Chris Stein was absent from last year’s Blondie tour and was replaced on bass by former Sex Pistols member Glen Matlock for all of the band’s appearances.
He explained his absence in April 2022 with: “I am sad and frustrated to announce that I will not be touring with Blondie. I’m dealing with a stupid condition called atrial fibrillation, which is irregular heartbeats, and combined with the medication I take for it, I’m too exhausted.” He said he was still involved in recordings and other band projects.
In a recent interview with the “Sunday Times“ The bassist said that he often feels “exhausted” and has come to terms with the fact that he won’t tour with the band again. He said: “I miss it (playing live) a little bit but it’s a lot of work and I’ve done it for 50 years, I’ve kind of got it out of my system. It is doubtful whether I will do any more concerts at this point.”
Fatal rock’n’roll lifestyle
He also makes it clear in the interview that he feels that his previous rock’n’roll lifestyle was damaging to his health. “All these things caught up with me as I got older. Don’t do drugs, kids, is all I can say. All the crap I’ve done over the years hasn’t helped.”
In the meantime, Stein has been working on something else. His memoir “Under A Rock” will be published on June 11, 2024. On November 16, the musician announced details of his new book. He wrote in an Instagram post: “OK let’s go. I have been working on this memoir for two years and it will be published in 2024.”
He revealed details such as: “I mean I like it, I wrote the whole damn thing myself. It includes a lot of strange things that actually happened, even if they seem made up. I’m really looking forward to seeing how people react to it.”