Hamilton recovering after cancer op
Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has explained the ‘non invasive surgery’ he recently underwent was related to his ongoing struggle with cancer – and that everything has gone fine.
Hamilton was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2006 and made a full recovery, but recently missed shows on the Boston heroes’ abandoned US tour in order to receive treatment against radiation therapy which helped kill the disease.
He says: “I love the expression ‘non invasive surgery’. I’ve rarely heard anything as brilliantly vague and at the time it’s exactly what I wanted to convey. Let’s just say that old prick Mr C needed to get hit in the nose a few more times. He must not have liked it because he hasn’t been seen.”
In recent weeks he’s been to see “a bunch of shows” and he’s full of praise for Kings of Leon and U2. “Kings of Leon played really tight,” he reports. “They totally get dynamics and how to structure their stuff. I’ve been a fan of theirs since the Youth record. I’m happy they’re having a lot of success now – just be careful, boys.
“I saw U2 the other night. Joe Perry and I have been fans for a long time. They played great and I’m always impressed how good it feels to hear the texture of their sound.
“But the thing that got my jaw to drop was their production – it was on a scale that nobody’s ever done and possibly never will again. The effect of being up close to it is beyond massive.
“Before they went on I was wondering if they would fall into the trap of being spread out in different time zones but they did a very good job of spending enough time as a unit on the main part of the stage.
“It was inspiring and I found myself in my studio working a little bit earlier than usual the next day.”
Hamilton also says that despite all the recent dramas, Aerosmith’s album will be completed and released. The band had to cancel their tour after singer Steven Tyler fell off stage and broke his shoulder, and soon afterwards came suggestions that he was abusing drugs again and wasn’t on speaking terms with his bandmates.
The outfit are playing two gigs in Hawaii in October as part of a legal settlement against them after they cancelled shows in 2007, and Hamilton says work on the album will continue after that: “Let's just say that log pile is getting pretty high and we'll all keep chucking more onto it until it spills into plain sight. Keep believing folks - there's gonna be one."
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