Homegrown California band Stone Temple Pilots, originally from San Diego are back on the road with their new singer Jeff Gutt. How he came to the band has been an interesting process, and shows how the music industry has changed since the band were first formed in 1989. Jeff Gutt was found through a series of open auditions, promoted online. The band toured with Gutt for the first time in November 2017, but on the 2nd March 2018 they are coming to The Canyon Santa Clarita and then on to The Rose in Pasadena on 8th March 2018.
Auditions for Stone Temple Pilots
After Chester Bennington left Stone Temple Pilots to concentrate more on working with Linkin Park, the band were left without a permanent singer. In an unusual move, STP decided to harness the power of the internet and launch auditions online. Promoting music online generates a buzz around the band, and worked perfectly for the STP in bringing a new audience to them, along with their new member, Jeff Gutt. When they went about launching the online auditions, they made it clear that no one will be replacing the original frontman Scott Weiland, but they are moving on and evolving their music.
Jeff Gutt and The X Factor
Jeff Gutt originally sang for Dry Cell, a Nu Metal band, formed in California in 1998. Gutt originally hailed from Detroit. They had good success together and released their only studio album Disconnected in 2002. He left the band in 2009. Gutt then made a return to fame through the television series The X Factor. No one can forget his sincere and beautiful rendition of Hallelejah in Season 2; however, he didn’t make it past the boot camp stage.
It was in Season 3, broadcast in 2013, that Jeff Gutt really made an impact with the judges and the audience. He made it through to the live rounds to the final and eventually finished in 2nd place. Versions of Bohemian Rhapsody and Feeling Good were particular highlights. Fox Weekly listed him as one of the most influential X Factor contestants and rightly so.
Jeff Gutt comes as a very welcome addition to Stone Temple Pilots and there is huge excitement about their live gigs in 2018. There is a brand new album soon to be released too. Stone Temple Pilots are massively influential to generations of fans, and with new material, this momentum will continue to grow.Written by Cassie Steele
