Neal Schon Accuses Avenged Sevenfold Of Sabotaging Their Performance
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 07: 2017 Inductee Neal Schon of Journey attends the Press Room of the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on April 7, 2017 in New York City. The event will broadcast on HBO Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 8:00 pm ET/PT (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Neal Schon has stepped up to defend his Journey bandmate, Arnel Pineda, after the singer faced harsh criticism for his recent performance at Rock in Rio. Pineda expressed feeling “devastated” by the show, even suggesting he would leave the band if a million fans demanded it.
Journey Limited by Avenged Sevenfold’s Sound Output
In a passionate social media post, Schon backed Pineda, claiming that the sound issues during Journey’s set were caused by headliners Avenged Sevenfold. He shared a video from the concert that showcased the lively crowd and called out the negativity surrounding Pineda. “All this absolute garbage fabricated bullshit about [Arnel]. Does this look like nobody had a good time? I’m asking you. All fabricated, owned, and bought blogs, bullshit,” he wrote. He reinforced his support in another comment, telling Pineda:
“Arnel, don’t listen to these blogs. They are all bought. You’ve kicked ass!”
Schon also released another clip showing Journey taking a bow at the end of their performance, emphasizing that Avenged Sevenfold had control over their sound output that night. “We found out much later that we got extremely limited by Avenged Sevenfold,” Schon revealed. “That means that hardly any sound can get out of the PA to the audience. It’s a bullshit move.” Despite these challenges, he noted:
“Check out the audience. They loved it. The rest of it’s fabricated crap.”
When a follower questioned why Journey’s sound tech couldn’t have fixed the issues, Schon responded, “No,” while another fan explained that the “sound equipment [can be] locked up and password protected.” When asked why Avenged Sevenfold was the headliner instead of Journey, Schon bluntly replied, “Politics.”
Journey’s Next Tour Schedules
Journey is gearing up for the next leg of their tour, which takes them to Japan in October, with their next confirmed U.S. show scheduled for December 28 in Lincoln, California. Through it all, Schon’s unwavering support for Pineda highlights the bond between the band members, reminding fans that they’re in it together, no matter the obstacles.
