Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese recently discussed getting fired from the band and also spoke about Stone Gossard.
Dave Abbruzzese opens up on Stone Gossard
He was asked when was the last time he caught up with Stone Gossard. He replied: “The last time we spoke was when he told me that the band would’ve just as successful with any drummer. I knew this wasn’t true but still it broke my heart.”
In the early days of Pearl Jam, the band experienced frequent changes in drummers. Although the members quickly connected while working on their album ‘Ten’, it would take years before they found a stable drummer, as many percussionists left after just a year. For a time, they seemed to be in a better situation with Dave Abbruzzese, but tensions soon escalated once again.
When Abbruzzese was considered for the role, he was still playing in a funk band in Texas because Pearl Jam had to part ways with Matt Chamberlain due to scheduling conflicts. While Abbruzzese initially viewed joining the rising rock band as a dream come true, personality clashes with Eddie Vedder soon emerged.
During the recording of the album *Vs.*, Vedder was not fond of Abbruzzese’s attitude, which seemed to embrace the extravagant lifestyle of being in a rock band. Abbruzzese’s fascination with firearms even found its way into the lyrics of the song “Glorified G,” where Vedder humorously criticizes the drummer’s gun collection by suggesting that Abbruzzese believes he needs weapons to define his masculinity.
As the band explored new sounds, tensions in the studio escalated, leading to incidents such as one where Abbruzzese accidentally knocked over a guitar that Vedder had received from Pete Townshend of The Who.
