For any of you that were legitimately concerned about Killing Joke frontman Jaz Coleman, you can rest assured that he’s alive and well. Several weeks ago, the band reported that he hadn’t been seen in days, and that they were deeply concerned about his welfare. It didn’t help things that a message from someone claiming to be him was posted on the band’s Facebook page cancelling their tour with The Cult and the Mission that slagged both bands. Yesterday (12), the band released another statement on Facebook that said Coleman had been leading a nomadic existence while writing a book and the score for a new project. Here’s the statement:
To the relief of family and friends, Killing Joke Frontman Jaz Coleman appeared today from his retreat in the Western Sahara bemused by all the fuss of his disappearance. “I’ve been finishing my book and writing the score for my new project – (The Nirvana Symphonic) – (laughs), what’s all the fuss about then?”
Coleman had apparently been living a nomadic existence for the last month in the desert in order to concentrate on finishing his two current projects. Nirvana looks like becoming a TV show and a concert in Seattle in 2013 and the book and an exclusive Coleman album will be packaged together and available for order as early as next week.
International media picked up on the story last week, sending it global, from the press release announced by the band on the Killing Joke Official Facebook site questioning his whereabouts. Fans from around the world have been more than proactive in their opinions – from random sightings in Christchurch New Zealand, to past recollections of his elusive behaviors in Iceland.
Yet mystery still surrounds the message on Facebook regarding The Cult and The Mission Shows of which Coleman claims no knowledge. ‘Looks like this has caused a right ding dong and feel its impossible to continue this tour under the circumstances’. His comments were to wish both The Cult and The Mission the best of luck on the tour, and to find out who has been impersonating him.
As Metal Sucks says, this reeks of publicity stunt. Not the Facebook post slagging the other bands, but to “come back” to promote two projects. Yet why would he disappear without telling the band, only to resurface to plug two projects? And if the Facebook post wasn’t made by him, then why is it “impossible to continue the tour under the circumstances?” Ultimately, this brings up more questions than it does answers, but apparently, promoting projects after being “lost” for a few weeks will get you more attention than doing in front of an audience full of Cult fans.
