Neal Schon, Journey’s lead guitarist, has responded to rumours that Arnel Pineda and Jonathan Cain may leave the band. Schon responded to fans’ questions on Twitter, emphasising that he does not expect Pineda or Cain to leave the band after their current tour.
Tensions between Schon and his bandmates have been building for quite some time. Schon sued Cain in November of last year for failing to inform him about Journey’s finances and setting up an AMEX card without his knowledge. The dispute stemmed from a company called Nomota, which the two had formed to manage the band’s finances. Schon claimed that he should have access to the credit card statements, and Cain accused Schon of wanting to increase his spending limit due to his extravagant lifestyle. Cain also counter-sued Schon for spending over $1 million on the shared AMEX card.
Pineda’s disagreement with Schon stemmed from comments made by Schon’s wife, Michaele, on Facebook. Michaele defended Journey’s reunion with founding member Gregg Rolie, pointing out that Cain and Pineda should know their roles after Neal recruited them both. Michaele also suggested that both band members learn about spirituality. Pineda responded by saying that if the band was tired of him, they could fire him at any time and that he didn’t need spiritual lectures.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Neal Schon remains optimistic about Journey’s future. When a fan inquired about the possibility of Pineda and Cain leaving the band following the tour, Schon confidently stated that it “won’t happen”. Another fan minimised the significance of their potential departure, claiming that they were “nobodies” and that their leaving would simply open up a “lot of positive space” for Schon and the band.
Schon appeared to agree with this sentiment, noting the drama brought by the two bandmates and calling them “narcissists and pathological liars”. Neal appears to be more concerned with distancing himself from the negative energy in the situation. However, another fan defended Pineda and Cain, citing their contributions to Journey. According to the fan, Cain and former member Steve Perry wrote or co-wrote approximately 90% of the current tour’s setlist. Schon handpicked Pineda because of his vocal similarity to Perry. Schon acknowledged both Arnel and Jonathan’s contributions, explaining that their significance stemmed from their association with Journey.
A fan first asked:
“Neal, So here’s the year’s biggest question. What happens next with Journey when AP and JC walk? Which is exactly what I and many others expect to happen after the tour.
To which Schon responded:
“Won’t happen.”
Then another fan mentioned:
“Things always work out as they should. We don’t know how; we simply have to trust. If they leave and take their toxins with them, it creates a lot of positive space. Anything could happen. Let them go. Is Neal Schon beholden to them? Not a chance. They are nobodies.
The guitarist responded:
“Exactly. There is too much drama from them, but they are true narcissists and pathological liars and will ultimately try to rope you in. Nope.”
A fan responded and wrote:
“Well, given that Cain and Perry wrote or co-wrote more than 90% of the current tour’s set list, I wouldn’t call him a nobody.” Schon chose Arnel because his voice resembled Perry’s. “He’s not a nobody either.”
“Because of Journey.”
When Arnel Pineda saw Neal Schon’s comments, he reiterated his initial ultimatum. He said that Journey could fire him whenever they wanted. Shortly after, Neal responded with a lengthy explanation, stating that by ‘nobodies,’ he meant internet trolls attempting to create drama among the Journey members.
He went on to explain what he meant when he said Arnel and Jonathan were successful because of Journey. Schon stated that he has the utmost respect for Pineda’s vocal abilities and believes he would be successful even without the band. However, he clarified that Arnel would not be ‘as successful as he is now’ if Neal had not ‘found his links’ and brought him to Journey.
Arnel Tweeted:
“He may be correct…” As I previously stated, if they are tired of this nobody, I am only a phone call away.
Schon replied to Arnel’s tweet, saying:
“It’s complete bullshit to twist things to cause drama and problems when everything is going well. I have the utmost respect for Arnel. And I could tell he was talented when I heard his voice singing in a variety of styles. I wasn’t saying he wouldn’t succeed. What I was saying was that if I hadn’t discovered his links, he might not be as successful as he is now in Journey. “Makes sense?”
1 comment
arnel pineda can performed by his own but journey cant performed without arnel