies Little Monster"?

Sounds like you're talking about Christina Crawford, Rhett. "BRING ME THE AXE!!!" Or one of my other favorite lines from that movie… "Don't fuck with me fellas! This ain't my first time at the rodeo."

Nope, just talking about the SD song. Did I spell it wrong?

Originally posted by bunnyman:
Sounds like you're talking about Christina Crawford, Rhett. "BRING ME THE AXE!!!" Or one of my other favorite lines from that movie… "Don't fuck with me fellas! This ain't my first time at the rodeo."