ex-Primus drummer Tim Alexander explains abrupt departure from band
"When I first joined Primus, I was 24 years old. I'm almost 60 now..."
Longtime Primus drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander has issued a lengthy statement regarding his sudden and unexpected departure from the band, who announced his exit earlier this week.
Alexander had the following to via in a letter shared by Rolling Stone:
"I know there are a lot of questions about why I quit Primus and feel it's important to share my story — for myself as well as our fans. Stepping away from Primus has been one of the most challenging decisions of my life, but ultimately, it came down to love — for myself, my family, and the life I want to create moving forward. I chose a path of love.
"With regard to what I said to the band about 'losing my passion for playing,' I did say that. But I also said: 'All of these tours left me feeling empty. My body hurts constantly.' This context is important. I also told them they deserve someone who wants to be there. And I meant it. As far as 'abruptly' goes, I suppose there's never the perfect time to leave something you've been a part of for so long. Bands have their own inner workings and are a relationship. Sometimes it doesn't feel balanced, and sometimes it doesn't work out.
"Over the past months, I've been in a place of deep healing and intensive mental health rehabilitation, learning to confront struggles I've carried for years. In this period of solitude, I've started to see with new clarity what no longer serves me, the people and situations that do not support my well-being, and the parts of my life I need to let go of to find peace and stability.
"When I first joined Primus, I was 24 years old. I'm almost 60 now and not just a drummer, but also a husband and a dad. Being a drummer for almost four decades has taken its toll on my body. As I said previously, my body hurts. My hands hurt. My back hurts. Ten years ago, I had open heart surgery and am still dealing with the aftermath.
"For so many years of my life, I slept, breathed and lived the music, giving it everything I had — and often at the expense of both my physical and mental health. Drumming is a strenuous profession — and coupled with touring and performing it can be exhausting on every level. But I love drumming and always will. Just as I will always hold so much love and appreciation for our fans, the music we made, the places we went and everything I learned along the way.
"When we were coming up as young musicians, it was a different world than it is today. There wasn't a focus on how this life affected us — it just wasn't talked about — and I think we lost a lot of amazing musicians over the years because of that. I no longer feel the need to hide the fact that for the last year I wasn't happy and was in a dark place emotionally. I desperately missed my family while on tour and felt very lonely.
"My decision to leave the band was rooted in a deep need to prioritize my mental and physical health. I want to give my family the presence and energy they deserve and take care of myself in a way that allows me to thrive.
"I view this next chapter as a positive fresh beginning that can hopefully inspire others to speak and live their own truths, even when it's hard. I wish the band continued success; and to the fans who have stood by me, I want to thank you for your compassion and words of kindness. Your support has been a source of strength for me, and while I'm closing this chapter, I'm excited to explore a new path forward — one grounded in love, respect, and health."
47 comments
Post CommentA photo of Les claypool is worth a thousand words. Anyone would quit a band with that steampunk magician in it.
Maybe the other two should take the f*cking hint and do the same.
Fair enough tbh. You've got to wonder how much longer Primus will keep going anyway. Probably a few more years at most
^most over rated goater of all time. Big man baby whose biggest flex in life is being friends with dave.
TLDR: "my back hurts" Honestly, that's all he should have said.
"Once I realized that my band was Primus, I left immediately. I mean, Primus sucks."
if you rearrange the letters in Primus, ya get U Spirm
anonymous 2 hours ago Fair enough tbh. You've got to wonder how much longer Primus will keep going anyway. Probably a few more years at most Nah, they've got crossover appeal in the jam band world. They'll still be touring from beyond the grave 40 years from now.
f*ck you pussy, just smoke some weed before the show like the rest of us. how the f*ck you thjnk i deal with being up in the lift 12-13 hours a day?? the rest of us gotta work why do you get to quit and get on government benefits or charity??
He's constantly around that insufferable tool Les Claypool. I don't blame him.
anonymous 40 minutes ago f*ck you pussy, just smoke some weed before the show like the rest of us. how the f*ck you thjnk i deal with being up in the lift 12-13 hours a day?? the rest of us gotta work why do you get to quit and get on government benefits or charity?? This is awesome. So retarded. I love it.
I would have quit when Les showed up with a whammy bar on his bass. brown note dive bombs not needed.
Les and Larry were probably insufferable Kamala supporters
f*ck you pussy, just smoke some weed before the show like the rest of us. how the f*ck you thjnk i deal with being up in the lift 12-13 hours a day?? the rest of us gotta work why do you get to quit and get on government benefits or charity? ^great advertisement for paying attention in school. Don't want to end up like this serf
Good for Tim. Know when to say when. That said, top non-makeup Kiss albums. 1. Revenge 1992 2. Lick It Up 1983 3. Crazy Nights 1987 4. Asylum 1985 5. Carnival Of Souls 1997 6. Animalize 1984 7. Hot In The Shade 1990
anonymous 9 hours ago ^most over rated goater of all time. Big man baby whose biggest flex in life is being friends with dave Who the f*ck is dave?
I dunno....seems like dude quit a buncha times and rejoined before...kind of a unreliable asswipe.
Wish I could un-read these comments. All the best to Tim and to the band.
He looks like the "f*ck her right in the pussy!" guy in the photo.
No f*cking way. Carnival of souls is trash come on ^^^^^^ Better than Hot In The Shade. Hot In The Shade has strong singles (Forever, Hide Your Heart, Rise To It) but it's 12 more songs of filler.
Gonna have to lift some of these lines when I discuss divorce with my wife later this week.
Guys who made Southpark their entire personality are stoked
Bro imagine if Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Primus, and Ween all toured together. It would be so epic. We could smoke pot before we go in too
Tim's an amazing drummer but Primus were always annoying. That picture does make him look look like a homeless man coming down off meth standing around a burn barrel in an alley.
Everyone who takes time to comment on Lambgoat news is a pathetic waste of life including myself see you all in hell
Props to guy for being like "I am 60 and just want to chill."
"That picture does make him look look like a homeless man coming down off meth standing around a burn barrel in an alley" HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 BEST COMMENT
rick_tocchet 1 day ago anonymous 9 hours ago ^most over rated goater of all time. Big man baby whose biggest flex in life is being friends with dave Who the f*ck is dave?<--- the guy who now owns and runs Lambgoat.com, you doorknob.
Tim looks like that guy on youtube who says "Fornicate her right in the vaginal cavern." I cleaned up what he actually says-just to give you the gist.
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TLDR: "my back hurts"